Preface
Many readers find it hard to make a good understanding of Tao Te Ching, The Book of Zhuang Zi and Chuci.
As is clear to many people, Chinese culture, in its course of evolution, saw the rise and fall of many regional cultures, and among these is the culture of the state of Chu. Since the early men of Chu lived in a mountain named Jing in the midstream of the Han River, “Chu” is often mentioned together with“Jing”, thus Jing-Chu or Chu-Jing. The Civilizations of Chu: An Introduction is meant to provide the reader with a brief account of the cultural achievements made by people who lived in what was the territories of the state of Chu by, firstly, citing the core sections in the classics thereof, secondly, presenting the latest research findings of experts in corresponding fields, and, thirdly, advancing our views on some of the topics discussed.
Developed mainly by the men of Chu who came to inhabit more than half of the present 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government (Hubei, Henan, Hunan, Anhui, Jiangsu, Shaanxi, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangxi, Shandong, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, Chongqing, Guizhou and so on), Chu culture takes on several features.
Comprehensiveness: In literature Ch’u Tz’u (Chuci), together with The Book of Songs, serves as the dual ancestry of poetry in China; in philosophy Tao Te Ching is probably the most famous book of philosophy in the East; in art, the music produced by playing the chime bells, the drawings on Chu-style lacquer ware, pieces of embroidery on silk products, sculptures like root carvings, and Chu-style architecture have captured public fancy; in science, bronze casting and astronomy are well-known. Chu culture had reached such a high degree of sophistication that it is by no means whatsoever inferior to the civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome.
Profundity in Thought: Rich in abstract thinking, the poems of Qu Yuan and the writings of Zhuang Zi are time-honored classics, and Lao-tzu’s book has been acclaimed the second most translated book in the whole world. Obviously the“barbarous” men of Chu had caught up with the civilized northerners in language art and in philosophical ideas. Since the dynasties of Shang and Zhou are considered to be the classical age in Chinese history, the people of Chu certainly made a big share of contribution to the formation of Chinese culture as a whole. As a result, the cultural achievements in Chu determined the cultural orientation in the early Han dynasty, which is reflected in the Historial Records by Sima Qian.
Romanticism: Powerful feelings are expressed and heavy reliance on the imagination is manifest in Lisao—the poet traveling in the celestial realm with supernatural beings—and in the creation of fengs (phoenixes); idealization of nature, and reliance on subjectivity are to be found in the writings of Zhuang Zi; fascination for the remote, the supernatural, and the unusual can lead to a sense of wonder; individualism is exemplified in the lifestyle of Zhuang Zi , Qu Yuan, and others.
Openness: In the course of expansion, the men of Chu incorporated other cultures in their own. Having been civilized (their connection with the Xia dynasty), they moved southwards and, surrounded by the barbarous, they chose to live at first in the woods, but different ideas were assimilated into their culture; rooted deeply in Taoism which was mixed with shamanism, Chu culture is eclectic in that the Chu people began to embrace Confucianism, the ideology of the hostile northerners, in the late seventh century B.C.
The list could go on.
Great civilizations such as those of Chu deserve the study of generations of people. It is our sincere hope that this book can be of some help to readers of Chinese classics both at home and abroad.
Peng Jiahai
Jan 23，2020

Afterword
( 后 記）

為了更好地給高等學校英語專業(yè)本科生講授“楚文化概論”課程，我們決定在教學的基礎上編寫一本集學術性與通俗性于一體的讀物《荊楚文化概論》。編委主要由在荊楚文化方面有濃厚興趣或一定研究基礎的國內(nèi)幾所高校的一線英語教師組成。
《荊楚文化概論》的編寫工作經(jīng)歷了數(shù)個春秋。彭家海教授設計了全書的大綱和結構，并起草了編寫說明。全書編寫分工如下：田甜副教授編寫第一章——漢水中游文明 （鄖縣），黃廣芳教授編寫第二章——神農(nóng)架，彭家海教授編寫第三章——楚國簡史、第四章——道德經(jīng)與道教（老莊、道教、武當山、黃鶴樓）、第五章——楚國文學、第六章——楚國藝術中的音樂（古琴臺與高山流水、金聲玉振），劉洋副教授編寫第六章——楚國藝術中的漆器，顏研博士編寫第七章——長江三峽居民，李池利博士編寫第八章——武漢工商業(yè)化與辛亥首義。
編寫工作開始之前，各編著者都收到了比較詳盡的編寫說明。各部分初稿完成后， 彭家海教授在對初稿進行大幅度修改的基礎上就編寫要求與其他各位編著者再次溝通； 在對修改稿做進一步修改的基礎上又進行了多次編委溝通和書稿調(diào)整。書稿完成后，彭家海教授又進行了統(tǒng)稿與通讀，然后由美籍友人Diane Berthelot、Albert Earley 等對各編寫部分的語言進行把關，*后由彭家海教授定稿。華中科技大學出版社的劉平編輯也付出了辛勤的勞動。借此機會向各位參與者表示衷心的感謝。
為了讓讀者更全面、更深入地了解荊楚文化和中華文明，我們精選了部分知名譯者的典籍英譯材料，在此一并致謝。
由于編者水平有限，書中肯定會有疏漏、謬誤之處，肯請讀者匡正。
為方便教學，編著者還制作了課件，有需要的教師請發(fā)郵件到robinpeng7@hot？
mail.com 免費索取。
編者
2020 年2 月