Bulletin Autumn‧Winter 1980

as his theoretical basis. Recent grammatical studies of the Chinese language applying the theories o f genera­ tive transformational grammar or case grammar have, without exception, quoted this book as a major reference. A Journey to T 'ientsin—Diary o f a 19th Century Vietnamese Official Edited and annotated by Chingho A. Chen The author of this book, Nguyên Thuât, came from a well-known family in Quang Nam, Vietnam and was a man o f letters. He was a high official in the latter part of the reign of Emperor Tu-duc of Vietnam (1848-1883) and had been to China twice. A Journey to Tientsin, which is in the form of a diary, gives an account of his second journey to China, the general situation o f Hong Kong, Canton, Shanghai and T'ientsin, as well as his relations with Chinese and foreign celebrities. A major part of the book is devoted to the Sino-Vietnamese relationships and the diplomatic negotiations between China and France on the question o f Vietnam. The Serious Drought in North China from 1876 to 1879 By Ho Hon-wai The drought in the five northern provinces of China (Hebei, Shandong, Shanxi, Henan and Shaanxi) in 1876-1879 was the most serious one in Chinese history, with a death to ll of nearly ten m illion. This book is mainly based on materials contained in the veritable records, government reports, local gazetteers, memorials of governors, Shen Pao (申報） and The Review o f the Times (previously Globe Magazine), and reference is also made to the research by other scholars. The situation before the calamity, the extent of damage, the relief measures taken by the central government and the drought-striken provinces and the aftermath o f the disaster are fully discussed in the book. A Short History o f Shanghai Polytechnic Institute (1874-1911) By Wang Erh-min The Shanghai Polytechnic Institute, founded in 1874 ， was one o f the early cultural and educational ventures by western missionaries after the opening of the five commercial ports. The Institute, as aprecursor of the western form of education in modern China, ushered in the western educational system by intro­ ducing the western mode of operation, new teaching materials and methods, as well as scientific and technological knowledge. This book on the history of the Institute also affords some insight into the development of modern Chinese educational system and the evolution of knowledge in the contemporary era. Sthiramati's Commentary on Trimsikavijna p t i -A Chinese Translation with Notes and Interpretations By Fok Tou-hui This book is the first translation of a Buddhist classic from the original text into the vernacular style in contemporary Chinese scholarship. It is also the only annotated version of Rev. Xi Qin's (世 親 ） Trimsikavijnapti with the Sanskrit original. The notes and interpretations of this Chinese translation elaborate on Xi Qin's conception of vijnaptimatra ( 唯識）. The Sanskrit original and a Sanskrit-Chinese glossary are also included asappendices. Titles in English Chinese-Western Comparative Literature: Theory and Strategy Edited by John J. Deeney This collection stems from aconference held in Hong Kong in 1979 to look into the validity and limitations o f certain critical approaches. It consists mainly of a number of theoretical and critical essays, ranging from inquiry into possible approaches to actual case analyses in the study of Chinese-Western comparative literature. Critical Essays on Chinese Fiction Edited by Winston L. Y. Yang and Curtis P. Adkins This book is a collection of ten essays on tradi tional Chinese fiction, including two on T'ang fiction, three on Ming works, and five on Ch'ing novels and short stories. These essays examine various aspects of pre-modern Chinese fiction from either a critical or a historical point o f view. Among those dealt with are suchmajor works as the San-kuo chihyen-i [Romance 44