PREFACE
For some years, I have entertained the idea of acquainting overseas Chinese children with some knowledge of Chinese culture. Since migrating from South East Asia to Australia in the late 1970s, I have observed that with few exceptions, the majority of overseas Chinese children have little or no opportunity to learn the Chinese language. Chinese parents traditionally are concerned for their children's education. Being practical people, they are however, more inclined to encourage their children to study English with a view to graduating as professionals like doctors, lawyers, engineers and others.
My family and I belong to this group of Chinese migrants. It is regrettable that I am the only one in the family who is educated both in Chinese and English. The rest of my family and extended family neither read nor speak the standard Chinese language or Pu Tong Hua. The same can be said of many of my fellow Chinese migrants from South East Asia.
But then, the task: to acquaint overseas Chinese children with Chinese culture and language, needless to say, is difficult. Parents in fact, are the best motivators for their children to learn about their own culture and tradition. Unfortunately, they themselves are either Chinese language illiterate or semi-literate and perhaps even alien to Chinese cultures. Another factor conducive to learning is an environment where these children have easy access to Chinese books, newspaper, movies and the Internet. The latter is becoming more widespread these days, but compared with Internet in English, it is still in its infancy.
My idea to produce this book: A Treasury of Chinese Poems - Tang Dynsasty (AD 618 - 907), translation from Chinese into English, was prompted by two factors: the effectiveness of nursery rhymes in initiating children to learn languages and the simplicity and popularity of 300 Tang Poems in many Chinese schools in South East Asia and China.
I hope you will enjoy the poems that I have specially selected for inclusion in this book.
A few sample pages of the book are shown below.
The book is available at:
All Foreign Languages Bookshop
572 Hay Street, Perth WA 6000
PH: 08 9221 6888 FAX: 08 9221 3199
Wing Loong News & Books
268 William Street, North Bridge, WA 6003
PH: 08 9227 7872 FAX: 08 9227 9597
Asia Times
395 William Street, WA 6003
PH: 08 92611068
Or you may wish to contact:
1. Email us at: dolphin8@iinet.net.au
2. Books can also be purchased through:
Mr Charlie Chin, 042 2449822 or Mr 黄兴昌, 041 7911648
Price: AUD$ 21.95 + postage and handling
(shipping from Perth, Australia)
