MY READING LIFE / STUDENTS' WORKS
Reading ‘Romance of the Three Kingdoms’ makes me seek a more peaceful world
Historical story
Editor's Note:
"Read ten thousand books, and your pen will be guided as if by the gods" is an ancient Chinese idiom that can be seen in students' textbooks. China's Ministry of Education has published an action plan to further promote reading among students across the nation. With new and diverse book recommendations, the reading scene is expected to be revived not only at schools, but also across society. To contribute to this endeavor, the Global Times launched "My Reading Life" essay contest for middle school students.
Please pick up a pen and share your stories with us at reading@globaltimes.com.cn
Participants will be rewarded once the article has been selected.
Traveling in the ocean of books allows me to broaden my vision. Reading has brought me a lot of pleasure. Just as the famous Russian writer Maxim Gorky said, "Books are the ladder of human progress," and I could not agree more.
After reading the Chinese classic literary work Romance of the Three Kingdoms, I was deeply impressed by the figures such as brilliant Zhuge Liang, the shrewd Cao Cao, the loyal and brave Guan Yu, and the generous and kind Liu Bei. The stories of various characters full of wisdom and courage in this book let me understand a lot of truth of life. However, what struck me most is the cruel war that comes and goes.
Longing for peace
The historical figures Liu Bei, Cao Cao and Sun Quan, in order to become the overlords of the whole country, fight against each other for decades. This can be seen during the Battle of Red Cliff, where almost all of Cao Cao's 800,000 troops are wiped out. At the Battle of Fancheng, Cao Cao's seven armies are swept away by floods, along with countless civilians.
Innumerable soldiers and civilians died in the war, and countless families were broken up in other wars. I wonder if the people who fought for imperial power ever thought about the soldiers and civilians who died in these wars. I deeply sensed their desire for peace, but their lives were disdained.
Just as the lyric of the song "Half the City Smoke Sand" says, "... shining spears and armored horses, for whom we fight, a general becomes famous with ten thousand bones withered, how many of the gray-haired to mourn the dark-haired..."
Since ancient times, many wars triggered by some people for their own power, desire, and hegemony were unnecessary. In these cruel wars, it was the innocent soldiers and civilians who suffered most.
With the development of science and technology, wars do not only kill countless people, but also destroy our peaceful living environment and even destroy the Earth on which we live. It is so sad that we are still living in a world where wars are happening.
After reading the book, the deepest gain for me is that every one of us should have a peaceful heart, and strive to build a more powerful country as far as possible.
A lifetime lesson
Although this classic work was written in ancient times, it still inspires contemporary readers due to its profound humanistic values.
In the saga, the writer used his literary talents to depict characters' different personalities and their mindsets. Readers can see clearly how the "grumpy" Zhang Fei is at the entire opposite end in comparison to the calm yet strategic Zhuge Liang. Such characters' different personalities add more theatrical twists to the story. This is also the reason why the work has been successfully adapted into multiple TV series.
In 1994, a TV adaptation starring veteran Chinese actors such as Bao Guo'an and Tang Guoqiang made its debut.
To many young audiences at that time, the television series was one of the greatest opportunities for them to get to know the novel for the first time.
The TV adaption has earned a great reputation and in 2010 another TV series inspired by the ancient novel also debuted.
Unlike the previous series that followed the original novel's storyline, the new adaption focused more on major incidents like the Battle of Red Cliff.
No matter if it is the novel or TV productions, I think the work teaches us a lot.
First of all, we should learn history and be able to generate views and experiences from reading historical books. Those experiences can guide us to conquer challenges in our modern social lives.
Secondly, as a Chinese reader, I'm proud to see that the country's time-honored civilization gave birth to such a great literary work. We should respect this art form and learn about life from literary works.
Finally, and also most importantly, we should learn to focus on the humane growth of society no matter if it is during ancient or modern times.
Some people might say that philosophy is too profound and too realistic for a kid who is still a student. However, I don't think this way.
I believe that one who has a passion for exploration in reading has the power to choose his or her favorite book. Reading is my passion and I'll continue with it as a lifetime journey.
