中国古典长篇小说四大名著，简称四大名著（Four Great Classical Novels），是指《红楼梦》、《三国演义》、《水浒传》、《西游记》这四部巨著。
四大名著是中国文学史中的经典作品，是世界宝贵的文化遗产。
此四部巨著在中国文学史上的地位是难分高低的，都有着极高的文学水平和艺术成就，细致的刻画和所蕴含的深刻思想都为历代读者所称道，其中的故事、场景、人物已经深深地影响了中国人的思想观念、价值取向。
可谓中国文学史上的四座伟大丰碑。
其常见英译名如下：《三国演义》----The Romance of the Three Kindoms《水浒传》----The Story by the Water Margin《红楼梦》----The Dream of the Red Chamber《西游记》----Journey to the West中国四大名著英文简介红楼梦 The Dream of the Red ChamberDream of the Red Chamber, also called The Story of the Stone, composed by Cao Xueqin, is one ofChina's Four Great Classical Novels. It was written sometime in the middle of the 18th century duringthe Qing Dynasty. Long considered a masterpiece of Chinese literature, the novel is generallyacknowledged to be the pinnacle of Chinese fiction. "Redology" is the field of study devoted exclusively tothis work.The title has also been translated as Red Chamber Dream and A Dream of Red Mansions. The novelcirculated in manuscript copies with various titles until its print publication, in 1791. Gao E, who preparedthe first and second printed editions with his partner Cheng Weiyuan in 1791–2, added 40 additionalchapters to complete the novel.Red Chamber is believed to be semi-autobiographical, mirroring the rise and decline of author CaoXueqin's own family and, by extension, of the Qing Dynasty. As the author details in the first chapter, it isintended to be a memorial to the damsels he knew in his youth: friends, relatives and servants. The novel isremarkable not only for its huge cast of characters and psychological scope, but also for its precise anddetailed observation of the life and social structures typical of 18th-century Chinese society.Also called "The story of the Stone (Shitouji 石头记)", this novel written by Cao Xueqin 曹雪芹(d. 1763) is said to be the greatest masterpiece of Chinese fiction. A wide branched scholarship does not consent about the main theme of this novel, should it be a novel of sentiment, of Daoist-Buddhist enlightenment, of social observation, of the decay of an aristocratic familiy, or even a veiled attack on Manchu rule. The frame of the novel is the contest of a Buddhist and a Daoist priest who make be born a young noble boy called Jia Baoyu 贾宝玉and his girl cousin Lin Daiyu 林黛玉.With a loving detail describing the life of the two cousins in a huge noble mansion, between gardens and palaces, the red thread is the triangular love between Baoyu, Daiyu and a second girl cousin called Xue Baochai 薛宝钗that is of more plumper character than the ever sick Daiyu. Switching between their life, the divine world and dreams, Baoyu becomes deranged after the disappearance of a stone (the origin of the second title) he had in his mouth when he was born. Not knowing, his love Daiyu died, he is tricked to marrying Baochai. Becoming aware of being tricked, Baoyu leaves the world of the "red dust" and becomes a monk. With hundreds of persons and their stories, paralleling the life and feelings of servants to the life of the main persons, the story is very complex and full of symbolisms, but very interesting and convincing for its encyclopedic character, depicting the life of a noble familiy in the 18th century Q ing China.三国演义Romance of The Three KingdomsRomance of the Three Kingdoms is a 14th-century historical novel attributed to Luo Guanzhong. It is setin the turbulent years towards the end of the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period in Chinesehistory, starting in 169 AD and ending with the reunification of the land in 280.The story – part historical, part legend, and part mythical – romanticises and dramatises the lives of feudallords and their retainers, who tried to replace the dwindling Han dynasty or restore it. While the novelfollows hundreds of characters, the focus is mainly on the three power blocs that emerged from theremnants of the Han dynasty, and would eventually form the three states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and EasternWu. The novel deals with the plots, personal and military battles, intrigues, and struggles of these states toachieve dominance for almost 100 years.Romance of the Three Kingdoms is acclaimed as one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chineseliterature; it has a total of 800,000 words and nearly a thousand dramatic characters (mostly historical) in120 chapters. The novel is among the most beloved works of literature in East Asia, and its literaryinfluence in the region has been compared to that of the works of Shakespeare on English literature. It isarguably the most widely read historical novel in late imperial and modern China.Romance of The Three Kingdoms is one of the great chinese classics and is compiled into a semi-fictional literary masterpiece during the Ming Dynasty by Luo Guanzhong. The novel comprises around 70+% fact and 20+% fiction. Some issues such as Guan Yu's weapon weighing around 40+ kilograms, the capabilties of Lu Bu, Liu Bei's horses as well as the existence of the Hill of the Fallen Phoenix and some others are probably fictional.That period in history can be said as the golden age of chivalry and although it happened more than 1700 years ago, characters such as Liu Bei, Cao Cao, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and Zhuge Liang have become household names among the chinese. Tales of their exploits, courage, adventures and many more are told in the novel "Romance of The Three Kingdoms".It is one of the most turbulent periods in China's history taking place toward the end of the Han Dynast y where corruption is rampant in the imperial court due to eunuches holding power. Coupled with natural disasters such as floods, plague and locust swarms devouring the crops grown by the peasants, hunger and disatisfaction among the peasants soon escalated rapidly until a major rebellion known as the "Yellow Scarves Rebellion" led by Zhang Jiao broke out. (It was dubbed "Yellow Scarves" because the rebels tied a yellow scarf on their head). Initially just a small band of rebels, dueto widespread hunger and ill-sentiment among the populace, swarms of common folks joined in the rebellion across many parts of the country.