《兰亭集序》林语堂英译文

2023年12月18日发(作者：小螺号歌谱)

《兰亭集序》林语堂英译文

It is the ninth year of Yonghe (A.C.353), also known as the

year of Guichou in terms of the Chine lunar one

of tho late spring days, we gather at the Orchid Pavilion,

which is located in Shanyin County, Kuaiji Prefecture, for

dispelling bad luck and praying for good

attendees of the gathering are all virtuous intellectuals,

varying from young to old. Endowed with great mountains

and lofty peaks, Orchid Pavilion has flourishing branches and

high bamboo bushes all around, together with a clear winding

brook engirdled, which can thereby rve the guests by

floating the wine glass on top for their drinking. Seated by

the bank of brook, people will still regale themlves right by

poetizing their mixed feelings and emotions with wine and

songs, never mind the abnce of melody from string and

wind instruments.

It is such a wonderful day, with fresh air and mild

upwards to the blue sky, we behold the vast

immensity of the univer; when bowing our heads towards

the ground, we again satisfy ourlves with the diversity of

y we can refresh our views and let free our souls,

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with luxuriant satisfaction done to both ears and eyes. How

infinite the cheer is!

永和九年，岁正在癸(guǐ)丑。暮春之初，会于会(kui)稽山阴之兰亭，修禊(x)事也。群贤毕至，少长(zhǎng)咸集。此地有一马高山，茂林修竹，又有清流激湍，映带摆布,引觉得流觞(shāng)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(chěng)怀，足以极视听之娱，信可乐也。

People keep coming and going, and life soon rushes to its

end. Some people prefer to share their proud aspiration and

lofty goals with clo friends indoors, while some others

choo to follow their interest and free their minds wherever

and whenever they like. May characters vary from person to

person, or some would rather stay peaceful while others like to

live restlessly, they will all become delighted and satisfied once

they meet something pleasant, so cheerful that they get

unaware of their imminent old r, when they get

tired of their old fancies that theyve already experienced, and

ntiment correspondingly accompanies the change of

situation, all sorts of complicated feelings will well up in the

heart, too. Isnt it thought-provoking that the happiness we

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ud to enjoy pass by without leaving a single trace, let

alone that the length of life is subject to the fate, and death is

inevitable for anybody in the end? Just as some ancient man

once put it, Death also derves our attention, like what life

does., so how can we restrain ourlves from grieving?

夫(f)人之相与，俯仰一世。或取诸度量，悟言一室以内;或因寄所托，放浪形骸以外。虽趣(qǔ)舍万殊，静躁不同，当其欣于所遇，暂得于己，快然自足，不知老之将至;及其所之既倦，刻舟求剑，感触系之矣。向之所欣，俯仰之间，已为陈迹，犹不克不及不以之兴怀，况修短随化，终期于尽!前人云：死生亦大矣，岂不痛哉!

Every time I ponder about the reasons why our

predecessors would produce works with such inenarrable

emotions, I find there em some similarities between our

minds. Yet I cannot help lamenting their literary masterpieces

while I am struggling for the very cau in my innermost world.

Now I come to realize that it has been ridiculous for me to

equate death with life, long life with short life . The

descendents view us just the way we look at our predecessors,

and how woeful it is! Hence I write down all the names of the

attendees and put their poetry into record. Conditions may go

with the changes of time, but peoples emotions shall stay the

same. I believe the following readers will still have much to

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mediate about life and death when appreciating this poetry

anthology.

每览古人兴感之由，若合一契，何尝不临文嗟悼(jiē do)，不克不及喻之于怀。固知一死生为虚诞，齐彭殇(shāng)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。

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