Chinese Classical Literature

Wang Fuzi: The Narcissus ~ 王夫子·《水仙》 with English Translations

王夫之(1619年10月7-1692年2月18日),字而农,号姜斋、又号夕堂,湖广衡州府衡阳县(今湖南衡阳)人。他与顾炎武、黄宗羲并称明清之际三大思想家。其著有《周易外传》、《黄书》、《尚书引义》、《永历实录》、《春秋世论》、《噩梦》、《读通鉴论》、《宋论》等书。王夫之自幼跟随自己的父兄读书,青年时期王夫之积极参加反清起义,晚年王夫之隐居于石船山,著书立传,自署船山病叟、南岳遗民,学者遂称之为船山先生。 王夫子·《水仙》 乱拥红云可奈何,不知人世有春波。 凡心洗尽留香影,娇小冰肌玉一梭。 The Narcissus Wang Fuzi Rather helpless, propped up by a cluster of green, It knows not there are troubles in the world. Totally purged of secular desires, left in fragrant form So elegant and exquisite—a shuttle of jade, as it were.

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Wang Fuzi: Jueju ~ 王夫子·《绝句》 with English Translations

王夫之(1619~1692),字而农,湖南衡阳人。明崇祯举人,曾从永历桂王举兵抗清,南明灭后隐遁归山,埋首著述,博通经学、史学和文学,贡献卓著,学者称船山先生。他生于“屈子之乡”,受楚辞影响,步武《离骚》,用美人香草寄托抒怀,如《绝句》:“半岁青青半岁荒,高田草似下田荒。埋心不死留春色,且忍罡风十夜霜。”借舒草之心“不死”,喻坚韧不拔之志和恢复故国“春色”的理想。 王夫子·《绝句》 楚人有涉江者,其剑自舟中坠于水。 遽契其舟,曰:“是吾剑之所从坠。” 舟止,从其所契者入水求之。 ——舟已行矣,而剑不行:求剑若此,不亦惑乎? ——《吕氏春秋》 Jueju Wang Fuzi Only green for half a year, for the other half the land lies waste; The grass in uplands is yellow just as in low-lying fields. Hiding its innermost part with its inherent vernal charms, The grass is ready to put up frosty nights and cruel

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(Lv Shi Chun Qiu): Marking the Boat to Locate the Sword ~ 《吕氏春秋》 with English Translations

译文:楚国有个渡江的人,他的剑从船里掉到水中,他立即在船边上刻了个记号,说:“这儿是我的剑掉下去的地方。”船停了,(这个楚国人)从他刻记号的地方下水寻找剑。 船已经前进了,但是剑不会随船前进,像这样找剑,不是很糊涂吗?一般比喻死守教条,拘泥成法,固执不变通的人。多含贬义。 《古代寓言·刻舟求剑》 楚人有涉江者,其剑自舟中坠于水。 遽契其舟,曰:“是吾剑之所从坠。” 舟止,从其所契者入水求之。 ——舟已行矣,而剑不行:求剑若此,不亦惑乎? ——《吕氏春秋》 Marking the Boat to Locate the Sword A man of the state of Chu was ferrying across a river when his sword fell into the water. He lost no time in marking the side of the boat. “This is where my sword dropped,” he said. When the

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Zi Hua Zi: The Man Who was Found in the Well ~ 《子华子》 with English Translations

译文:宋国有个姓丁的人,家里没有水井,需要出门到远处去打水浇田,因此常有一人在外专管打水。等到他家打了水井的时候,他告诉别人说:“我家打水井得到了一个人。”听了的人就去传播:“丁家挖井挖到了一个人。”居住在国都中的人都在谈论这件事,使宋国的国君知道这件事。宋国国君派人向丁家问明情况,丁家人答道,“得到一个空闲的人的劳力,并非在井内挖到了一个活人。” 这则寓言故事告诉我们:不要轻信传言,不要传播未经自己思考的话,切忌道听途说。耳听为虚,眼见为实。不要听到什么传闻之后就外传,要动脑筋想一想是否合乎情理,不要人云亦云,听到风就是雨,以致于以讹传讹。 《古代寓言·井里挖出一个活人》 昔宋有丁氏,家故无井,而出溉汲焉。常一日而一人基外,惩其如是也,鸠工而穿井于庭。 家相语曰:“今吾之穿井于庭,得一人矣。” 有闻而传之曰:丁氏穿井而得一人也。国人更相道之,语彻于宋君。召其人质也。 丁氏对曰:“自臣穿井,家得一人之力矣,非得一人于井也。” ——《子华子》 The Man Who was Found in the Well The Ding family in the state of Song had no well of its own. Someone in the family sometimes had to spend a whole day doing nothing but fetch water from a distance. To save trouble, they had a

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Shi Zi: Doctor and Patient ~ 《尸子》 with English Translations

译文:有位名叫竘的医生,是秦国优秀的医生。曾经为齐宣王割痤疮,为秦惠王治痔疮,都治好了。张丞相背上长个肿瘤,让医竘来治。张丞相对他说,“你把我的背看成不是丞相的背,放心大胆地任凭怎么处置都行。”他遵命治疗,于是治好了。这位医均固然是善于治病的了,然而也亏得张丞相善于放下架子,任凭处置。 故事告诉人们:只有让办事人员无所顾忌放心大胆地去工作才能把工作做好,切不可事先有思想包袱。 《古代寓言·治病》 有医竘者,秦之良医也。为宣王割痤,为惠王疗痔,皆愈。 张子之背肿,命竘治之,谓竘曰:“背非吾背也,任之制焉。”治之遂愈。 竘诚善治疾也,张子委制焉。 ——《尸子》 Doctor and Patient Dr. Ju was a famous physician of the state of Qin. He had cut a tumor for Emperor Xuanwang and healed haemorrhoids for Emperor. A certain Mr. Zhang who was afflicted with a sore back asked the physician to treat it. “I will not regard

