Classical Chinese & Literature
古文与文学是中文学习中独具特色的部分，文科中文大纲列出的文学、历史、哲学等话题都与之相关。学习古文不仅能提高文言文阅读能力，还能深入了解中华文化的精髓。本模块涵盖多音字、成语、文言虚词、名篇赏析、诗词鉴赏、文学手法和古今对比等核心内容。
What the Exam Tests
This module serves the 文科 (Humanities) stream, whose syllabus draws its texts from literature, philosophy, history and the arts among other fields: here, classical prose, literary devices and poetry. Neither syllabus names classical Chinese (文言文) or poetry as a topic of its own: a humanities text may quote a classical line or a poem, but treat the deeper parts of this module (function words, translation, poetic forms) as enrichment once the vocabulary and reading lessons are secure. The polyphone and chengyu sections are useful to both streams.
The syllabus has no separate classical-Chinese or poetry question type: this material can come up in any of its single-answer multiple-choice types, most naturally 阅读理解 on a text and 辨析词语 on words. Questions can ask what a classical function word means in a sentence, which modern rendering fits a classical line, which device a passage uses, or what feeling a poem expresses.
In our 文科 mock papers these lessons share the 24 阅读理解 questions with the humanities reading lessons. The CSCA publishes the topics but not how many questions each gets, so this split is our own reading of the syllabus.
What a 多音字 Is
A 多音字 (duōyīnzì) is one character with two or more readings, and the reading changes the meaning. The syllabus lists 识解汉字 (recognising and interpreting characters) as an item type for both streams, so you need to know which sound goes with which sense. You can only work out the reading from the word or sentence the character sits in, never from the character alone.
Rule 1: The Meaning Decides the Reading
| Character | Reading A | Reading B |
|---|---|---|
| 行 | xíng: 行走 walk, 行为 behaviour | háng: 银行 bank, 行业 trade, 一行白鹭 a row of egrets |
| 长 | cháng: 长度 length | zhǎng: 校长 headmaster, 生长 grow |
| 重 | zhòng: 重要 important | chóng: 重复 repeat, 重新 anew |
| 处 | chǔ: 处理 handle (verb) | chù: 到处 everywhere, 处所 place (noun) |
| 强 | qiáng: 强大 strong | qiǎng: 勉强 reluctant; jiàng: 倔强 stubborn |
| 差 | chā: 差别 difference; chà: 差不多 almost | chāi: 出差 business trip; cī: 参差 cēncī uneven |
| 调 | tiáo: 调整 adjust | diào: 调查 investigate, 声调 tone |
| 降 | jiàng: 下降 fall | xiáng: 投降 surrender |
| 角 | jiǎo: 三角 triangle | jué: 角色 role |
| 传 | chuán: 传说 legend | zhuàn: 传记 biography, 《左传》 Zuǒzhuàn |
Rule 2: Part of Speech Decides the Reading
- 好: hǎo as an adjective (好人 good person); hào as a verb meaning "to like" (好学 hàoxué fond of study, 爱好 àihào hobby).
- 恶: è as an adjective (恶劣 èliè vile); wù as a verb meaning "to hate" (厌恶 yànwù); ě in 恶心 ěxin (nauseous).
- 为: wéi means "to be, to act as" (成为 chéngwéi, 认为 rènwéi); wèi means "for, because of" (为了 wèile).
- 种: zhǒng is a noun meaning "kind" (种类); zhòng is a verb meaning "to plant" (种树).
- 数: shù is a noun (数学 maths); shǔ is a verb (数一数 count); shuò means "often" in 数见不鲜 shuò jiàn bù xiān.
Rule 3: Classical Readings You Must Recognise
Many old texts use a 通假字 (tōngjiǎzì), a character borrowed for another one with a similar sound. The borrowed character takes the reading of the one it stands for:
- 说 = 悦, read yuè (pleased): 学而时习之，不亦说乎？ (《论语》). In 游说 yóushuì (to lobby) it is shuì.
- 见 = 现, read xiàn (to appear): 风吹草低见牛羊 (《敕勒歌》).
- 女 = 汝, read rǔ (you), and 知 = 智, read zhì (wise): 诲女知之乎……是知也 (《论语·为政》).
