兰亭集序是中国晋代（公元353年），书圣王羲之在浙江绍兴兰渚山下以文会友，写出“天下第一行书”，也称《兰亭序》、《临河序》、《禊帖》、《三月三日兰亭诗序》等。公元353年4月（晋永和九年三月初三日，距今已1667年），时任会稽内史的王羲之与友人谢安、孙绰等四十一人在会稽山阴的兰亭雅集，饮酒赋诗。王羲之将这些诗赋辑成一集，并作序一篇，记述流觞曲水一事，并抒写由此而引发的内心感慨。这篇序文就是《兰亭集序》。并挥写了一篇《兰亭集序》。唐太宗对他推崇备至，曾亲撰《晋书》中的《王羲之传论》，推颂为“尽善尽美”。还将临摹本分赐贵戚近臣，并以真迹殉葬。

王羲之·《兰亭集序》

永和九年，岁在癸丑，暮春之初，会于会稽山阴之兰亭，修禊事也。群贤毕至，少长咸集。此地有崇山峻岭，茂林修竹，又有清流激湍，映带左右。引以为流觞曲水，列坐其次。虽无丝竹管弦之盛，一觞一咏，亦足以畅叙幽情。是日也，天朗气清，惠风和畅。仰观宇宙之大，俯察品类之盛，所以游目骋怀，足以极视听之娱，信可乐也。

夫人之相与，俯仰一世。或取诸怀抱，晤言一室之内；或因寄所托，放浪形骸之外。虽趣舍万殊，静躁不同，当其欣于所遇，暂得于己，快然自足，曾不知老之将至。及其所之既倦，情随事迁，感慨系之矣。向之所欣，俯仰之间，已为陈迹，犹不能不以之兴怀。况修短随化，终期于尽。古人云，“死生亦大矣。”岂不痛哉！

每览昔人兴感之由，若合一契，未尝不临文嗟悼，不能喻之于怀。固知一死生为虚诞，齐彭殇为妄作。后之视今，亦犹今之视昔。悲夫！故列叙时人，录其所述。虽世殊事异，所以兴怀，其致一也。后之览者，亦将有感于斯文。

Prologue to the Collection of Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion

Wang Xizhi

At the beginning of the late spring in the ninth year of Yonghe1, that is, the year of Guichou according to the lunar calendar, a group of learned scholars, old and young, are gathered at the Orchid Pavilion in the Shanyin County of Kuaiji Prefecture2 to celebrate the festival of Xi3. Here are high mountains and lofty ridges which are overgrown with tall bamboo groves and dense forests. A clear stream with a rapidly running current that winds like a belt, shining in the bright sun, is ideal for floating wine vessels4. We sit by the water in proper order, sipping wine and composing poems. Though lacking musical accompaniment, each of us is inclined to pour forth his innermost feelings. It is a fine day. The sky is clear and the breeze is gentle. Looking upward, we see the great expanse of the universe. Looking downward, we see the great variety of living things. Then we look around as far as the eyes can see and feel elated, enjoying ourselves to the utmost both visually and aurally. What a delightful experience it is!

When friends get together, time flies as quickly as if a lifetime were spent in the twinkling of an eye. Some engage in intimate conversations in the room, baring their hearts to each other, others identify themselves with what they like and abandon themselves to unrestrained joy. Though people may differ in their choices or temperaments, they invariably find temporary contentment, when they come upon something that delights them. They are so happy that they even forget they will be old soon. However, one's taste changes and soon one is bored with what one once liked. Then one cannot help but sign deeply with emotion. It saddens me to think that the happiness we are enjoying at this moment will be a bygone thing at another moment, not to mention that we are subject to the natural law and that we will eventually perish. The wise man5 in ancient times said, "The problem of life and death is a matter of vital importance." Isn't it depressing to think of that?

I have noticed whatever stirred up the emotions and feelings in the ancients also calls forth the same emotions and feelings in me, as if the ancients and I were the two halves of a deed6. I have been perplexed as to why the writings of the ancients always make me sign with grief, though I know that it is absurd to identify life with death and long life with early death7. Alas! Our descendants will look upon us just as we look upon our forefathers. So I am listing the names of the people present at this gathering and the poems they have composed. Though times will change and things will be different in the future, the cause of their emotions and feelings will be the same as ours. I hope future readers would empathize with this writing of mine.

（罗经国 译）

Preface to the Lanting Collection

At the beginning of the late spring in the ninth year of the Yonghe period, which corresponded to year Kuichou, we gathered at Lanting of Shanyin County in Kuaiji Prefecture to have festivities at the waterside to abate ill omens. All people of quality, both young and old, met on this occasion. The place was surrounded by sublime, high mountains clad with luxuriant forests and shapely bamboos, in addition to a limpid stream with swift rapids, which foiled each other in the whole scenic beauty. We used the sinuous brook for passing the floating cups and sat in order along its banks. Though we had not lutes or flutes for music, yet one cup of wine accompanied with the chanting of one poem was sufficient to make us air our deep feelings. That day the sky was serene, the air bracing and the wind benign. Looking up, we perceived the immensity of the universe and, looking down, we observed the great multiplicity of nature's species, thus broadening our view, giving the reins to our minds, and feasting our eyes and ears to the full. It was indeed a great happiness.

