口译：典籍英译|散文|王羲之·《兰亭集序》英译

永和九年，岁在癸丑，暮春之初，会于会稽山阴之兰亭，修禊事也。群贤毕至，少长咸集。此地有崇山峻岭，茂林修竹，又有清流激湍，映带左右。引以为流觞曲水，列坐其次。虽无丝竹管弦之盛，一觞一咏，亦足以畅叙幽情。是日也，天朗气清，惠风和畅。仰观宇宙之大，俯察品类之盛，所以游目骋怀，足以极视听之娱，信可乐也。

夫人之相与，俯仰一世。或取诸怀抱，晤言一室之内；或因寄所托，放浪形骸之外。虽趣舍万殊，静躁不同，当其欣于所遇，暂得于己，快然自足，曾不知老之将至。及其所之既倦，情随事迁，感慨系之矣。向之所欣，俯仰之间，已为陈迹，犹不能不以之兴怀。况修短随化，终期于尽。古人云，“死生亦大矣。”岂不痛哉！

每览昔人兴感之由，若合一契，未尝不临文嗟悼，不能喻之于怀。固知一死生为虚诞，齐彭殇为妄作。后之视今，亦犹今之视昔。悲夫！故列叙时人，录其所述。虽世殊事异，所以兴怀，其致一也。后之览者，亦将有感于斯文。

Prologue to theCollection of Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion

Wang Xizhi

At the beginning of thelate spring in the ninth year of Yonghe¹, that is, the year ofGuichou according to the lunar calendar, a group of learned scholars, old andyoung, are gathered at the Orchid Pavilion in the Shanyin County of KuaijiPrefecture² to celebrate the festival of Xi³. Here arehigh mountains and lofty ridges which are overgrown with tall bamboo groves anddense forests. A clear stream with a rapidly running current that winds like abelt, shining in the bright sun, is ideal for floating wine vessels⁴.We sit by the water in proper order, sipping wine and composing poems. Thoughlacking musical accompaniment, each of us is inclined to pour forth hisinnermost feelings. It is a fine day. The sky is clear and the breeze isgentle. Looking upward, we see the great expanse of the universe. Lookingdownward, we see the great variety of living things. Then we look around as faras the eyes can see and feel elated, enjoying ourselves to the utmost bothvisually and aurally. What a delightful experience it is!

When friends gettogether, time flies as quickly as if a lifetime were spent in the twinkling ofan eye. Some engage in intimate conversations in the room, baring their heartsto each other, others identify themselves with what they like and abandonthemselves to unrestrained joy. Though people may differ in their choices ortemperaments, they invariably find temporary contentment, when they come uponsomething that delights them. They are so happy that they even forget they willbe old soon. However, one’s taste changes and soon one is bored with what oneonce liked. Then one cannot help but sign deeply with emotion. It saddens me tothink that the happiness we are enjoying at this moment will be a bygone thingat another moment, not to mention that we are subject to the natural law andthat we will eventually perish. The wise man⁵ in ancient times said,“The problem of life and death is a matter of vital importance.” Isn’t itdepressing to think of that?

I have noticed whateverstirred up the emotions and feelings in the ancients also calls forth the sameemotions and feelings in me, as if the ancients and I were the two halves of adeed⁶. I have been perplexed as to why the writings of the ancientsalways make me sign with grief, though I know that it is absurd to identifylife with death and long life with early death⁷. Alas! Ourdescendants will look upon us just as we look upon our forefathers. So I amlisting the names of the people present at this gathering and the poems theyhave composed. Though times will change and things will be different in thefuture, the cause of their emotions and feelings will be the same as ours. Ihope future readers would empathize with this writing of mine.

Notes:

1) The ninth year of Yonghe was 353 A.D.

2) Shanyin County of Kuaiji Prefecture is today’sShaoxing City, Zhejiang Province.

3) The festival of Xi started in the Zhou Dynasty. It wasthe custom of the ancient people to pay homage to the water god and entertainthemselves by the water on March the third in the lunar calendar.

4) An elegant way by which the ancients enjoyedthemselves. People sat at the lower reach of a stream, composed poems and drankfrom the wine vessels that were floated down from the upper reach of the streamwhere the wine was prepared.

5) Here “the wise man” refers to Confucius.

6) In old times, a deed was cut into halves. The holderone half could claim his right when the two halves fit together properly.

7) It was the philosophy of Zhuangtse (369 B.C.-296B.C.), who lived during the period of the Warring States and was known for hisnihilistic philosophy.

（罗经国 译）

Preface to the LantingCollection

At the beginning of thelate spring in the ninth year of the Yonghe period, which corresponded to yearKuichou, we gathered at Lanting of Shanyin County in Kuaiji Prefecture to havefestivities at the waterside to abate ill omens. All people of quality, bothyoung and old, met on this occasion. The place was surrounded by sublime, highmountains clad with luxuriant forests and shapely bamboos, in addition to alimpid stream with swift rapids, which foiled each other in the whole scenicbeauty. We used the sinuous brook for passing the floating cups and sat inorder along its banks. Though we had not lutes or flutes for music, yet one cupof wine accompanied with the chanting of one poem was sufficient to make us airour deep feelings. That day the sky was serene, the air bracing and the windbenign. Looking up, we perceived the immensity of the universe and, lookingdown, we observed the great multiplicity of nature’s species, thus broadeningour view, giving the reins to our minds, and feasting our eyes and ears to thefull. It was indeed a great happiness.

