Unit 8 Chinese LiteratureWarm-up ActivityQuestions for discussion:1)Look at the following pictures. They are all illustrations of the famous storiesof the four great novels of Chinese literature. Do you know or can you tell any of these stories?a.Story 1:颐和园长廊上的彩绘：桃园三结义2008-04拍摄，绘画年代大约于19世纪末Oath of the Peach GardenThe Oath of the Peach Garden (桃园三结义) was an oath in the historical novelRomance of the Three Kingdoms, by which the three warriors Liu Bei, Guan Y u, and Zhang Fei became sworn brothers in a ceremony amid peach blossom trees. The original goal of the Peach Garden Oath was to protect the Han Dynasty from the Yellow Turbans. This act bound the three key men of the future Shu-Han Kingdom of China and is often alluded to as a symbol of fraternal loyalty. Nothing in historical records suggest such an event happened, though the three were noted to be close, to the point of sharing the same bed.The oath, as it appears in the Wikisource translation of Romance of the Three Kingdoms/Chapter 1, was this:When saying the names Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, although the surnames are different, yet we have come together as brothers. From this day forward, we shall join forces for a common purpose, and come to each other's aid in times of crisis. We shall avenge the nation from above, and pacify the citizenry from below. We seek not to be born on the same day, in the same month and in the same year. We merely hope to die on the same day, in the same month and in the same year. May the gods of heaven and earth attest to what is in our hearts. If we should ever do anything to betray our friendship, may the gods in heaven strike us dead.In many other translations, only the section dealing with "dying on the selfsame day" is present. However, the three brothers do not die on the same day: Guan Yu is executed by Sun Quan, Zhang Fei is assassinated by his own men whom he treated with cruelty, and Liu Bei dies of illness after the disastrous attempts to avenge Guan Yu and reclaim the province of Jing.The oath inspired the present day secret societies in Chinese communities, such as the Triad, to use a similar ritual when swearing in new members. "Though not born on the same day of the same month in the same year, we hope to die so" — the phrase the three brothers made during the oath —had also become popular among the present day secret society members. （392 words）(/wiki/Oath_of_the_Peach_Garden)Story 2:颐和园长廊彩绘中的徐庶荐诸葛（三顾茅庐）故事2008-04拍摄，绘画年代大约于19世纪末Three Visits to the Thatched CottageAfter they had become sworn brothers at Taoyuan, Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei made concerted efforts to restore the Han Dynasty. But they felt that it would be impossible to do it without the help of a smart adviser. The Liu-Guan-Zhang alliance later won one battle after another thanks to the advice of Xu Shu. But before long, Xu had to surrender to the opposing camp of Cao Cao in order to save the life of his mother who was abducted by the Cao troops. Before he left, Xu Shu recommended Zhuge Liang to the brothers.Accompanied by Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, Liu Bei went to Wolonggang in Longzhong in the hope of inviting Zhuge Liang to be their military adviser. But Zhuge's servant said: "The Mentor left in the morning." Liu Bei asked the servant to forward to Zhuge Liang his message that the brothers had come to visit him. After that, Liu rode his horse away, returning home sullenly. A few days later when he learned that Zhuge Liang was at home, Liu Bei went for another visit along with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. The servant said: "The Mentor is reading books at his thatched cottage." Liu requested to see him. When they learned that the one reading books at the thatched cottage was not Zhuge Liang himself but his brother Zhuge Jun, the Liu-Guan-Zhang brothers left a letter to express their admiration and then braved heavy snows to return home.Not long after they returned to their barracks at Xinye, Liu Bei wanted to visit Zhuge Liang's thatched cottage once more. But Guan Y u dissuaded Liu from going by saying that perhaps Zhuge Liang was not as smart as expected and that he was simply dodging the visiting brothers for that. Zhang Fei said: "You don't need to go. I'll tie him up and force him to come and see you instead." Liu Bei lost no time in telling his brothers the story of King Wen bent on visiting one of his subjects called Jiang Ziya. Liu, Guan and Zhang, therefore, paid a third visit to Wolonggang. They had no sooner arrived than the servant said: "The Mentor is sleeping." Liu Bei waited until Zhuge Liang was awake and dressed . Finally, he consented to see the brothers. Liu Bei paid three visits to the thatched cottage without complaint. He finally succeeded in inviting Zhuge Liang to be his military adviser and to help the brothers in their cause. (416 words)三顾茅庐《三国演义》中的故事。