With regard to the friendly association of people during their brief lives, it might take the form of unbosoming themselves by conversing in a room, or abandoning themselves to things they love, reveling without constraint. The choices are so widely apart, and the temperaments in terms of quiet or boisterous behaviours are most different. When people are glad of their situations and feel contentment with their temporary gains, they are unaware of the approaching old age. But when they are tired of what they pursue as their feelings change with circumstances, then they are filled with melancholy. The things which they used to court with a gay heart become stale in an instant, but not without stirring up their sentiments. Besides, their spans of life, be they long or short, are decided by Providence and converge eventually to a common finish. An ancient said, "Life and death are matters of great magnitude." How could they not be afflicted with sorrow?

Whenever I scrutinized the causes of the ancients' airing their sentiments, I found that they tallied exactly with each other, and did not fail to sign with grief upon perusal of their writings, though I was not clear about the reason. I know for certain that to identify life with death is fallacious and to equate longevity to brief life is nonsensical. Men in the future will look upon us mortals in the same light as we look upon men in the past. How sad it must be! Therefore, I have listed the names of the people present on the occasion and edited their writings for the benefit of our posterity. Although times and circumstances may differ from one another, the feelings underlying their unbosoming themselves are the same. The future readers are thus expected to be moved by this article.

（谢百魁 译）

A Sketch of the Gathering at Orchid Arbour

At the beginning of late spring in the ninth year of Yong-he when the primordial signs of the calendar combine as Gui-chou, we meet at Orchid Arbour in the xian Shanyin of Guiji fu for washing off ill luck. All the virtuous come to meet here, the youthful as well as the elderly. Here there are noble mountains and precipitous cliffs, dense forests and tall bamboo groves, with limpid streams and torrential rapids flashing on the right and left. To sit by the side of the tortuous currents and empty the beakers, even though without the sounding of musical instruments, a mere drinking accompanied by the composition of poetry would be enough to exchange and interfuse our heartfelt feelings fro one another.

On this day, the sky is resplendent and the air serene, the beneficent breezes are graciously temperate. Looking ahead aloft, one sees the macrocosm of the universe and gazing downward, observes the multiplicity of the earthly existence, thus to extend one's eyesight, and quicken one's imagination for heightening to the top limit one's wits: what bounteous delight this is!

For what men have to do with their fellows during their lifetimes, either fetched from their bosoms and discussed with others in certain rooms or taken from their apprehension and cast abroad far beyond their corporal frames, although what they adopt or reject are multifariously divergent, being variously different in quietude and tumult, — so when they are glad of what they have come across, well-contented with their state of being so far, living happily in their good fortune, without knowing that old age would soon descend upon them; and when they are tired of the past, their feelings undergo a metamorphosis as the result of the changed state of affairs and sentient responses are produced thereof.

What was acclaimed in the past has become during one's looking ahead up and down things of bygone days; yet one could not help being deeply moved in feelings while touching them in reality. What is more, the length and shortness of life depend on Nature's decree; they would sooner or later reach finality. As the ancient saying (by Confucius) has it —momentous is the matter of life and death: how awfully painful it is ! Whenever we examine the occasion on which notable people of the past heaved their feelings in one accord, we cannot but notice that never one of them but was full of signs and lamentations on the subject and could not set it free from their inmost parts. Thence it could be concluded that to identify life and death is sheer nonsense and to equalize Peng Zu and a dead stripling is a sorry jest. Our succeeding generations would look on us as we do on the past, ala! Therefore, we delineate the participants of our gathering and note down their compositions at this conjuncture. Though the world of our succeeding generations would be different from ours and their affairs unlike ours, their sentiments about life and death would be the same as those we cherish. The future readers of this sketch would be sentiment of this brief piece.

（孙大雨 译）

At the Orchid Pavilion

Wang Shichih

This is the ninth year of Yungho (353 A.D.), kueichou in the cycle. We met in late spring at the Orchid Pavilion in Shanyin to celebrate the Water Festival.

All the scholar friends are gathered, and there is a goodly mixture of old and young. In the background lie high peaks and deep forests. While a clear, gurgling brook catches the light to the right and to the left. We then arrange ourselves, sitting on its bank, drinking in succession form the goblet as it floats down the stream .No music is provided, but with drinking and with song, our hearts are gay and at ease. It is a clear spring day with a mild, caressing breeze. The vast universe, throbbing with life, lies spread before us, entertaining the eye and pleasing the spirit and all the senses. It is perfect.

Now when men come together, they let their thoughts travel to the past and present. Some enjoy a quiet conversation indoors and others play about outdoors, occupied with what they love. The forms of amusement differ according to temperaments, but when each has found what he wants, he is happy and never feels old. Then as time passes on and one is tired of his pursuits, it seems that what fascinated him not so long ago has become a mere memory. What a thought! Besides, whether individually we live a long life or not, we all return to nothingness. The ancient regarded death as the great question. Is it not sad to think of it?

I often thought that the people of the past lived and felt exactly as we of today. Whenever I read their writing, I felt this way and was seized with its pathos. It is cool comfort to say that life and death are different phases of the same thing and that a long span of life or a short one does not matter. Alas! The people of the future will look upon us as we look upon those who have gone before us. Hence I have recorded here those present and what they said. Ages may pass and times may change, but the human sentiments will be the same; I know that future readers who set their eyes upon these words will be affected in the same way.

（林语堂 译）

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