袁枚 : 《子不语》原文译文欣赏

序

袁枚（1716-1797），字仲熙，号梅溪。他是一位清代的文学家、诗人、书法家和画家，工于诗、文、书、画、印。他的代表作之一《子不语》是一篇很有文学价值的散文，被誉为“清代散文之盛况”。本文将为大家带来《子不语》的原文和英译文，让我们一起欣赏袁枚的文学魅力。

正文

节选一

子不语怪力乱神，语鄙事浅；然亦有劝人正己以及见天下之环怜。至于道路迂回，则与他语不忒专亦何有哉？再观雅文，则言之太率矣，竟起自己而止于自己，与下情无交。至于奔命跑腿，乃以口白马之能，反为士林所笑；而实有救急解危之功不可不守，奚宜乎无其体也？乃如卢仝之论，号称“十乳”者，岂特异彩于同作，亦远扬其行；此谓果知相济者之贵矣。

Translation:

Zi Bu Yu (a renowned philosopher) often spoke of strange, unfathomable ideas that lacked practicality. While he was often crafty in discussion, he also demonstrated a genuine concern for the welfare of the world and a willingness to advocate for worthy causes. His circuitous approach to resolving issues reflected his unwillingness to tie himself to a single path or school of thought. By contrast, classical literature often suffers from being too rigid or divorced from common experience. Its authors are prone to waxing philosophical in their own insular world without ever engaging the world around them. Moreover, traveling on horseback to attend to important matters has become a source of ridicule in polite society. But let us not forget that such transportation is often necessary to achieve great deeds without which we would all suffer calamity. And just like Lu Tong, who gained the title of \"ten nurturing breasts\" for his generous deeds, the value of helping others in need cannot be overstated.

节选二

平生不识韵，黄山毫末如拾，可通《周易》矣，惟因夜读而不省耳。至晚莫觉更鼓，胡蝶入丝行，长于拍脑，强自成句。而昔人积蓄于心，一吐为兴耳。

Translation:

Though I have spent a lifetime devoid of strict prosody, I have searched even the smallest parts of the Yellow Mountains and studied the Book of Changes in order to better understand the infinite expanse of the cosmos. Yet despite my extensive studies, the truth only reveals itself in those late-night moments when I am startled by the abrupt beating of my heart and the fluttering of restless butterflies within me until, like some cosmic muse, a formulated phrase or sentence rises within my consciousness, culminating into a single bright spark. It is as if the words of my illustrious predecessors are alive within me, waiting to emerge as if from the shadow of their former selves.

节选三

诚谓作文章，非变改辞句之文，阅遍过日旬月，与庸人无异也。须得真情实感，方为人法天地之彩矣。夫自吾身发而后言，其心之所感，必别人所未领；自吾身发而后动，其行之所往，必别人所未至。此精微之妙用也。

Translation:

Writing is not merely the act of rearranging words and phrases, as studying for months on end will not satisfy the yearning soul. Nor will it capture the essence of the cosmos without genuine emotion or an authentic personal experience. The feelings within one's own heart, that which no others have ever experienced, and the actions that derive from it, that which no other has ever taken, this is the beauty of true originality.

《子不语》是袁枚的代表作之一，它以晦涩难懂而深刻的思想令人叹为观止。通过对于《子不语》原文和英译文的解读，我们更为深入地了解了它的文学价值，也领略到了袁枚的文学魅力。