HPCH5003 Introduction to Classical Chinese
2nd Timed Test

I. Translate the following sentences into English (50%).

a. 王自遠方來矣。The King came to a distant place.

b. 藩臣見王。Fan Chen met the king.

c. 食飲，不亦悅乎。 Food and drink, do they not also please?

d. 若汝為師，則汝朋知汝道（也）。If not for your teachers, you would follow the way of your friends.

e. 是故（是以 ）學古者將知今（也 ）。For this reason, ancient knowledge is certainly known today, yeah.

f. 民皆當悅足食。There should be enough food to please all the people.

g. 於斯四師何先？Which of the four teachers is the senior?

h. 師知之乎。Teachers don’t know themselves.

i. 兵者，於鄰國有之乎。Soldiers, they are not in the neighbouring states.

j. 其見王而不見臣。He met the king and he did not meet the ministers

k. 無主之囯必亡。The ruler himself must not flee the country.

l. 主當為民之父。The ruler should be the father of the people.

II. Revision exercise: Produce your own 10 sentences in Classical Chinese and translate them into English (50%)

Use the following groups of words to create your own Classical Chinese sentences and phrases (max. 5), using the structures we have studied so far (verbal sentences, nominal sentences, subordination, co-ordination, nominalisation, passive with 為…所 or 見…於 etc.). Translate your sentences into English.
You could use, for instance, the correspondences between the Five Elements, the Four Seasons and the animals. E.g. ‘Wood is Tiger’ 木, 虎也. The idea is to use a limited vocabulary to create as many sentences/phrases as possible.
1. Nouns: 木火土金水 (Five Elements); 春夏秋冬 (Four Seasons); 鼠牛虎兔龍蛇馬羊猴雞犬豬 (Twelve animals of the zodiac); 東南西北 (directions); 父母兄弟姊妹 (family members); 風花林鳥日月山水夜雨竹谷聲人色天一子道君臣
2. Adjectives: 白長大高寒空明靑小幽深
3. Verbs: 有生為成長養曰謂出食愛見
4. Other characters and phrases 是故, 所, 之, 其, 皆, 也, 者, 此, 非, 而, 吾
1) 今年，虎年也。This year is the year of the tiger.
2) 其父见王猴也. His father met the Monkey King.
3) 王猴曰：[五不知老虎所往]。
The monkey king said, “I do not know where the tiger went.”
4) 春，五所最爱也。
Spring, that’s the season I love the best.
5) 中国人有汉语老师者。Amongst the Chinese, there are Chinese teachers.

6）虎吃王猴,曰：[是故吃饱了]。The tiger ate the monkey king, and said “Therefore I am full.”
7) 王非爱国家之,不自己。A King should love his country, but not himself..
8) 王非爱国家之，而民之。A king should love his country and his people.
9) 此春天，山花生长大也。This spring, the flowers are growing big
10) 虎信，猴不信也。Tigers are trustworthy, monkeys are not.