悦读｜《兰亭集序》（双语）

《兰亭集序》是东晋大书法家书圣王羲之的代表作。这不仅是一篇脍炙人口的优美散文，还享有“天下第一行书”的美誉。文章绘景抒情，评史述志，字字珠玑。

今天推荐的英文译本出自现代著名作家、学者、翻译家和语言学家林语堂先生。

（朗读：广东外语外贸大学高级翻译学院 倪萍）

兰亭集序

The Orchid Pavilion

文/王羲之

译/林语堂

永和九年，岁在癸(guǐ)丑。暮春之初，会于会(kuài)稽山阴之兰亭，修禊(xì)事也。群贤毕至，少长(zhǎng)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(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。

It is the ninth year of Yonghe (A.C.353), also known as the year of Guichou in terms of the Chinese lunar calendar.

On one of those 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 fortune.

The 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 serve the guests by floating the wine glasses on top for their drinking.

Seated by the bank of brook, people will still regale themselves right by poetizing their mixed feelings and emotions with wine and songs, never mind the absence of melody from string and wind instruments.

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。

It is such a wonderful day, with fresh air and mild breeze. Facing upwards to the blue sky, we behold the vast immensity of the universe; when bowing our heads towards the ground, we again satisfy ourselves with the diversity of species.

Thereby we can refresh our views and let free our souls, with luxuriant satisfaction done to both ears and eyes. How infinite the cheer is!

夫(fú)人之相与，俯仰一世。或取诸怀抱，悟言一室之内;或因寄所托，放浪形骸之外。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，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!。

People keep coming and going, and life soon rushes to its end. Some people prefer to share their proud aspiration and lofty goals with close friends indoors, while some others choose 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 age.

However, when they get tired of their old fancies that they’ve already experienced, and sentiment correspondingly accompanies the change of situation, all sorts of complicated feelings will well up in the heart, too.

Isn’t it thought-provoking that the happiness we used to enjoy passes 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 deserves our attention, like what life does.”, so how can we restrain ourselves from grieving?

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(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。

Every time I ponder about the reasons why our predecessors would produce works with such inenarrable emotions, I find there seem some similarities between our minds.

Yet I cannot help lamenting their literary masterpieces while I am struggling for the very cause 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 people’s emotions shall stay the same. I believe the following readers will still have much to meditate about life and death when appreciating this poetry anthology.

兰亭集序（白话文）

永和九年，时在癸丑之年，三月上旬，我们会集在会稽郡山阴城的兰亭，为了做禊礼这件事。诸多贤士能人都汇聚到这里，年长、年少者都聚集在这里。兰亭这个地方有高峻的山峰，茂盛高密的树林和竹丛；又有清澈激荡的水流，在亭子的左右辉映环绕，我们把水引来作为漂传酒杯的环形渠水，排列坐在曲水旁边，虽然没有管弦齐奏的盛况，但喝着酒作着诗，也足够来畅快表达幽深内藏的感情了。

这一天，天气晴朗，和风习习，抬头纵观广阔的天空，俯看观察大地上繁多的万物，用来舒展眼力，开阔胸怀，足够来极尽视听的欢娱，实在很快乐。

人与人相互交往，很快便度过一生。有的人在室内畅谈自己的胸怀抱负；有的人就着自己所爱好的事物，寄托自己的情怀，不受约束，放纵无羁的生活。虽然各有各的爱好，安静与躁动各不相同，但当他们对所接触的事物感到高兴时，一时感到自得，感到高兴和满足，竟然不知道衰老将要到来。等到对于自己所喜爱的事物感到厌倦，心情随着当前的境况而变化，感慨随之产生了。过去所喜欢的东西，转瞬间，已经成为旧迹，尚且不能不因为它引发心中的感触，况且寿命长短，听凭造化，最后归结于消灭。古人说：“死生毕竟是件大事啊。”怎么能不让人悲痛呢？

每当我看到前人兴怀感慨的原因，与我所感叹的好像符契一样相合，没有不面对着他们的文章而嗟叹感伤的，在心里又不能清楚地说明。本来知道把生死等同的说法是不真实的，把长寿和短命等同起来的说法是妄造的。后人看待今人，也就像今人看待前人。可悲呀！所以一个一个记下当时与会的人，录下他们所作的诗篇。纵使时代变了，事情不同了，但触发人们情怀的原因，他们的思想情趣是一样的。后世的读者，也将对这次集会的诗文有所感慨。

（古诗文网）

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