"The Nuclear Boat Chronicle" is an article written by the Ming Dynasty writer Wei Xuezhen and compiled into the "New Records of Yuchu" by the contemporary scholar Zhang Chao. The "Nuclear Boat Chronicle" vividly describes an exquisite event. Unparalleled micro-carving crafts. The article describes a small boat carved from peach stones, which shows the superb state of ancient craftsmanship and the wisdom of the working people of ancient my country. This article uses the spatial sequence from both ends to the middle and from the front to the back to introduce the image of the "nuclear boat" and enthusiastically praise the carving art and talents of the folk craftsmen of the Ming Dynasty in my country. It shows the author's praise for Wang Shuyuan's exquisite craftsmanship.
Original text
In the Ming Dynasty, there was a clever man named Wang Shuyuan who could use wood an inch in diameter to build palaces, utensils (mǐn), people, and even birds, beasts, wood and stones, regardless of the size (wǎng). A small boat with an olive core carved according to the situation (the second year of Qianlong's reign)
Pictographically, each has its own mood. Taste the Yi (yí) Yu Nuhe boat, and the clouds cover Dasu and Red Cliff. The length of the boat from head to tail is about eight cents (yòu) odd (jī), and the height is about two millet (shǔ). The open cabin in the middle pavilion is covered with a ruo canopy. There are small windows on the side, four on each side and eight on the left. Open the window and look at each other with carved railings. If it is closed, the right side will be inscribed with "The mountain is high and the moon is small, and the water will come out," and the left side will be inscribed with "The breeze is coming slowly, and the water waves will be stagnant." The stone is green and gritty (sǎn). There are three people sitting on the bow of the boat, the one in the middle is Eguan (guān) and the one with many beards (rán) is Dongpo, Foyin is on the right, and Lu Zhi is on the left. Su and Huang *** read a hand scroll. Dongpo held the scroll in his right hand and stroked Lu's back with his left hand. Lu Zhi held the end of the scroll in his left hand and fingered the scroll with his right hand, as if he had something to say. Dongpo's right foot is shown, and Lu Zhi's left foot is shown, each slightly sideways, with the two knees facing each other hidden in the folds of the clothes at the bottom. The Buddha's seal is extremely similar to Mi Le, with its breasts exposed (lòu) and breasts (rǔ), its head straightened and its eyes raised, and its expression does not belong to that of Su and Huang. He sat down on his right knee, raised his right arm to support a boat, and raised his left knee, hanging a rosary on his left arm and leaning on it - you can count the beads clearly. The stern of the boat lies horizontally with a jí. There is one boatman on the left and right. The person on the right has her vertebrae in a bun (jì) and is lying on her back, leaning on a rung with her left hand, and climbing her right toes with her right hand, as if whistling. The person on the left is holding a palm fan in his right hand and stroking the stove with his left hand. There is a pot on the stove. He looks up and looks calm, as if listening to the sound of tea. The back of the ship is a little flat, so an inscription is written on it, which reads: "In the autumn of the day, King Yishu of Mount Yu was just carving it when he was far away from heaven." It is as thin as a mosquito's foot and has been stroked. , its color is dark. Another seal (zhuàn) chapter is used, and the text is "People from Pingshan at the beginning", and its color is red. A total of one boat, for five people; for eight windows; for a ruo canopy, for a stove, for a pot, for a hand scroll, for a rosary; for couplets, titles and seal scripts, for the word ** * There are (yòu) four in thirty; but when considering its length, it was once (céng) not enough. The person who covers the simple peach core and repairs the narrowness is used for it. Hee, your skills are amazing!
Translation
There was a man named Wang Shuyuan in the Ming Dynasty who was extremely skilled in craftsmanship. He could carve palaces, houses, utensils, figures, and even birds out of wood one inch in diameter. Animals, trees, and rocks all imitate the shapes of those things according to their original appearance, and each has its own expression and posture. He once gave me a small boat carved from a peach stone, which should have been engraved with the scene of Su Shi traveling around Red Cliff. The boat is eight inches long from bow to stern, about as high as two yellow rice grains. The raised and open part in the middle is the cabin, which is covered with a canopy made of bamboo leaves. There are small windows carved next to the cabin, four on each side and eight on each side. Open the window and see the carved railings facing each other. When you close it, you will see the words "The mountain is high and the moon is small, the water will come to light" engraved on the right side, and the words "The breeze comes slowly, the water waves are calm" are engraved on the left side. Use azurite paint to paint the recess with the word "." There are three people sitting on the bow: the one in the middle, wearing a tall hat and thick beard, is Su Dongpo, Foyin is on the right, and Huang Luzhi is on the left. Su Dongpo and Huang Tingjian looked at a scroll of calligraphy and painting with a banner. Su Dongpo's right hand held the right end of the scroll, and his left hand was stroking Lu's straight back. Lu Zhi was holding the left end of the scroll with his left hand and pointing at the scroll with his right hand, as if he was speaking something. Su is showing his right foot, Huang is showing his left foot. Each of them is slightly turned to the side, with their knees touching each other hidden in their robe pleats under the scroll of calligraphy and painting on the banner. The Buddha's seal is very much like the Maitreya Bodhisattva, with his belly and chest exposed, looking up, and his expression is not similar to that of Su Dongpo or Huang Tingjian. He lay down on his right knee, bent his right arm to support the boat, and raised his left knee. A string of rosary beads hung on his left arm next to his left knee - the rosary beads could be counted clearly. The back of the boat is slightly flat, so a name was inscribed on the back. The writing is "On the autumn day of Renxu, Wang Yishu of Yushan was just engraved when he was far away". The handwriting was as small as a mosquito's feet and the strokes were clear. Clearly, its color is black. There is also a seal script seal engraved with the text "Chu Pingshan People" and its color is red. In total, the entire boat has five (persons) carved on it and eight (windows); one piece each of the bamboo canopy, paddle, stove, teapot, hand scroll and rosary; couplets, title and seal script (on the seal) , there are thirty-four engraved characters. However, calculating its length, it is less than an inch long. It turns out that this was made from a long and narrow peach stone carving. ah! (This) skill is really wonderful!
