Definitely one of my favorite ancient chinese prose back in high school, not that I could remember a lot of it, either back then or now. Anyway, maybe it is because of the frugal lifestyle that I am living right now. Or maybe it is because I'm just too fucking lazy to do up my room, and adopts the "minimalist approach" so that I don't have to do too much cleaning up. Whatever. Wanted to find an English translation online so that my foreign friends understand what it means, but thought the translation were done so lousily that I decided to do it myself. Not that it is any better, but at least I could brag to my friends that I was the one that did the translation. Not that they can tell whether it is a good translation or not......
====================================
陋室铭
山不在高，有仙则名。水不在深，有龙则灵。斯是陋室，唯吾德馨。苔痕上阶绿，草色入帘青。谈笑有鸿儒，往来无白丁。可以调素琴，阅金经。无丝竹之乱耳，无牍之劳形。南阳诸葛庐，西蜀子云亭。孔子曰∶“何陋之有？”
Humble Abode
A deity residing in a mountain makes it famous, regardless of the mountain’s height. A dragon inhabiting in a river makes it sacred, regardless of the river’s depth. Although this is but a humble abode, my virtues bestow upon it a fragrant scent. Green moss lines the steps, and the grass reflects an emerald glow onto the curtains. There is conversation with intellectual men, and the philistines are avoided. One can play the lute or read the sutras. No uncultured music to distract me, and no uninteresting work to tire me. It’s just like the way Zhuge lived in Nan Yang, or that of Ziyun’s life in Xishu. Confucius would have said: “How can this be a humble abode?”
1 comment:
I think your translation to There is conversation with intellectual men, and the philistines are avoided. does not capture the scenario painted by the original Chinese words fully. I think that original sentence describes how engaging the intellects converse, and not so cultured people are not found in that area. But I haven't though of how.
Post a Comment