Jianjun He - Spring And Autumn Annals Of Wu And Yue

Many times over the years as I was working on this manuscript I imagined this moment: writing the acknowledgments before publication. When the moment finally came, I realized that my acknowledgments section would be short and personal, as there were no grants available for translating the Wu Yue Chunqiu, nor were there research institutions to accommodate me with a semester or so to focus on my writing. The completion of this book concluded a journey of self-cultivation supported by true care and friendship.

This project began with a translation exercise suggested by my academic advisor, Dr. Stephen Durrant, while I was his student at the University of Oregon. I owe special gratitude to Dr. Durrant for inspiring me to work on this fascinating work, Wu Yue Chunqiu. In the years that followed, while dealing with job relocations, new working environments, and increased teaching and administrative responsibilities, researching and translating Wu Yue Chunqiubecame a comfort. The process of working on this book was more meaningful to me than the final manuscript, for it helped me to understand both my scholarly potential and the value of my colleagues and loved ones.

I am grateful to Dr. Paul Fischer and Dr. Michael Fishlen for their careful reading of my entire draft. The many insightful comments and meticulous corrections they offered certainly improved the readability and scholarly quality of my book. All remaining errors are purely mine. My gratitude also goes to Dr. Maram Epstein for her consistent support both as a mentor and as a friend. I thank my editor at Cornell University Press, Mai Shaikhanuar-Cota, for her patience and guidance in preparing for the publication of this book, which made the experience stress-free and enjoyable for me. I am also indebted to my copyeditor, Katherine Thompson, for proofreading the manuscript.

Finally, I would like to thank my family, my wife Qian and my sons Hanchen and Yuchen, for their love and support. This book is dedicated to them.