岳阳楼记 Thoughts on YueYang Tower---Translated classical Chinese article

作者： 北宋范仲淹 By Fan, Zhongyan of Song Dynasty

翻译：影SHADOW Translated by Shadow

庆历四年春，藤子京谪守巴陵郡。越明年，政通人和，百废具兴。乃重修岳阳楼。增其旧制 ，刻唐贤今人诗赋于其上，嘱余 作文以记之。

It was the summer of many years ago; I was disparaged by the emperor from the court and was designated to charge a wasteland, where Yueyang Tower used to be famous during the prosperity years ago. After some depression, I decided to revive the whole wasteland, and rebuild the Yueyang Tower. After rebuilding the tower, I carved the poems from the history on every pillar of the tower. Now I really feel proud and want to write something to record my feelings, as below:

余观夫巴陵胜状，在洞庭一湖。衔远山，吞长江，浩浩汤汤，横无迹涯。朝辉夕阴，气象 万千。此则岳阳楼之大观也。前人之述 备矣，然则北通巫峡，南极潇湘，迁客骚人，多会 于此，览物之情 得无异呼？

The grandiosity of Yueyang Tower lies in the view of the lake of DongTing. The lake hugs the mountain of the distance. The lake is so grand, extensive and endless. From the sunshine in the morning to the moonlight at night, there are so much changes. This is what is called the grandiosity of Yueyang Tower. Intelligent people from Wuxiao in the north to Xiangxiang in the south had written so many poems about this grandiosity. Disparate people and people of excellence and of idealistic are often attracted by such scenery. I am wondering if they feel anything different.

若夫淫雨霏霏，连月不开，阴风怒号，浊浪排空，日星隐耀，山岳潜形。商旅不行，樯倾 楫催。薄暮冥冥，虎啸猿啼。登斯楼也，则有去国还乡，忧谗畏忌，满目萧然，感极 而悲 者矣！

When it is rainy, the moon is hidden behind the dark clouds, gloomy and cold wind blows, feculent tides rush into the sky; when the sparkles of stars become invisible, and the silhouette of the mountain in the distance becomes vague; when it is difficult to make a trip to anywhere, and the boat may sink if you want to sail on such a day; when it is always dark and misty, and you can even hear the roars of the scaring wolf----you should visit this tower. When you are on top of it, you can feel that you are away from your homeland while you miss it a lot. You want to go back, however, you are afraid to go back. Your eyes are full of this bleakness and chiliness, which touches you so much and you just want to cry.

至若春和景明，波澜不惊，上下天光，一碧万顷。沙鸥翔集，锦鳞游泳。岸址汀蓝，郁郁 菁菁。而或长烟一空，皓月千里，浮光跃金，静影沉壁，渔歌互答，此乐何极？登斯楼 也，则有心旷神怡，宠褥偕忘，把酒临风，其喜洋洋者矣。

When it is cozy springtime and the whole scenery brightens you up. The lake is so serene; the tides are gentle and calm. Sunshine warms up the sky and the water,which is endless. Thousands of white Mews flop their wings above the water and fish with silver squamous swim under. Water is so blue while the grass is so green on the shore. The sky is of hollowness, and bright moonlight shines everywhere. Little tides in golden color jump, the shadow and the real things just fall into the water. Fishermen are having conversation or singing nice local songs between their boats. What a happiness it is! At this time, if you climb to the top of the tower, you will feel that your heart is taken away and your spirits are off somewhere else,you will forget both your honors and humiliations. With a glass of wine towards the breeze, you will feel so happy inside.

嗟夫！余尝求古仁人之心，或异二者之为。何哉？不以物喜，不以己悲。居庙堂之高， 则忧其民。处江湖之远，则忧其君。是进亦忧，退亦忧。然则 何时而乐也？其必曰：先天 下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐乎。

Whoops! I have always been trying to seek the heart of people of wisdom in the ancient time. What I feel is: Not to be too happy because of fortune, nor to be too sad because of misfortune. The emperor probably will feel sorry that he is at such a distance from the real life of ordinary people, and the ordinary people admire the highness of the emperor while they can’t enjoy things they have. Everybody may feel sad at any step of life, whether a step forward or backward. So when is the end of sadness and the start of happiness? Maybe the best solution is: Worry before everybody worries, happy after everybody’s happiness.

吁！微斯人，吾谁与归？

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