| 梦溪笔谈 |
Mèng Xī Bǐ tán |
Dream Pool Essays by Shen Kuo 沈括, book on various fields of knowledge, the first to describe the magnetic needle compass |
| 梦 |
mèng |
dream (CL:场) / (bound form) to dream |
| 溪 |
xī |
creek / rivulet |
| 溪 |
xī |
variant of 溪 |
| 笔 |
bǐ |
writing brush; writing implement (pen, pencil etc) (CL:支,枝) / brushstroke; stroke (in painting or calligraphy) / (bound form) style of writing; literary manner; technique of brushwork / (classifier) stroke of a Chinese character / (classifier) sum of money; financial transaction; piece of business / (literary) to write (with a brush or pen) |
| 笔谈 |
bǐ tán |
to communicate by means of written notes (instead of speaking) / to publish one's opinion (e.g. as part of a scholarly dialogue) / (in book titles) essays / sketches |
| 谈 |
Tán |
surname Tan |
| 谈 |
tán |
to speak / to talk / to converse / to chat / to discuss |