Night Tour in Chengtian Temple is an ancient prose written by Su Shi, a writer in Song Dynasty. The article gives a wonderful description of the moonlit scenery, which truly records the author's life when he was relegated to Huangzhou, and also reflects the author's deep friendship with Zhang Huaimin and his infinite feelings for a few bosom friends.
Original text:
Genpox, on the night of October 12, 2006, took off his clothes and went to bed. He just saw the moonlight on the door and got up happily for a walk. Thinking that there was no one to play with, I went to the Tianhou Palace to find Zhang Huaimin. People didn't sleep, so we walked in the yard together. In the moonlight, the courtyard is full of clear water, as clear as clear water. The algae and shepherd's purse in the water are the shadows of bamboo and cypress. What night is there no moonlight? Where is there no bamboo and cypress? It's just the lack of free people like us.
Vernacular translation:
On the evening of 20061October 12, I was undressing and getting ready for bed. I accidentally saw the moonlight coming in from the portal, which made me interested in night travel, so I got up and went out happily. Thinking that no one was playing, I went to Chengtian Temple to find Zhang Huaimin. Zhang Huaimin didn't sleep either, so we walked in the yard together.
The moonlight in the yard is as clear and transparent as water. Seaweed and aquatic plants crisscross, which turned out to be the shadows of bamboo and pine and cypress branches in the yard. When is there no moon? Where is there no bamboo and cypress? It's just the lack of idle people like us.
Extended information This article was written in Song Shenzong Yuanfeng for six years (1083), and the author has been demoted to Huangzhou for four years. In July of the second year of Yuanfeng, the famous "Wutai Poetry Case" in history, Li Ding picked out Su Shi's poems about the new law and said that he slandered them. In August, he was arrested and imprisoned. After a long trial and torture, he was almost killed.
1February, the author was released from prison and demoted to Huangzhou to be an assistant forever, but he was not allowed to "sign books to do business", that is to say, he was an idle official with positions but no rights. In this case, the author is almost exiled and depressed; However, he is still enterprising, so he wrote this essay.
The "beauty" in the article first comes from the "truth" of the content. The bright photos of Dongyue aroused the author's interest in traveling, thinking that there was no "musician" as a fly in the ointment, so he sought a traveling companion. At this time, the illusion is interesting, the emotion is touched, and it is logical to write this situation down. Everything is harmonious and natural, and there is no feeling of carving. This beauty comes from the purity of language.
Notes, like taking them home, are narrative. Although there are no wonders, you can't add, delete or change any words. It should be pointed out that the date, "Moonlight Entering the House" and "Happy Departure" are mutually causal, with few figures and concise language. Write the scenery under the courtyard, using the word "empty" without any modification, reflecting the ethereal and frank artistic conception.
Idle people contains the author's sad mentality. The author has great political ambitions, but he has been relegated to Huangzhou again and again. Deep down, he doesn't want to be an idle person. The self-satisfaction of the "idle people" who enjoy the moon is nothing but self-comfort that they have been demoted to "idle people".
Refer to Baidu Encyclopedia-Night Tour of Chengtian Temple