- until
- to make out; to see
- creative inspiration
- A Mirror for the Wise Ruler (or Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government), a vast chronological general history, written by 司馬光|司马光[Si1 ma3 Guang1] Sima Guang (1019-1089) and collaborators during the Northern Song in 1084, covering the period 403 BC-959 AD, 294 scrolls
- compilation; selected works
- old language; the Classics; Classical Chinese as a literary model, esp. in Tang and Song prose; Classical Chinese as a school subject
- (literary) to compile; to edit; (coll.) (hairstyle) bun; chignon (as 纂兒|纂儿[zuan3 r5]); red silk ribbon
- annals; chronicle
- Five Dynasties, period of history between the fall of the Tang dynasty (907) and the founding of the Song dynasty (960), when five would-be dynasties were established in quick succession in North China
- principal; main; flagship (product); title (track); to specialize in; to take as one's priority; to primarily focus on
- booklist; bibliography; title catalogue; CL:本[ben3]
- ripe; mature; thoroughly cooked; done; familiar; acquainted; experienced; skilled; (of sleep etc) deep; profound; also pr. [shou2]
- pre-Qin, Chinese history up to the foundation of the Qin imperial dynasty in 221 BC
- Southern Dynasties (420-589)
- anthology
- an excerpt; a digest
- the Warring States period (475-221 BC)
- (broadly) prose (as opposed to verse); (more narrowly) free-form literary prose, such as essays, sketches and reflections
- detailed; comprehensive
- worth the money; to merit; to deserve; to be worth (doing sth)
- (say) a few words
- to select and edit; to compile
- money; paper money
- Cao Zhi (192-232), son of Cao Cao 曹操, noted poet and calligrapher
- Wei (220-265) and Jin (265-420) dynasties
- 金 jīn: 金 jin1: gold; chemical element Au; generic term for lustrous and ductile metals; money; golden; highly respected; one of the eight categories of ancient musical instruments 八音[ba1 yin1]金 Jīn: 金 Jin1: surname Jin; surname Kim (Korean); Jurchen Jin dynasty (1115–1234)
- bard; poet
- original; originally; at first; it goes without saying; of course
- private; privately owned or managed
- reader; an instructional book
- 供 gōng: 供 gong1: to provide; to supply; to be for (the use or convenience of)供 gòng: 供 gong4: to lay (sacrificial offerings); (bound form) offerings; to confess (Taiwan pr. [gong1]); confession; statement (Taiwan pr. [gong1])
- people (in general); people around the world; everyone
- consultation; reference; to consult; to refer
- that level or higher; that amount or more; the above-mentioned; (used to indicate that one has completed one's remarks) That is all.
- ancient books or records
- vast as the open sea (idiom); fig. extensive (library)
- (for) a lifetime
- finally; in the end; when all is said and done; after all; to the end; to the last
- what's the matter?; what's going on?; how could that be?; how did that come about?; what's it all about?