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.
《三国演义》
《三国演义》是中国古典小说四大名著之一，也是中国文学史上第一部长篇章回体历史演义小说，作者是元末明初的罗贯中（约1330—约1400）。《三国演义》描写的是从东汉末年到西晋初年近百年间群雄割据的历史，叙写了魏、蜀、吴三国之间的政治和军事斗争，反映了三国时期各类社会斗争和矛盾的转化。它大致根据史书《三国志》的记载， 将三国历史中的忠奸是非，以通俗易懂的方式进行解说。
《三国演义》刻画了400多个人物形象，脍炙人口的人物包括诸葛亮（181—234）、曹操（155—220）、关羽（？—219）、刘备（161—223）等。书中描绘的诸葛亮是贤臣的化身，曹操是有野心和才智的奸雄，关羽是义重如山的名将，刘备则是仁君典型。
在中国人心中，小说《三国演义》的巨大影响力甚至盖过了真实历史，取材于它的文艺作品不胜枚举。《三国演义》还先后被译成数十种文字，在世界上许多国家广泛流传，尤其受到亚洲各国人民的喜爱。
