Chinese Classical Literature

《观祈雨》是唐代诗人李约的作品。这是一首悯农诗，写观看春日祈雨的感慨，前两句写农民春旱祈雨的场面，后两句写朱门看歌舞的情景。此诗通过对久旱无雨时两种不同生活的描绘，揭露了当时的阶级对立和贫富的悬殊。农民们由于天旱而忧虑一年生计，豪门权贵却笙歌竟日，反而怕天阴下雨乐器受潮。如此鲜明的对比，反映了作者对豪门荒淫生活的无比愤慨以及对农民苦难生活的深切同情。全诗语言含蓄，风格委婉。 李约·《观祈雨》 桑条无叶土生烟，箫管迎龙水庙前。 朱门几处看歌舞，犹恐春阴咽管弦。 Li Yue On mulberry trees not a leaf is seen. Earth exhales vapor; such there has ne’er been. Before the temple, a band plays with zeal. To the Dragon King for rain, it appeal. From behind red doors is another scene. On dancing-singing-people there are keen. What they’re afraid of is

译文：幸福不可强求，只要能经常保持愉快的心情，就算是追求人生幸福的基础;人间的灾祸难以避免，首先应当能消除怨恨他人的念头，才算是远离灾祸的良策。 《菜根谭》(愉快求福,去怨避祸) 福不可徼，养喜神以为召福之本而已；祸不可避，去杀机以为远祸之方而已。 Man cannot seize happiness; it is only by preserving a happy frame of mind that the essence of happiness can be summoned. Man cannot flee disaster; it is only by eradicating all thoughts of harming others that evils can be kept at bay.

译文：一个性情急躁的人，他的言行如烈火一般炽热，仿佛跟他接触的物体都会被焚烧；一个缺乏同情心刻薄寡恩的的，他的言行就 像冰雪一般冷酷，仿佛任何物体碰到他都会遭到残害。头脑顽固而呆板的人， 像死水朽本，已经完全断绝了生机，这都不是建功立业为社会人类造福的人。 《菜根谭》(偏激之人,难建功业) 躁性者火炽，遇物则焚，寡恩者冰清，逢物必杀。凝滞固执者，如死水腐木，生机已绝，俱难建功业而延福祉。 An irascible person is like a raging fire; whatever he encounters he wants to burn it up. A mean person is as cold as ice; whatever he meets he wants to harm. A still and stubborn person is like stagnant water or rotten wood; he has lost all vitality. No

译文：上天的奥秘变幻莫测，对人的命运的支配难以预料。时而使人陷于窘境，而后又飞黄腾达；时而使人春风得意，而后又遭受挫折，这都是上天有意捉弄英雄豪杰。因此，一个君子不如意时要适应环境，遇到磨难应能忍耐，平安无事时要想到危难的来临，这样就连上天也无法施展他的伎俩了。 《菜根谭》(居安思危,天亦无用) 天之机缄不测，抑而伸，伸而抑，皆是播弄英雄，颠倒豪杰处。君子是逆来顺受，居安思危，天亦无听用其伎俩矣。 The force that binds the universe is unpredictable. Sometimes it makes man struggle against adversity, and sometimes it grants him favourable circumstances. This shows that Heaven has the faculty of making or breaking heroes and other outstanding men. When a man of noble character meets a temporary setback, he exercises patience. When

译文：一个人做了坏事而怕别人知道，这种人还保留了一些羞耻之心，也就是在恶性之中还保留一点改过向善的良知;一个人做了一 点善事就急着让人知道，证明他行善只是为了贪图虚名和赞誉，这种有目的才做善事的人，在他做善事时已经种下了恶根。 《菜根谭》(阴恶恶大,显善善小) 为恶而畏人知，恶中尤有善路；为善而急人知，善处即是恶根。 If a man does a bad thing and fears that others will find out, it shows that, despite his wickedness, he still has a conscience. If a man does a good deed and is anxious for others to know about it, it shows that in the midst of his benevolence lurks