- 亡 = 无, read wú (not have): 河曲智叟亡以应 (《愚公移山》, from 《列子·汤问》).
Some readings belong to old place names, titles and set phrases: 可汗 kèhán (khan, in 《木兰诗》), 单于 chányú (Xiongnu ruler), 阿房宫 Ēpáng Gōng, 曾子 Zēngzǐ, 将进酒 qiāng jìn jiǔ (李白, "please drink"), and 否极泰来 pǐ jí tài lái. Time words matter too: 朝 is zhāo (morning) in 朝辞白帝彩云间 but cháo in 朝代 (dynasty).
A Four-Step Method
- Find the whole word the character belongs to.
- Decide its part of speech in this sentence.
- In a classical line, if the everyday reading makes no sense, test a loan reading (说→悦, 见→现).
- Check your choice against a word you are sure of, such as 银行 for háng.
Key takeaway: Read the word, not the character: meaning and part of speech decide the sound (好学 hàoxué, 处理 chǔlǐ). In classical lines a loan character takes the reading of the word it stands for (说 yuè = 悦, 见 xiàn = 现).
Worked Example 1
Example 1: 下列加点字的读音，全都正确的一项是：
A. 银行（háng） 处理（chù） 重复（chóng）
B. 勉强（qiǎng） 倔强（jiàng） 强大（qiáng）
C. 便宜（biàn） 角色（jué） 投降（xiáng）
D. 调查（tiáo） 出差（chāi） 传记（zhuàn）
Reasoning: Check every item. One wrong reading rules out the whole option. A: 处理 is chǔlǐ, so A is out. C: 便宜 is piányi, so C is out. D: 调查 is diàochá, so D is out. All three readings in B are correct.
Answer: B
Worked Example 2
Example 2: 子曰："学而时习之，不亦说乎？"句中"说"的读音和意思是：
A. shuō，说话
B. shuì，劝说
C. yuè，高兴
D. shuō，解释
Reasoning: "Isn't it ___ to learn and regularly practise it?" Neither speaking nor persuading fits. 说 here is a loan for 悦 (pleased), so it takes 悦's reading, yuè.
Answer: C
Worked Example 3
Example 3: "知者乐水，仁者乐山。"（《论语·雍也》）句中"知"和"乐"的读音分别是：
A. zhī，lè
B. zhì，yào
C. zhī，yuè
D. zhī，yào
Reasoning: 知者 means "the wise person": 知 is a loan for 智 and is read zhì. 乐 is a verb with an object here: "to delight in" water. In the traditional reading 乐 is yào, not lè ("happy") or yuè ("music"); many modern readers say lè, so this item turns on 知, not on 乐.
Answer: B
Exam tip: Cover the character and read the whole word aloud. You almost always know 银行, 角色 or 校长 as a sound before you can explain the rule.
Exam tip: In a classical line, if the modern reading gives nonsense, test the common loan readings: 说→悦 yuè, 见→现 xiàn, 女→汝 rǔ, 知→智 zhì, 亡→无 wú.
Exam tip: In "which option is entirely correct" items, one wrong reading rules out an option. Hunt for the error in each option instead of checking every item.
Common mistake: 便宜 read as biànyí: as "cheap" it is piányi. 便 is biàn only in 方便, 便利 and similar words.
Common mistake: 角色 read as jiǎosè: in "role" 角 is jué. Keep jiǎo for angles and corners (三角, 墙角).
Common mistake: Reading 处 the same way everywhere: the verb (处理 handle, 相处 get along) is chǔ; the noun "place" (到处, 好处) is chù.
Try This Yourself
"朝辞白帝彩云间，千里江陵一日还。"（李白《早发白帝城》）句中"朝"和"还"应读：
A. cháo，hái B. zhāo，huán C. zhāo，hái D. cháo，huán
Module Summary
本模块系统学习了古文与文学的核心知识：多音字、成语运用、文言虚词、名篇赏析、诗歌形式、文学手法、历史典故、古文翻译、诗歌鉴赏和古今对比。古文学习既要扎实背诵积累，又要掌握翻译方法和鉴赏技巧。多读多背，培养文言语感。
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