第99章 《苏东坡传》片段

One might say that Su Tungpo was an incorrigible optimist， a great humanitarian， a friend of the people， a prose master， an original painter， a great calligraphist， an experimenter in wine making， an engineer， a hater of puritanism， a yogi， a Buddhist believer， a Confucian statesman， a secretary to the emperor， a confirmed winebibber， a humane judge， a dissenter in politics， a prowler in the moonlight， a poet， and a wag.

我们未尝不可说，苏东坡是个秉性难改的乐天派，是悲天悯人的道德家，是黎民百姓的好朋友，是散文作家，是新派的画家，是伟大的书法家，是酿酒的实验者，是工程师，是假道学的反对派，是瑜伽术的修炼者，是佛教徒，是士大夫，是皇帝的秘书，是饮酒成癖者，是心肠慈悲的法官，是政治上的坚持己见者，是月下的漫步者，是诗人，是生性诙谐爱开玩笑的人。

② I can perhaps best sum it up by saying that the mention of Su Tungpo always elicits an affectionate and warm admiring smile in China.

我若说一提到苏东坡，在中国总会引起人亲切敬佩的微笑，也许这话最能概括苏东坡的一切了。

③ the poems and essays he wrote on the inspiration of the moment or in criticism of something he disliked were the natural outpourings of his heart instinctive and impetuous， like“the bird’s song in spring and the cricket's chirp in autumn”， as he put it once; or again they may be likened to the“cries of monkeys in the jungle or of the storks in high heaven， unaware of the human listeners below”.

他的诗词文章，或一时即兴之作，或是有所不满时有感而发，都是自然流露，顺乎天性，刚猛激烈。正如他所说的“春鸟秋虫之声”；也未尝不可比做他的诗句：“猿吟鹤唳本无意，不知下有行人行。”

④ Always deeply involved in politics， he was always greater than politics. Without guile and without purpose， he went along singing， posing， and criticising， purely to express something he felt in his heart， regardless of what might be the consequences for himself.

他一直卷在政治旋涡之中，但是他却光风霁月，高高超越于狗苟蝇营的政治勾当之上。他不忮不求，随时随地吟诗作赋，批评臧否，纯然表达心之所感，至于会招致何等后果，与自己有何利害，则一概置之度外了。

⑤ From his writings shines forth a personality vivid and vigorous， playful or solemn， as the occasion may be， but always genuine， hearty， and true to himself. He wrote for no other reason than that he enjoyed writing， and today we enjoy his writing for no other reason than that he wrote so beautifully， generously， and out of the pristine innocence of his heart.

他的作品之中，流露出他的本性，亦庄亦谐，生动而有力，虽胥视情况之所宜而异其趣，然而莫不真笃而诚恳，完全发乎内心。他之写作，除去自得其乐外，别无理由，而今日吾人读其诗文，别无理由，只因为他写得那么美，那么遒健朴茂，那么字字自真纯的心肺间流出。