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Xun Zi: The Man Who was afraid of Ghosts ~ 《荀子》 with English Translations

译文:夏首的南方有一个人,他的名字叫涓蜀梁。作为一个人来说,他愚蠢而且容易害怕。在有明亮月亮的晚上行走时,低头看见他自己的影子,以为是趴着的鬼;仰望上面的头发,以为是站着的魅。转身逃跑,等他到家,绝气身亡。 《古代寓言·胆小怕鬼的人》 夏首之南,有人焉,曰涓蜀梁。其为人也,愚而善畏。明月而宵行,俯见其影,以为伏鬼也。仰视其发,以为立魅也。背而走,比至其家,失气而死。 ——《荀子》 The Man Who was afraid of Ghosts There was once a man of southern Xia Shou by the name of Juan Zhu who was both slow-witted and cowardly. Walking along a road one moonlit night, he saw his own shadow on the ground in front of him. “It’s a ghost crouching

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Mencius: Helping Young Shoots to Grow ~ 《孟子》 with English Translations

译文:从前有一个每天都要偷邻居家一只鸡的人。有人劝告他说:“这不是行为端正、品德高尚的人所拥有的道德。”他回答说:“那就让我减少这种行为吧,(以后)每个月偷一只鸡,等到明年我就不偷了。”如果知道偷鸡不对,就应该马上改正,为什么还要等到明年呢。 《古代寓言·拔苗助长》 宋人有闵其苗之不长而揠之者。 芒芒然归,谓其人曰:“今日病矣!予助苗长矣。” 其子趋而往视之,苗则槁矣。 ——天下之不助苗长者寡矣:以为无益而舍之者,不耘苗者也;助之长者,揠苗者也。非徒无益,而又害之。 ——《孟子》 Helping Young Shoots to Grow A man in the state of Song felt the shoots in his fields were not growing fast enough. So he pulled them all up, then went home quite exhausted. “I’m tired out today,” he told his family. “I’ve been helping the young shoots

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Li Bai: Down the Zhenglu Pavilion at Night ~ 李白·《夜下征虏亭》 with English Translations

《夜下征虏亭》是唐代伟大诗人李白创作的一首五绝。诗人运用流畅的语言,生动的比喻,在诗中形象地描绘了从征虏亭(在今南京)到广陵(今扬州)一带的江中夜景,表达了诗人对祖国山河的热爱和出游的喜悦之情。全诗语言如话,意境如画,对客观景物神态的描绘逼真传神,体现了作者驾驭语言的高超能力。 李白·《夜下征虏亭》 船下广陵去,月明征虏亭。 山花如绣颊,江火似流萤。 Down the Zhenglu Pavilion at Night Li Bai The boat sails down heading towards Yangzhou, The pavilion stands in the clear moonlit glow. Bright coloured flowers evoke pretty lasses’ porcelain faces, While the lights flicker like fluorescent insect traces.

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Li Pai: Drinking by the Tungting Lake (One of Three Poems) ~李白·《陪侍郎叔游洞庭醉后(其三)》 with English Translations

《陪侍郎叔游洞庭醉后三首》是唐代大诗人李白的组诗作品。其中最后一首运用独特的奇想,铲去人生坎坷障碍,用无穷尽的酒醉刷掉心头的愁闷。全诗层次分明而又环环相连,丝丝入扣,通过借酒吟诗消愁,排遣李白心中数十年壮志未酬、晚年九死一生之余又遭幻想破灭的千古愁、万古愤。 李白·《陪侍郎叔游洞庭醉后(其三)》 刬却君山好,平铺湘水流。 巴陵无限酒,醉杀洞庭秋。 Drinking by the Tungting Lake (One of Three Poems) Li Pai I heard the sound of oars which seemed to me to be like music; and it was as if we were on the moon going home; only the white gulls do not leave us, flying low over our table of

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Li Pai: The Sound of a Flute Coming from Yellow Crane Tower ~李白·《与史郎中钦听黄鹤楼上吹笛》 with English Translations

《与史郎中钦听黄鹤楼上吹笛》是唐代大诗人李白晚年的作品。此诗写作者游黄鹤楼时听笛的经历,抒发了诗人满腔的迁谪之感和去国之情。全诗四句,前两句写作者的生活遭遇和心绪,捕捉了“西望”的典型动作加以描写,传神地表达了怀念帝都之情和“望”而“不见”的愁苦;后两句点题,写在黄鹤楼上听吹笛,从笛声化出“江城五月落梅花”的苍凉景象,借景抒情,使前后情景相生,妙合无垠。 李白·《与史郎中钦听黄鹤楼上吹笛》 一为迁客去长沙,西望长安不见家。 黄鹤楼中吹玉笛,江城五月落梅花。 The Sound of a Flute Coming from Yellow Crane Tower Li Pai Since I am banished and on my way to Changsha, I stare towards Changan vainly looking for my home, I hear the sound of a flute from the Yellow Crane Tower playing the tune of Plum Blossom, it is

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