The author is a student at Yangcun No. 2 Middle School in Tianjin
"Read ten thousand books, and your pen will be guided as if by the gods" is an ancient Chinese idiom that can be seen in students' textbooks. China's Ministry of Education has published an action plan to further promote reading among students across the nation. With new and diverse book recommendations, the reading scene is expected to be revived not only at schools, but also across society. To contribute to this endeavor, the Global Times launched "My Reading Life" essay contest for middle school students.
Please pick up a pen and share your stories with us at reading@globaltimes.com.cn
Participants will be rewarded once the article has been selected.
Photo:VCG
Traveling in the ocean of books allows me to broaden my vision. Reading has brought me a lot of pleasure. Just as the famous Russian writer Maxim Gorky said, "Books are the ladder of human progress," and I could not agree more.
After reading the Chinese classic literary work Romance of the Three Kingdoms, I was deeply impressed by the figures such as brilliant Zhuge Liang, the shrewd Cao Cao, the loyal and brave Guan Yu, and the generous and kind Liu Bei. The stories of various characters full of wisdom and courage in this book let me understand a lot of truth of life. However, what struck me most is the cruel war that comes and goes.
Longing for peace
The historical figures Liu Bei, Cao Cao and Sun Quan, in order to become the overlords of the whole country, fight against each other for decades. This can be seen during the Battle of Red Cliff, where almost all of Cao Cao's 800,000 troops are wiped out. At the Battle of Fancheng, Cao Cao's seven armies are swept away by floods, along with countless civilians.
Innumerable soldiers and civilians died in the war, and countless families were broken up in other wars. I wonder if the people who fought for imperial power ever thought about the soldiers and civilians who died in these wars. I deeply sensed their desire for peace, but their lives were disdained.
Just as the lyric of the song "Half the City Smoke Sand" says, "... shining spears and armored horses, for whom we fight, a general becomes famous with ten thousand bones withered, how many of the gray-haired to mourn the dark-haired..."
Since ancient times, many wars triggered by some people for their own power, desire, and hegemony were unnecessary. In these cruel wars, it was the innocent soldiers and civilians who suffered most.
With the development of science and technology, wars do not only kill countless people, but also destroy our peaceful living environment and even destroy the Earth on which we live. It is so sad that we are still living in a world where wars are happening.
After reading the book, the deepest gain for me is that every one of us should have a peaceful heart, and strive to build a more powerful country as far as possible.
A lifetime lesson
Although this classic work was written in ancient times, it still inspires contemporary readers due to its profound humanistic values.
In the saga, the writer used his literary talents to depict characters' different personalities and their mindsets. Readers can see clearly how the "grumpy" Zhang Fei is at the entire opposite end in comparison to the calm yet strategic Zhuge Liang. Such characters' different personalities add more theatrical twists to the story. This is also the reason why the work has been successfully adapted into multiple TV series.
In 1994, a TV adaptation starring veteran Chinese actors such as Bao Guo'an and Tang Guoqiang made its debut.
To many young audiences at that time, the television series was one of the greatest opportunities for them to get to know the novel for the first time.
The TV adaption has earned a great reputation and in 2010 another TV series inspired by the ancient novel also debuted.
Unlike the previous series that followed the original novel's storyline, the new adaption focused more on major incidents like the Battle of Red Cliff.
No matter if it is the novel or TV productions, I think the work teaches us a lot.
First of all, we should learn history and be able to generate views and experiences from reading historical books. Those experiences can guide us to conquer challenges in our modern social lives.
Secondly, as a Chinese reader, I'm proud to see that the country's time-honored civilization gave birth to such a great literary work. We should respect this art form and learn about life from literary works.
Finally, and also most importantly, we should learn to focus on the humane growth of society no matter if it is during ancient or modern times.
Some people might say that philosophy is too profound and too realistic for a kid who is still a student. However, I don't think this way.
I believe that one who has a passion for exploration in reading has the power to choose his or her favorite book. Reading is my passion and I'll continue with it as a lifetime journey.
The author is a student at Yangcun No. 2 Middle School in Tianjin
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