Vernacular translation: This is the magnificent scene of Yueyang Tower.
Excerpt from the original:
This is the grand view of Yueyang Tower, which was prepared by predecessors. But the northern martial arts, the Antarctic Xiaoxiang, and the poets who moved abroad will all be here, and they will look at things well.
If it rains heavily, the moon will not open, the evil wind will howl, and the turbid waves will be empty; The sun, moon and stars are hidden, and the mountains are hidden; Business travel is bad and ruined; Twilight is boundless, tigers roar and apes crow. When you go to the temple building, you are homesick, sad, sad and sad.
Vernacular translation:
This is a magnificent sight of Yueyang Tower. The previous account is (already) very detailed. Then, most of the relegated officials and poets who went to the north for martial arts and went to the south for Xiaoshui and Xiangshui met here, and the feelings caused by watching the natural scenery would probably be different.
Just like that rainy day, it didn't clear up for months, the cold wind roared and the turbid waves rushed to the sky; The sun, the moon and the stars cover their brilliance, and the mountains cover their appearance; Businessmen and passengers couldn't get through, the mast fell and the oars broke;
At night, it is dark, tigers are whistling and apes are crying. Climbing this building, you will have a feeling of leaving the capital, missing your hometown, worrying about others speaking ill of you, and being afraid of being criticized. Your eyes are full of depression and your feelings are extremely sad.
This article is from The Story of Yueyang Tower written by Fan Zhongyan in Song Dynasty.
Extended data writing background:
The Story of Yueyang Tower is an essay written by Fan Zhongyan, a writer in the Northern Song Dynasty, on September 15th, six years (1046 65438+ 10/7) at the request of Teng Zijing, a good friend of Baling County, to rebuild Yueyang Tower. By writing about the scenery of Yueyang Tower and the different feelings brought by rainy days and sunny days, the article reveals the benevolent heart of the ancients who "don't like things, don't grieve for themselves", and also expresses his patriotic feelings of "worrying about the world first, and enjoying the world later".
This article was written in Li Qing for six years (1046). Fan Zhongyan lived in the era of internal troubles and foreign invasion in the Northern Song Dynasty, and the internal class contradictions became increasingly prominent, eyeing the foreign Khitan and Xixia. In order to consolidate the political power and improve this situation, the political group headed by Fan Zhongyan began to carry out reforms, which was later called the "Qingli New Deal".
However, the reform violated the interests of the feudal big landlord class conservatives and was strongly opposed by them. The emperor's determination to reform was not firm. Under the oppression of the conservative bureaucratic group headed by Queen Ether, the reform ended in failure. After the failure of the "Qingli New Deal", Fan Zhongyan offended the Prime Minister Lv Yijian, and Fan Zhongyan was relegated to Dengzhou, Henan. This article is about Dengzhou, not Yueyang Tower.
This article shows that although the author lives in rivers and lakes, cares about the country and the people and is persecuted, he still does not give up his indomitable will. At the same time, it is also an encouragement and comfort to his demoted comrades. Yueyang Tower is famous for its lofty ideological realm.
Ouyang Xiu, another contemporary writer, said in an inscription written for him that he was interested in the world since he was a child, and he often recited to himself: "A scholar should worry about the world first, and enjoy the world afterwards." It can be seen that Fan Zhongyan's life code of conduct is "worrying about the world first, and enjoying the world later" mentioned at the end of Yueyang Tower.
Mencius said, "Being rich is good for the world, and being poor is good for the world." This has become the creed of many literati in feudal times. When Fan Zhongyan wrote this article, he was demoted from his official position and "stayed away from the rivers and lakes" from now on. He could have taken an independent attitude and ended up in leisure and happiness, but he put forward the principle that an upright scholar-bureaucrat should stand firm and do his own thing well.
It is commendable to think that personal honor and disgrace are indistinguishable, "not happy with things, not sad for oneself" and "worrying about the world first, and enjoying the world later" to encourage yourself and your friends. The spirit embodied in these two sentences, the quality of suffering first and pleasure second, is undoubtedly instructive.
About the author:
Fan Zhongyan (989- 1052), a native of Wenqian, was a thinker, politician and writer in the Northern Song Dynasty. Dazhong Xiangfu was a scholar for eight years (10 15). Li Qing participated in the Qingli New Deal for three years (1043) and put forward ten reform suggestions. In the fifth year of Li Qing (1045), the New Deal was frustrated and Fan Zhongyan was demoted to Beijing.
You four years (1052), died at the age of 64. Posthumous title is called the Palace. Fan Zhongyan's literary achievements are outstanding, and his thought of "worrying about the world first, and enjoying the world later" has a far-reaching influence on later generations. There are a number of official documents of Fan Wenzheng.