Virtuous Women - Three Classic Korean Novels (A Nine Cloud Dream & Queen Inhyŭn & Chun-hyang) by Kim Man-Choong & al - Tr by Richard Rutt & Kim Chong-un.pdf

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About The Digital Library of Korean Classics
The Digital Library of Korean Classics is a project undertaken by Literature
Translation Institute of Korea (LTI Korea) to digitalize selected translated titles of
Korean classics published in the late nineteenth to the early twenty-first century.
LTI Korea is an affiliate of the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of the
Republic of Korea that seeks to promote Korean literature and culture around the
world.
This e-book was made by scanning and converting the original book using
OCR software. We have made every effort to ensure the book is free of any errors
or omissions, but if you discover any, please email us so that we can improve the
quality of the book.
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CONTENTS
PREFACE
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
A NINE CLOUD DREAM
by Kim Man-jung
trans. by Richard Rutt
THE TRUE HISTORY OF QUEEN INHYŎN
trans. by Kim Chong-un
THE SONG OF A FAITHFUL WIFE, CH’UN-HYANG
trans. by Richard Rutt
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Preface
The three works translated in this volume are generally recognized as the most
significant products of traditional Korean fiction. Kuunmong was written in the
reign of King Sukchong (1674-1720); lnhyŏn Wanghu chŏn describes events of
that reign; and Ch’unhyang ka is a romance set in the same period, which came
to be regarded as an ideal age of peace and prosperity. The second and third
stories, however, did not attain the form in which they are here translated until
the nineteenth century.
The three stories were translated independently of each other between 1968
and 1971 at the request of the Asia Society of New York. Mrs Bonnie Crown,
director of the Society’s literature program, noticed that the theme of woman’s life
and ideals is common to all three tales and suggested they should be published
in one book.
I am responsible for all introductory matter and for the translations of
Kuunmong and Ch’unhyang ka. I have also edited Professor Kim Chong-un’s
translation of lnhyŏn Wanghu chŏn, principally in order to unify the treatment of
technicalities. I refer chiefly to four matters. Chinese names are transliterated as
Chinese, Korean names as Korean; the ages of characters, and the counting of
time in general are expressed according to western computation, and are thus one
or two years less than the figures given in the original texts, which use Korean
computation; and year dates are given according to the western era only,
disregarding the Chinese sixty-fold numeration system, except where that system
has some significance beyond bare chronology. The text has not been annotated,
because the book is intended for the general reader’s enjoyment. Explanatory
phrases have been inserted into the translation where it seemed necessary to
illuminate what would otherwise be merely mystifying allusions. Students
requiring critical texts and detailed references can be expected to be capable of
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using Korean editions.
The illustrations to Kuunmong are taken from Gale’s The Cloud Dream of the
Nine (London 1922), which contains a picture for each of the sixteen chapters in
the Chinese text, inscribed with the appropriate chapter heading. The English
legends provided here, however, identify the incidents represented.
I am grateful for the generous help of many people; especially Professor
Chŏng Kyu-bok of Korea University; Professor Pak Yo-sun of Sungjŏn
University; Mr. Choi Woon-sok of Korean National Commission for Unesco for
editing, layout and proofreading; and to my wife, Joan, for improving the English
style of The History of Queen Inhyŏn.
Taejŏn, Korea
3 December 1973
Richard Rutt
 
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