Notes
1. Kit Kat Man: A person with wonderful and exquisite skills. Strange, strange.
2. Wang Shuyuan: Name Yi, courtesy name Shuyuan. A folk miniature carving artist in the Ming Dynasty.
3. Diaocun wood: A piece of wood one inch in diameter. Diameter, diameter.
4. To: do, here refers to carving.
5. Utensils: refers to utensils. Basins, bowls and the like.
6. Even: even
7. Regardless of the situation, each has its own mood: it can imitate the shape of those things according to the original appearance of the wood, and each has its own expression. attitude. 罔: None, no. Wanbu: all, all. Because: follow, follow. Shi: (wooden) appearance. Image: Simulation. Shape: The shape (of an object). Each: each. Tool: To have. Modality: demeanor.
8. Taste: Once
9. Yi: Gift
10. Yu: Me
11. Gaida Su Pan Chibi Yun: What is engraved is Su Shi's boat trip to Red Cliff. Gai: A modal particle expressing speculation. Pan, rafting, boat tour. Cloud: indicates the end of the narrative.
12. About: about
13. You (yòu) odd (jī): a little more. Yes: Pass "you", used to connect integers and zeros. Odd: zero number.
14. Gao Keer Millet Xu: About as high as two yellow rice grains. Yes, approximately. Millet: Also called millet, after peeling it is called yellow rice. It is said that in ancient times, the length of a hundred grains arranged was one foot, so the length of one millet grain was one minute. Xu, up and down.
15. The open (chǎng) in the middle is the cabin: the high and open part in the middle is the cabin. Xuan: High. Open: open. For: Yes
16. Ruo Peng: A boat canopy made of bamboo leaves. The special-shaped character for Zhu is "箬".
17. The carved railings face each other: the railings with carved patterns face each other. Wang: facing, facing.
18. The mountains are high and the moon is small, but the truth will come to light: lines from Su Shi's "Fu on the Red Cliff".
19. The gentle breeze blows slowly, but the water waves are silent: lines from Su Shi's "Red Cliff Ode". Qing: cool. Xu: Slowly, slowly. Xing: get up. 20. Shiqing糁 (sǎn): Use azurite to paint the recesses where the words are engraved. Azurite: A turquoise pigment. Grits: coating.
21. Eguan: Wearing a tall hat.
22. beard (rǎn): the beard on both cheeks. This generally refers to long beards.
23. Home: at.
24. Foyin: The name of the person is a monk and a friend of Su Shi.
25. Lu Zhi: Huang Tingjian, a poet and calligrapher in the Song Dynasty, was named Lu Zhi. He is also Su Shi's friend.
26. Hold: hold.
27. Hand scroll: banner calligraphy and painting scroll
28. Scroll end: refers to the right end of the scroll
29. Scroll end: refers to the left end of the scroll
30. If there is something to say: It seems to be saying something. Speech, speaking
31. Slightly turn (body) slightly sideways
32. Their two knees are compared: their two knees that are close to each other (Su Dongpo's left knee and Huang Tingjian's right knee). Bi, close
33. Each is hidden in the folds of the clothes at the bottom of the roll: they are all hidden in the folds of the clothes under the hand-scroll (meaning, the two knees that meet can be seen from the folds of the clothes). 34. Unparalleled Maitreya: Very much like the Buddhist Maitreya Bodhisattva
35. Look up: look up. Correction, lifting
36. Not belonging to (zhǔ): not similar
37. Bend right knee: Lie down on the right knee. Yi: Tong "Qu", bend.
38. Rosary beads: Strings of beads used by Buddhists to count when reciting the Buddha's name.
39. Lean on it: (Left arm) leans on the left knee.
40. Count clearly: count clearly. Lili: clear and countable.
41. 楫: oar
42. zhouzi: the person who punts the boat, the boatman.
43. Vertebral bun: The hair is combed into a vertebra-shaped bun, which is a conjugation of part of speech.
44. Heng: Tong "horizontal", horizontal
45. The person's eyes are calm: that person's eyes are looking directly at the (tea stove), with a calm expression.
46. Listening to the sound of tea: It seems like you are listening to see if the tea has boiled. If...ran: equivalent to "like...". 47. The back of the ship is slightly flat: the back of the ship is slightly flat. Back, here refers to the bottom of the boat. razed, leveled.
48. Tianqi Renxu: Tianqi Renxu year, which is 1622. Tianqi, the reign name of Zhu Youxiao, Emperor Xizong of Ming Dynasty.
49. Yushan Wang Yishu Yuanfu: A person from Changshu whose surname is Wang Yishu. Yushan, now northwest of Changshu County, Jiangsu Province, is used instead of Changshu. In the past, literati often replaced their place of origin with the places of interest in their hometown. Shuyuanfu means "Zi Shuyuan".
50. Clear: clear
51. Ink: black
52. Seal: Seal stamp
53. Dan: Red
54. For: Engraved
55. Zeng Bu Ying Cun: Not even an inch. Zeng, Shang, Huan. filled.
56. Jane: Choose. Same as "pick", select.
57. Narrow repair: long and narrow
58. The skills are also strange: the skills are also really wonderful! Yes, it is equivalent to "ah", a modal particle expressing exclamation.
59. All in one boat: plan, calculation