Translation of Cao Pi's "Classical Treatise"
Literaturemen despise each other, and this has been the case since ancient times. Fu Yi and Ban Gu were equally talented in literature, but Ban Gu despised Fu Yi. He wrote in a letter to his younger brother Ban Chao: "Fu Wuzhong got the official position of Lantai Lingshi because he could write articles, (but he did not ) It is easy for ordinary people to see their own advantages after writing a thousand words. However, there is not only one genre of writing, and few people are good at all genres. Therefore, everyone always despises what others are good at. For those who are not good at it, as the saying goes: "If you have a broken broom at home, you will still think it is worth thousands of gold." "This is a problem of not being able to see oneself clearly.
Today's literati are only Kong Rong and Kong Wenju from Lu, Chen Lin and Chen Kongzhang from Guangling, Wang Can and Wang Zhongxuan from Shanyang, and Xu Qian from Beihai. Xu Weichang, Ruan Yu and Ruan Wenyu from Chenliu, Ying Yang and Ying Delian from Runan, Liu Zhen and Liu Gongqian from Dongping. These "seven sons" are (can be said to be) eclectic in terms of learning and have nothing left out. I have not borrowed the works of others (in the literary world), they are all galloping thousands of miles apart, keeping pace with each other. It is really difficult for them to admire each other. I examine my own talents and think I have the ability. Measuring others, I was able to avoid the drag of being a literati and writing this paper. Wang Can was good at poetry and poetry, and Xu Qian (article) had Qi people's (soothing) habits from time to time, but he was also comparable to Wang Can. For example, Wang Can's "Chu Zheng Fu", "Denglou Fu", "Huai Fu", "Zheng Si Fu", Xu Qian's "Xuan Yuan Fu", "Luo Xie Fu", "Yuan Fan Fu", "Orange Fu" ", even Zhang Heng and Cai Yong cannot surpass it. However, other articles cannot match this. Chen Lin and Ruan Yu's chapters, tables, books, and notes (articles in several genres) are outstanding today. Ying Yang's (articles) are gentle but not powerful enough, Liu Zhen's (articles' momentum) is powerful but not detailed enough (arts and sciences). Kong Rong's style is elegant and transcendent, and he is outstanding, but he is not good at making arguments and his eloquence is better than reasoning. It is even mixed with jokes and teasing remarks. As for the (genre) he is good at, it can be classified into the first class of Yang Xiong and Ban Gu. Most people value the ancients and despise the modern people. They value reputation and do not pay attention to reality. To clear up one's own shortcomings, one always thinks that one is virtuous.
Generally, the essence of the articles (the content expressed in words) is different, but the specific details (genre and form) are different, so the memorials are different. , Refutations are suitable for elegance, letters and expositions are suitable for reasoning, inscriptions and edicts advocate facts, poems and poems should be gorgeous. The styles of these four subjects are different, so those who can write (often) have preferences; only those who are versatile. You can be good at articles of various genres. Articles are dominated by "qi", and there are two types of qi: clear qi and turbid qi. Using music as an analogy, the melody and rhythm of music have the same meaning. A measure of luck, but the sound of luck will not be uniform, and the skills in daily life are also different. Even if they are fathers and elder brothers, they cannot be taught to sons and younger brothers.
The article is related to governing the country. Great achievements are grand undertakings that can be passed on to future generations and will last forever. There is a time limit for a person's age and longevity, and honor and happiness can only last for one life. Both of them end in a certain period of time and cannot be circulated forever like articles. There is no end. . Therefore, ancient authors who devoted themselves to writing and expressed their thoughts and opinions in articles and books did not need to rely on the words of historians or the power of high officials, and their reputation would naturally be passed down to future generations. Therefore, King Wen of Zhou was imprisoned. The "Book of Changes" was deduced, and the "Li" was produced when Zhou Gong became famous. (King Wen) did not stop doing business because of difficulties, and (Zhou Gong) did not change his ambition because of his prosperity. Therefore, the ancients despised a foot of jasper but valued an inch of time. , this is just a fear that time has passed. Most people are unwilling to work hard. The poor are afraid of hunger and cold, while the rich are indulging in the pleasures of ease. So they only know how to manage the affairs in front of them, and give up the achievements that can be passed down for thousands of years. The sun and moon move in the sky, and The human body is aging underground day by day, and suddenly it changes and dies like all other things. This is a sad thing for people with lofty ideals!
Kong Rong and others have passed away, and only Xu Qian wrote "Zhonglun", which became a family name.
The Seven Sons of Jian'an - Related Comments The life of the "Seven Sons" can basically be divided into two periods: before and after. In the early stage of social war and chaos in the late Han Dynasty, although their social status and life experiences were different, they generally could not escape the fate of being in trouble. In the later period, they all attached themselves to Cao Cao one after another. Kong Rong held the post of Shaofu and Wang Can held high-level official positions such as Shizhong. The rest were also close ministers of Cao Cao and his son. However, Kong Rong later clashed with Cao Cao and was killed. Since the seven people joined Cao Cao at different times, there is no unified boundary between the early and late stages of each person's return. Kong Rong was in the first year of Jian'an (196), Xu Qian and Ruan Yu were in the early days of Jian'an, Chen Lin was in Jian'an for five years, Wang Can was in Jian'an for thirteen years, and Liu Zhen and Ying Yang were in Jian'an for thirteen years. Corresponding to their life paths, the creation of the "Seven Sons" can generally be divided into two stages. Most of his early works reflected the reality of social turmoil and expressed concern for the country and the people.
His major works include Wang Can's "Seven Sorrowful Poems" and "Ode to Climbing the Tower", Chen Lin's "Drinking Horses in the Great Wall Grottoes", Ruan Yu's "Driving out of Beiguo Gate", Liu Zhen's "Gift to the Younger Brother", etc., all of which are of practical significance. and a certain depth of thought; but the mood of some works is too low and sentimental, such as Ruan Ji's "Seven Sorrow Poems", Liu Zhen's "Untitled", "Heaven and Earth Are Unpredictable", etc. Most of the later works reflect their support for the Cao family's regime and their ambition to establish their own achievements, and the contents are mostly banquets, gifts, etc.; however, some of the praises to the Cao family and his son have the tone of Qing guest and accompanying ministers, revealing a vulgar attitude. . However, both before and after the creation of "Seven Sons", positive and healthy content dominates.
The creations of the "Seven Sons" each have their own personality and unique style. Kong Rong was good at essays and essays, and his works were of sublime style. Wang Can's poems, poems and prose are known as "all good", and his works are highly lyrical. Liu Zhen is good at poetry, and his works are majestic and desolate. Chen Lin and Ruan Ji were famous as Zhangbiao secretaries at that time, and both had certain achievements in poetry. The difference in their styles is that Chen Lin is more vigorous and powerful, while Ruan Ji is more natural and smooth. Xu Qian is capable of both poetry and fu, with delicate writing style and soothing body energy. Ying Yang can also write poems and rhymes, and his works are harmonious and full of literary talent. The creative style of "Seven Sons" also has some unique characteristics, which is the style of Jian'an literature of the times. The specific content of this style of the times and the reasons for its formation are what Liu Xie said in "The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons·Chronology": "Looking at the literature of the time, it is elegant and generous, good things have accumulated in the world, and the customs have declined. It is full of resentment, profound in ambition and long in writing, so it is concise and full of energy."
"Seven Sons" has a very important position in the history of Chinese literature. Together with the "Three Cao", they formed the main force of Jian'an writers. They have made contributions to the development of poetry, fu, and prose.