|
|
按：昔日的翻译练习习作，草草翻之，权当练笔，刊载与此，望高手指点一二。
An Epitaph for Liu Zihou
By Han Yu
(trans. Nov, 2007)
Part One
Liu Zongyuan’ s cognomen was Zihou. One of his ancestors seven generations before him was Liu Qing, who served at court in the Tuoba Wei Dynasty and was made Lord of Jiyin. His great-grandfather’s elder brother, Liu Shi, a prime minister in the Tang Dynasty, was executed with Zhu Suiliang and Han Yuan because they had offended Empress Wu during the reign of Emperor Gao Zong. His father, Liu Zhen, gave up his post as doctor of ceremony in order to care for his mother at home, asking for a magistracy south of the Yangzi. Later he lost his position as censor because he would not fawn on a powerful noble, and was reinstated only after that noble’s death. He was known for his probity, and all his friends were famous in their day.
Zihou was brilliant from boyhood, with a grasp of all branches of knowledge. Though still a lad at the time of his father’s death, he had already distinguished himself by passing the examination in the capital. He was known as a worthy son of the house of Liu.
Later, having passed an examination, testing erudition and literary talent, he was made a secretary in Jixian Palace. Strikingly brilliant, fearless and incorruptible, he enforced his arguments with examples from the past and present, was well-versed in the classics, histories and hundred schools of thought, marshalled his facts as swiftly as the wind, and nearly always refuted his opponents. His fame spread far and wide, and he was greatly sought after, high officials competed to win him as their protégé, and had nothing but praise for him.
In the nineteenth year of the Zhen Yuan era, he was promoted from the assistant magistracy of Lantian to the post of supervising censor. Upon Emperor Shun Zong’s ascension to the throne, he was made a secretary of the Ministry of Ceremony. When later the ministers in power were punished, he was sent out as a prefect, but before reaching his post he was further demoted and made assistant prefect of Yongzhou. While there he worked harder than ever, studying and writing essays. He stored his mind with learning till his knowledge was limitless, and took his pleasure among the hills and streams.
Part Two
He and other demoted officials were called back to the capital During Yuanhe period under the reign of Emperor Tang Xianzhong. But due to strong repulsion from someone in power，soon he was again demoted to be Cishi in Liuzhou，a remote and primitive area inhabited mostly by minorities. Arriving at the post，he sighed with some aspiration:“Well, so what ? Isn’t here the very place for me to go all out to achieve something?”Then he issued regulations eliminating social evils in line with local customs aiming to educate the people about freedom. He gained popular trust among the people of Liuzhou . It had been a practice in Liuzhou that poor people could borrow money from the rich when their children became a pledge under a contract，writing that if the debtor could not pay back the money in the due time ，by the time the interest has acrrued to the same amount as the debt ，the creditor will have the children as slaves. During his government he made every effort help the poor get their children redeemed .
For those impoverished，he demanded the creditor to record how much money the child slaves had earned in pledge. On the day when that amount of money could offset the debt，the children must be set free. After a year’s practice the number of those who returned home free from slavery amounted to around 1000 after the Guanchashi introduced the practice to other places. Those candidates of the imperial civil service examination south of Heng Moutain and the Xiang River all regarded him as their teacher in admiration. The essays that had come out through his personal instruction showed a standard of excellence both in style and diction.
Liu Mengde of Zhongshan county was one among the other officials who were calld backed to the capital with Liu Zihou but soon demoted again. On hearing the news that Liu Mengde was demoted to be Cishi in Bozhou, he came to tears and said:“Bozhou is totally a hell to live in, surprisingly remote and poverty stricken. What’s more, Mengde’s mother is still living and needs care. I can’t stand aside and see him in misery. He has no way to tell his mother about his embarrassment. Undoubtedly his mother should not go with him to suffer the torture in that hell .” He planned to submit an appeal to the court, pleading that he would like to go to Bozhou instead of Mengde and would be willing to risk his life if he would offend his Majesty. However, It happened that someone else had made Mengde’s plight known to the emperor, and he was demoted to be Cishi in Lianzhou,a better palce than Bozhou.
Alas ! Only when a man is in poverty can he manifests moral integrity and loyalty. In our life we see some people admire and flatter each other, seeming intimate when they feast and make merry together. They talked big with forced smile and behaved as inferiors. They seem to be willing to bare their hearts to each other, swearing to heaven that they will never betray each other with tears running down. They look sincere indeed. But once there is a clash of interests between them, no matter how tiny the crash is, they will turn againt each other. If a friend falls into a well, they would not give a hand to save him. Instead, they will seize the opportunity to push him down and drop stones on his head. Such people are to be found everywhere! They will think it wise enough to do the things that even beasts and savages distain, They should feel ashamed when they hear how noble Zihou is !
附原文：
柳子厚墓志铭
韩 愈
（一）
子厚讳宗。七世祖庆，为拓跋魏侍中，封济阴公。曾伯祖奭，为唐宰相，与褚遂良、韩瑗俱得罪武后，死高宗朝。皇考讳镇，以事母弃太常博士，求为县令江南。其后以不能媚权贵，失御史；权贵人死，及复拜侍御史。号为刚直，所与游皆当世名人。
子厚少精敏，无不通达。逮其父时，虽少年，已自成人，能取进士第，崭然见头角。众谓柳氏有子矣。其后以博学宏词，授集贤殿正字，俊杰廉悍，议论证据今古，出入经史百子，踔厉风发，率常屈其座人，名声大振，一时皆慕与之交。诸公要人争欲令出我门下，交口荐誉之。
贞元十九年，由蓝田尉拜监察御史。顺宗即位，拜礼部员外郎。遇用事者得罪，例出为刺史。未至，又例贬州司马。居闲益自刻苦，务记览。为词章泛滥停蓄，为深博无涯涘，而自肆于山水间。
（二）
元和中，尝例召至京师，又偕出为刺史，而子厚得柳州。既至，叹日：“是岂不中为政邪？”因其土俗，为设教禁，州人顺赖。其俗以男女质钱，约不时赎，子本相侔，则没为奴婢。子厚与设方针，悉令赎归。其尤贫力不能者，令书其佣，足相当，则使归其质。观察使下其法于他州，比一岁。免而归者且千人。衡、湘以南为进士者，皆以子厚为师。其经承子厚口讲指画为文词者，悉有法度可观。
其召至京师而复为刺史也，中山刘梦得禹锡亦在遣中，当诣播州。子厚泣曰：“播州非人所居，而梦得亲在堂。吾不忍梦得之穷，无辞以白其大人，且万无母子俱往理。”请于朝，将拜疏，愿以柳易播，虽重得罪，死不恨。遇有以梦得事白上者，梦得于是改刺连州。呜呼！士穷乃见节义。今夫平居里巷相慕悦，酒食游戏相征逐，诩诩强笑语以相取下，握手出肺肝以示，指天曰涕泣，誓生死不相背负，真若可信。一旦临小利害，仅如毛发比，反眼若不相识；落陷阱，不一引手救，反挤之，又下石焉者，皆是也。此宜禽兽夷狄所不忍为，而其人自视以为得计，闻子厚之风，亦可以少愧矣！
|
|
发表于 2011-4-12 20:08:44