三国演义人物介绍刘备Liu Bei (161–223 AD), styled Xuándé (玄徳), was a general, warlord, and later the founding emperor of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of China. Although having a later start than his rivals, also lacking both the material resources and social status they commanded, Liu Bei overcame his many defeats to carve out his own realm, that at its peak spanned modern day Sichuan, Guizhou, Hunan, part of Hubei, and part of Gansu.Culturally, due to the tremendously popular novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong, Liu Bei is widely known as the ideal benevolent, humane ruler who cared for his people and picked good advisors. His character was to advocate the Confucian set of moral values, such as loyalty and compassion.张飞Zhang Fei (?-221 AD) was a military general of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of China.Zhang Fei was shown to have been a masterful general rather than simply a warrior. He treated hissuperiors with respect, but had little respect for his underlings. He was often warned by Liu Bei that hishabit of over-punishing his own soldiers by lashing and killing would eventually bring himself disaster.Zhang Fei married Xiahou Yuan's daughter, who was captured by Zhang Fei's troops as she was outgathering firewood. They had a total of two daughters, and the older daughter became the empressof Shu Han after marrying Liu Shan, with Zhuge Liang as the matchmaker. After Zhang Fei's eldestdaughter had passed away due to natural causes, Zhuge Liang once again played the role ofmatchmaker, and Liu Shan married Zhang Fei's younger daughter, who thus succeeded her oldersister to become the empress of Shu Han.Zhang Fei is best portrayed through his description and actions depicted in Records of Three Kingdomsbiography by Chen Shou. Some claim that Zhang Fei was also an excellent painter.Zhang Fei was killed by his own men Zhang Da and Fan Jiang, while preparing his troops to attack therival Eastern Wu to avenge the death of Guan Yu. Zhang Da and Fan Jiang went on to defect to Wu.水浒传Outlaws of the Marsh / Water MarginWater Margin is a Chinese novel attributed to Shi Nai'an. Considered one of the Four Great ClassicalNovels ofChinese literature, the novel is written in vernacular Chinese rather than Classical Chinese.The story, set in the Song dynasty, tells of how a group of 108 outlaws gather at Mount Liang (orLiangshan Marsh) to form a sizable army before they are eventually granted amnesty by the governmentand sent on campaigns to resist foreign invaders and suppress rebel forces. It has introduced to readersmany of the best-known characters in Chinese literature, such as Wu Song, Lin Chong and Lu Zhishen.The novel "Outlaws of the Marsh" is somewhat like the Iliad and Odyssey... An ancient epic tale... no one remembers the period it was composed and immortalized.One knows this story is based on real facts and has inspired many storytellers.One knows the North Song Dynasty (XIIIth Century) lived its apogee and declined, a victim of corruption and decadence.One finds historical traces of these outlaws who challenged the imperial authority and died under the executioner's blade.At last, as anyone knows today that a man called Homer wrote the Iliad and Odyssey, no one doubts anymore that a man called Shi Nai-an wrote down during the XIVth century the novel Outlaws of the Marsh that reached us.Everyone recognizes that Jin Sheng-tan, during the XVIIth century, published what is now famous as the original version of a novel that obtained the interest and infatuation of successive generations.Water Margin or Outlaws of the Marsh ("All men are brothers" in Pearl Buck's translation, "Shui hu zhuan" in Chinese, "Au Bord de l'Eau" in French ) is an immortal novel because its tale is universal : it speaks of beings (outlaws but also notables, strong muscled heroes but also intellectual, anarchists but also philosophers...) who cannot bear injustice nor abuse nor arbitrariness...That is the reason they are immortal and their popularity has lasted for centuries .Discover the 108 heroes, the episodes , the paper-cuts representing them, the Beijing operas their fighting exploits inspired...人物Gai Ping Health gave special love make the world anyway, famous arena. Like charges to stick, chicken, and did not take wives, all hit others physique. Village Creek Village haunted legends, villagers digging a river in the town engraved art, ghost was rushed to the East seven. Classical hell, then alone will be engraved Creek Village in places away from the East side down. Thus so-called "Tota kings".晁盖平生仗义疏财，专爱结交天下好汉，闻名江湖。