With regard to thefriendly association of people during their brief lives, it might take the formof unbosoming themselves by conversing in a room, or abandoning themselves tothings they love, reveling without constraint. The choices are so widely apart,and the temperaments in terms of quiet or boisterous behaviours are mostdifferent. When people are glad of their situations and feel contentment withtheir temporary gains, they are unaware of the approaching old age. But whenthey are tired of what they pursue as their feelings change with circumstances,then they are filled with melancholy. The things which they used to court witha gay heart become stale in an instant, but not without stirring up theirsentiments. Besides, their spans of life, be they long or short, are decided byProvidence and converge eventually to a common finish. An ancient said, “Lifeand death are matters of great magnitude.” How could they not be afflicted withsorrow?

Whenever I scrutinizedthe causes of the ancients’ airing their sentiments, I found that they talliedexactly with each other, and did not fail to sign with grief upon perusal oftheir writings, though I was not clear about the reason. I know for certainthat to identify life with death is fallacious and to equate longevity to brieflife is nonsensical. Men in the future will look upon us mortals in the samelight as we look upon men in the past. How sad it must be! Therefore, I havelisted the names of the people present on the occasion and edited theirwritings for the benefit of our posterity. Although times and circumstances maydiffer from one another, the feelings underlying their unbosoming themselvesare the same. The future readers are thus expected to be moved by this article.

（谢百魁 译）

A Sketch of the Gathering at Orchid Arbour

At the beginning of latespring in the ninth year of Yong-he when the primordial signs of the calendarcombine as Gui-chou, we meet atOrchid Arbour in the xian Shanyin ofGuiji fu for washing off ill luck.All the virtuous come to meet here, the youthful as well as the elderly. Here thereare noble mountains and precipitous cliffs, dense forests and tall bamboogroves, with limpid streams and torrential rapids flashing on the right andleft. To sit by the side of the tortuous currents and empty the beakers, eventhough without the sounding of musical instruments, a mere drinking accompaniedby the composition of poetry would be enough to exchange and interfuse ourheartfelt feelings fro one another.

On this day, the sky isresplendent and the air serene, the beneficent breezes are graciouslytemperate. Looking ahead aloft, one sees the macrocosm of the universe andgazing downward, observes the multiplicity of the earthly existence, thus toextend one’s eyesight, and quicken one’s imagination for heightening to the toplimit one’s wits: what bounteous delight this is!

For what men have to dowith their fellows during their lifetimes, either fetched from their bosoms anddiscussed with others in certain rooms or taken from their apprehension andcast abroad far beyond their corporal frames, although what they adopt orreject are multifariously divergent, being variously different in quietude andtumult, — so when they are glad ofwhat they have come across, well-contented with their state of being so far,living happily in their good fortune, without knowing that old age would soondescend upon them; and when they are tired of the past, their feelings undergoa metamorphosis as the result of the changed state of affairs and sentientresponses are produced thereof.

What was acclaimed in thepast has become during one’s looking ahead up and down things of bygone days;yet one could not help being deeply moved in feelings while touching them inreality. What is more, the length and shortness of life depend on Nature’sdecree; they would sooner or later reach finality. As the ancient saying (byConfucius) has it —momentous is the matterof life and death: how awfully painful it is !Whenever we examine the occasion on which notable people of the past heavedtheir feelings in one accord, we cannot but notice that never one of them butwas full of signs and lamentations on the subject and could not set it freefrom their inmost parts. Thence it could be concluded that to identify life anddeath is sheer nonsense and to equalize Peng Zu and a dead stripling is a sorryjest. Our succeeding generations would look on us as we do on the past, ala!Therefore, we delineate the participants of our gathering and note down theircompositions at this conjuncture. Though the world of our succeeding generationswould be different from ours and their affairs unlike ours, their sentimentsabout life and death would be the same as those we cherish. The future readersof this sketch would be sentiment of this brief piece.

（孙大雨 译）

At the Orchid Pavilion

Wang Shichih

This is the ninth year ofYungho (353 A.D.), kueichou in thecycle. We met in late spring at the Orchid Pavilion in Shanyin to celebrate theWater Festival.

All the scholar friends aregathered, and there is a goodly mixture of old and young. In the background liehigh peaks and deep forests. While a clear, gurgling brook catches the light tothe right and to the left. We then arrange ourselves, sitting on its bank,drinking in succession form the goblet as it floats down the stream .No musicis provided, but with drinking and with song, our hearts are gay and at ease.It is a clear spring day with a mild, caressing breeze. The vast universe,throbbing with life, lies spread before us, entertaining the eye and pleasingthe spirit and all the senses. It is perfect.

Now when men cometogether, they let their thoughts travel to the past and present. Some enjoy aquiet conversation indoors and others play about outdoors, occupied with whatthey love. The forms of amusement differ according to temperaments, but wheneach has found what he wants, he is happy and never feels old. Then as timepasses on and one is tired of his pursuits, it seems that what fascinated himnot so long ago has become a mere memory. What a thought! Besides, whetherindividually we live a long life or not, we all return to nothingness. Theancient regarded death as the great question. Is it not sad to think of it?

I often thought that thepeople of the past lived and felt exactly as we of today. Whenever I read theirwriting, I felt this way and was seized with its pathos. It is cool comfort tosay that life and death are different phases of the same thing and that a longspan of life or a short one does not matter. Alas! The people of the futurewill look upon us as we look upon those who have gone before us. Hence I haverecorded here those present and what they said. Ages may pass and times maychange, but the human sentiments will be the same; I know that future readerswho set their eyes upon these words will be affected in the same way.

（林语堂 译）