《幽梦影》中英对照(4)
人生——之三十
凡事不宜刻,若读书则不可不刻;凡事不宜贪,若买书则不可不贪;凡事不宜痴,若行善则
不可不痴。
圣藻曰:行善不痴,是邀名矣。
A man must not be fastidious about other things, but he must be about reading. He must not be
greedy, except in buying books. He should not be a confirmed addict, except in the habit of doing
good and helping others.
Shengtsao: One who helps others not as an instinctive habit may be doing so to be talked about.
人生——之三十一
文名可以当科第,俭德可以当货材,清闲可以当寿考。
(聂)晋人曰:若名人而登科第,富翁而不骄奢,寿翁而又清闲,便是蓬台三岛中人也。
(范)汝受曰:此亦是贫贱文人无所事事自为慰藉云耳,恐亦无实在受用处也。
(曾)青藜曰:无事此静坐,一日似两日。若活七十年,便是百四十。此是清闲当寿考注脚。
To enjoy literary fame can take the place of passing imperial examinations; to manage to live
within one's means can take the place of wealth; to lead a life of leisure can well be the equivalent
of a long life.
Chinjen: But if a famous scholar also passes the examinations, is rich and has learned to live
simply without being a slave to wealth, and reaches a venerable age and enjoys a life of
leisured--would not such a man be living the life of a fairy?
Jushou: I am afraid that poor scholars like to comfort themselves with this thought. I do not think
one can derive any benefit from it.
Tsingli: It has been said that if a man will sit idly, he can make a day as long as two days and
therefore have a life span of a hundred forty when he lives to seventy.
人生——之三十二
涉猎虽曰无用,犹胜于不通古今;清高固然可嘉,莫流于不识时务。
竹坡曰:不合时宜,则可;不达时务,奚其可?
Random reading and browsing are better than not being acquainted with books at all; it is all right
to be detached, but not to be ignorant of the trend of the times.
Chupo: There is a distinction between resisting conventions and fashions of thought, and being
ignorant of them.
人生——之三十三
有山林隐逸之乐而不知享者,渔樵也,农圃也,缁黄也;有园亭姬妾之乐而不能享、不善享
者,富商也,大僚也。
弟木山曰:有山珍海错而不能享者,庖人也;有牙签玉轴而不能读者,蠹鱼也,书贾也。
There are those who have the beauties of forests and hills before their eyes, but do not appreciate
them—the fishermen, woodcutters, peasants, and the black and yellow [Buddhist and Taoist
[monks]--and others who have gardens, terraces and women, but often fail to enjoy them for lack
of time or of culture--the rich merchants and high officials.
[Younger brother] Mushan: There are those who have good food and cannot enjoy it--the
cooks--and those who are in daily touch with rare editions and fine bindings but cannot read
them--the moths and book dealers.
人生——之三十四
清宵独坐,邀月言愁;良夜孤眠,呼蛩语恨。
(黄)孔植曰:此逆旅无聊之况,心斋亦知之乎?
To sit alone at night and invite the moon to tell it one's sorrows; to sleep alone at night and call to
the crickets and pour out one's regrets.
Kungchih: Shintsai really knows the heart of a lonely traveler abroad.
人生——之三十五
官声采于舆论,豪右之口与寒乞之口俱不得其真;花案定于成心,艳媚之评与寝陋之评概恐
失其实。
永清曰:我谓众人唾骂者,其人必有可观。
若金曰:豪右而不讲分上,寒乞而不望推恩者,亦未尝无公论。
九烟曰:先师有言,不如乡人之善者好之,其不善者恶之。
An official's reputation comes from public opinion, but that of his close associates and of beggars
of office should be discounted. The reputation of women should come from real knowledge; the
views of fans and superficial critics cannot be trusted.
Yungching: Sometimes when an official runs into a barrage of opposition, we may be sure that
there is something in that man.
Jochin: This is not always true. When the close associates are not making a point for their personal
friends or when the beggars are not trying to secure favors, they can be just also.
Chiuyuan: Confucius had something to say on this, “It is best to be liked by the good men of the
village and hated by the bad."
人生——之三十六
多情者不以生死易心,好饮者不以寒暑改量,喜读书者不以忙闲作辍。
A true lover does not change with the years; a good drinker does not change with the seasons; a
lover of books does not stop reading because of business.
人生——之三十七
立品须发乎宋人之道学,涉世须参以晋代之风流。
(方)宝臣曰:真道学未有不风流者。
永清曰:等闲地位,却是个双料圣人。
云士曰:有不风流之道学,有风流之道学,有不道学之风流,有道学之风流,毫厘千里。
Build one's character on the foundation of the moral teachings of the Sung Neo-Confucianists
[twelfth century]; but go through life in the spirit of the Chin romanticists [third and fourth
centuries].
Paochen: A real Confucianist can be quite romantic.
Yungching: That would make a double-strength saint.
Yunshih: Some puritans [Neo-Confucianists] are romantic, and some are not. Romanticists are
sometimes Puritans in heart and others not at all. There is a very fine difference.
人生——之三十八
豪杰易于圣贤,文人多于才子。
竹坡曰:豪杰不能为圣贤,圣贤未有不豪杰,文人才子亦然。
It is easier to be a hero than a sage, and easier to be a writer than a real genius.
Chupo: A hero usually is not a sage, but a sage is always a true hero. The same is true of writers
and geniuese.
人生——之三十九
风流自赏,只容花鸟趋陪;真率谁知,合受烟霞供养。
含徵曰:东坡有云,当此之时,若有所思而无所思。
In self-contentment, a brilliant man takes his ease with birds and flowers; careless of popular fame,
he regards himself as being served by the hilltop clouds.
Hanchen: Su Tungpo says,” At such a time, one seems to be thinking of something, and yet is
thinking of nothing. ”
人生——之四十
痛可忍而痒不可忍;苦可耐而酸不可耐。
It is easier to stand pain than to stand an itch; bitter taste is easier to bear than sour.
(编辑:youke)