《幽梦影》——林语堂译



人生之一

情之一字，所以维持世界；才之一字，所以粉饰乾坤。

*（吴）雨若曰：世界原从情字生出。有夫妇然后有父子，有父子然后有兄弟，有兄弟然后
有朋友，有朋友然后有君臣。

*批注者于书中初见，即加注姓氏，以便读者。

Passion holds up the bottom of the universe,and the poet gives it a new dress.

Yujo:All human life begins with love between man and woman,from which the
other human relationships such as between father and son and between brothers
follow.

“人生”之二

情必近于痴而始真，才必兼乎趣而始化。

（陆）云士曰：真情种，真才子，能为此言。
（顾）天石曰：才兼乎趣，非心斋不足当之。
（尤）慧珠曰：余情而痴则有之，才而趣则未能也。

Love is not true love without a form of madness.A literary artist must have
zest in life to enter into nature's spirit.

Yunshih:Here speaks a born lover and artist.

Tienshih:Shintsai really understands the zest of life besides being a
literary artist.

[Miss]Hueichu:I think I know the passion of love,but I have not the zest
combined with talent.

人生之三

律己宜带秋气，处世宜带春气。

One should discipline oneself in the spirit of autumn and live with others in
the spirit of spring.

人生之四

能闲世人之所忙者，方能忙世人之所闲。

Only those who take leisurely what the people of the world are busy about can
be busy about what the people of the world take leisurely.

生之五

人莫乐于闲，非无所事事之谓也。闲则能读书，闲则能游名胜，闲则能交益友，闲则能饮
酒，闲则能著书。天下之乐，孰大于是？

（陈）隺山曰：然则正是极忙处。
（尤）悔庵曰：昔人云，忙里偷闲，闲则而偷，盗亦有道矣。
（李）若金曰：闲固难得，有此五者，方不负闲字。

Of all things one enjoys leisure most,but because one does nothing.Leisure
confers upon one the freedom to read,to travel,to make friends ,to drink,and
to wirte.Where is there a greater pleasure than this?

Hoshan:Then you are really busy.
Huei-an:The proverb says,"Steal leisure from business."It can be stolen
methodically.
Jochin:Those five things make leisure really worthwhile.

人生之六

妾美不如妻贤，钱多不如境顺。
（张）竹坡曰：此所谓竿头欲进步者。然妻不贤安用妾美，钱不多那得境顺。
（张）迂庵曰：此盖谓两者不可得兼，舍一而取一者也。又曰：世固有钱多而境不顺者。

I think it is better to have an understanding wife than a pretty concubine,and
better to have peace of mind than wealth.

[Nephew]ChupThere is no limit to desires.How can one expect to have a
pretty concubine without first having an understanding wife? And how can one
have peace of mind without plenty of money?

Yu-an:He means a choice of alternatives.And there are indeed people with
plenty of money but no peace of mind.

人生之七

值太平世，生湖山郡，官长廉静，家道优裕，娶妻贤淑，生子聪慧，人生如此，可云全福
。
（许）筱林曰：若以粗笨愚蠢之人当之，则负却造物。
（江）含噅曰：此是黑面老子，要思量做鬼处。
（吴）岱观曰：过屠门而大嚼，虽不得肉，亦觉快意。
（李）荔园曰：贤淑聪慧，尤贵永年，否则福不全。

The perfect life:to live in a world of peace in a lake district where the
magistrate is good and honest,and to have an understanding wife and bright
children.

Shiaolin:It would be a pity to have a vulgarian enjoy all this.

Hanchen:Here is a black-faced Laotse thinking of becoming a devil.

Taikuan:Yes,and rather like imagining eating a juicy steak before a butcher's

shop window!

Liyuan:An understanding wife,yes,but also a long life.Otherwise the blessing
is not complete.

人生——之八

有功夫读书，谓之福；有力量济人，谓之福；有学问著述，谓之福；无是非到耳，谓之福
；有多闻直谅之友，谓之福。

（杨）圣藻曰：在我者可必，在人者不能必。
（王）丹麓曰：备此福者，惟我心斋。
（李）水樵曰：五福骈臻固佳，苟得其半者，亦不得谓之无福。
（倪）永清曰：直谅之友，富贵人久拒之矣，何心斋反求之也？

Blessed are those who have time for reading,money to help others,the learning
and ability to write,who are not bothered with gossip and disputes,and who
have learned friends frank with advice.

ShengtsaWe can take care of those things which depend on ourselves,but not
those which depend on others.
Tanlu:Shintsai has them all.
ShuichiaI would be satisfied with half of these five.

Yungching:I thought successful men never wanted friends with frank
advice.Shintsai asks for them instead!

