Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the three Kingdoms is widely regarded as one of the Four Great Classics of Chinese literature, and is considered to be the first historical novel written in the form of a lengthy episodic narrative. Written by Luo Guanzhong (c. 1330–c. 1400), the novel tells the story of the political and military struggles among the states of Wei, Shu, and Wu during the turbulent period from the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220) to the beginning of the Western Jin Dynasty (265-317), spanning almost a hundred years. Based on the Records of the three Kingdoms, the novel vividly reflects the complex social struggles and conflicts that occurred during the Three Kingdoms period, and presents the concepts of loyalty and treachery in a way that is both easy to understand and deeply insightful.
The novel portrays over 400 characters, including some of the most iconic figures in Chinese literature. These include Zhuge Liang (181-234), Cao Cao (155-220), Guan Yu (?-219), and Liu Bei (161-223). Zhuge Liang is depicted as the embodiment of wisdom and virtue, while Cao Cao is portrayed as an ambitious and intelligent villain whose actions are driven by his desire for power. Guan Yu is celebrated as a legendary general who values loyalty and righteousness above all else, and Liu Bei is presented as a model ruler who embodies benevolence and virtue.
In Chinese culture, Romance of the three Kingdoms is seen as an incredibly influential novel, with its impact even sur?passing that of the actual historical events it portrays. Countless works of literature and art have drawn inspiration from the novel. It has also been translated into dozens of languages and widely circulated across the globe, with a particularly strong following in various other Asian countries.
《三國演義》
《三國演義》是中國古典小說四大名著之一，也是中國文學史上第一部長篇章回體歷史演義小說，作者是元末明初的羅貫中（約1330—約1400）。《三國演義》描寫的是從東漢末年到西晉初年近百年間群雄割據的歷史，敘寫了魏、蜀、吳三國之間的政治和軍事斗爭，反映了三國時期各類社會斗爭和矛盾的轉化。它大致根據史書《三國志》的記載， 將三國歷史中的忠奸是非，以通俗易懂的方式進行解說。
《三國演義》刻畫了400多個人物形象，膾炙人口的人物包括諸葛亮（181—234）、曹操（155—220）、關羽（？—219）、劉備（161—223）等。書中描繪的諸葛亮是賢臣的化身，曹操是有野心和才智的奸雄，關羽是義重如山的名將，劉備則是仁君典型。
在中國人心中，小說《三國演義》的巨大影響力甚至蓋過了真實歷史，取材于它的文藝作品不勝枚舉。《三國演義》還先后被譯成數十種文字，在世界上許多國家廣泛流傳，尤其受到亞洲各國人民的喜愛。