人生——之九

不治生产，其后必致累人；专务交游，其后必致累己。

圣藻曰：晨钟夕磬，发人深省。
（冒）巢民曰：若在我，虽累己累人，亦所不悔。
（宗）子发曰：累己犹可，若累人则不可矣。
含徵曰：今之人未必肯受你累，还是自家隐些的好。

Those who despise money end up by sponging on their friends;those who mix
freely with all sorts of people will eventually hurt themselves.

ShengtsaWhat a profound warning!
Tsaomin:For myself,I do not regret it one way or the other.
Tsefa:It does make a difference,though,whether you hurt others or only yourself.
Hanchen:Nowadays people do not welcome being sponged up on.So it is better to
be careful.

人生——之十

胸中小不平，可以酒消之；世间大不平，非剑不能消也。

（周）星远曰：看剑饮杯长，一切不平皆破除矣。
迂庵曰：苍苍者未必肯以太阿假人，似不能代作空空儿也。
悔庵曰：龙泉太阿，汝知我者，岂止苏子美以一斗读《汉书》耶？

A small injustice can be drowned by a cup of wine;a great injustice can be vanquished only by the sword.

Shingyuan:So you drown all sorrows by holding a cup of wine with a sword in sight.
Yu-an:I do not think the Blessed Lord would easily give such a sword to men.It might raise more trouble than it can settle.
Huei-an:O,Lungchuan[famous wine] and Tai-o [famous sword],trust me !I can handle both!

人生——之十一

多情者必好色，而好色者未必尽属多情；红颜者必薄命，而薄命者未必尽属红颜；能诗者必好酒，而好酒者未必尽属能诗。

竹坡曰：情起于色者，则好色也，非情也。祸起于颜色者，则薄命在红颜，否则，亦止曰命而已矣。
（洪）秋士曰：世亦有能诗而不好酒者。

A great lover loves women,but one who loves women is not necessarily a great
lover.A beautiful woman often has a tragic life,but not all those who have
tragic lives are beautiful.A good poet can always drink,but being a great
drinker does not make one a poet.

Chupoassion which is based on sex must after all be distinguished from true
love.Tragedy sometimes comes from being a great beauty,but sometimes has
to connection with it,but is just fate.
Chiushih:There are poets who cannot drink.

人生——之十二

有青山方有绿水，水惟借色于山；有美酒便有佳诗，诗亦乞灵于酒。
（李）圣许曰：有青山绿水，乃可酌美酒而咏佳诗，是诗酒亦发端于山水也。

Green hills come with blue waters which borrow their blueness from the
hills;good wine produces beautiful poems,which draw sustenance from the spirits.
Shengshu:Green hills and blue waters make it possible to enjoy wine and poetry.So everything goes back to the hills and waters.

人生——之十四

天下无书则已，有则必当读；无酒则已，有则必当饮；无名山则已，有则必当赏玩；无才
子佳人则已，有则必当爱慕怜惜。

弟木山曰：谈何容易，即我家黄山，几能得一到耶？

If there were no books,then nothing need be said about it ,but since there are
books,they must be read;if there were no wine,then nothing need be said.but
since there is ,it must be drunk;since there are famous mountains,they must
be visited;since there are flowers and the moon,they must be enjoyed ;and
since there are poets and beauties they must be loved and protected.

[Younger brother]Mushan:Easier said than done.There is the famous Yellow
Mountain right in our district.But how many have visited it?

人生——之十五

不得已而谀之者，宁以口，毋以笔；不可耐而骂人者，亦宁以口，毋以笔。

（张）豹人曰：但恐未必能自主耳。
竹坡曰：上句立品，下句立德。
迂庵曰：匪惟立德，亦以免祸。
天石曰：今人笔不谀人，更无用笔之处矣。心斋不知此苦，还是唐宋以上人耳。
云士曰：古笔铭曰：“毫毛茂茂，陷水可脱，陷文不活。”正此谓也。亦有谄以笔而实讥
之者，亦有以笔而若誉之者，总以不笔为高。

If one has to praise someone,rather do it by word of mouth than by pen;if
there are persons that must be castigated,also do it by word of mouth rather
than in writing.

Paojen:You have no control over it sometimes.
ChupThe first half of the sentence helps one's integrity,the second half
one's character.

Yu-an:It not only helps character,but saves one from getting into trouble.
Tienshih:There are writers today who find no other use for their pen except
writing eulogies.Shintsai is not aware of the circumstances which force them
to do it.He lives mentally in the Golden Age.
Yunshih:An ancient inscription on a pen says,"The little hair-brush.You can
get out when dipped in water,but when you get into writing,you may be
crushed."There are eulogies with tongue-in-check sarcasms and apparent
denunciations which cover real praise.But the best thing is not to commit it
to paper at all.