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《千字文》为南朝周兴嗣所编，自问世以来，一直是我国广为流传的一部蒙学读物，是中国传统文化的一个组成部分。它文笔优美，辞藻华丽，傲世千年。全文共250句，每四字一行，字不重复，句句押韵。前后贯通，内容有条不紊地介绍了天文、自然、修身养性、人伦道德、地理、历史、农耕、祭祀、园艺、饮食起居等各个方面。 这样的一部中华奇书可否译为英文且保留原文的风格呢？以英语四词对译汉语四字，且押韵合辙而无一词重复，这是对译者乃至译理的最大挑战。然而，赵译竟然闯关成功，不得不嫉妒译神对它的偏爱。 这大概是稀世极品了吧！
tiān dì xuán huáng 天地玄黄 yǔ zhòu hóng huāng 宇宙洪荒 rì yuè yíng zè 日月盈昃 chén xiù liè zhāng 辰宿列张
Formless, Heaven and Earth, Chaotic, Cosmos near dearth! Suns, moons circularly ran; Stars there twinkling began.
泰初，天地尚未成型，宇宙形成于混沌蒙昧的状态之中。然后，太阳、月亮与星星相继出现了。太阳正了又斜，月亮圆了又缺，星辰布满于浩瀚无边的太空。万事万物都处于运动之中。 In the beginning, formless were Heaven and Earth, and the universe was in a chaotic state. Then suns, moons and stars appeared. Suns and moons began to run circularly, and stars began twinkling in the boundless space. Everything was in motion.
hán lái shǔ wǎng 寒来暑往 qiū shōu dōng cáng 秋收冬藏 rùn yú chéng suì 闰馀成岁 lǜ lǚ tiáo yang 律吕调阳
Cold coming, heat gone; Autumn, doing; winter, done. Leap years betimes fare; Balance makes creatures pair.
一年四季循环往复，来了又去，去了又来；秋天收割庄稼，冬天储藏粮食。古人据此规律发明了历法，一年12个月，365天。积累数年的闰余合并成一个月，放在闰年里；古人用六律六吕来调节阴阳，分化出24个节气。天地位焉，万物育焉。 Seasons recycle as is set by nature. When cold winter comes, the heat of summer is gone. Autumn is a season when people are busy harvesting, and winter is a time when everything has been done. Based on this, the ancients invented what we call the Lunar Calendar, 12 moons, 365 days a year. And in due course, there appear leap years. And the moons are further divided into 24 solar terms based on the movement of Shade and Shine. Everything is well balanced like the tunes of a harp, and all creatures are made to pair, male and female.
yún téng zhì yǔ 云腾致雨 lù jié wéi shuāng 露结为霜 jīn shēng lí shuǐ 金生丽水 yù chū kūn gāng 玉出昆冈
Clouds cause rain aloft, Dew freezes, now frost. Gold neath Bellewater hides; Jade midst Queenalps abides.
大自然真是奥秘无穷。云气上升遇到冷空气就形成了雨，夜里露水遇到冷空气便凝结成了霜。泱泱中华，天华物宝，各从其类，各得其所。比如，黄金产在金沙江，玉石出在昆仑岗。 The great nature is mysterious. Clouds appear and turn into rain when it gets cold; dew becomes frost at night when it is cold. Great China is a treasure house. Things appear where they are, according to their kind. For example, you can find gold in Bellewater, which is better known as the Goldsand River and you can find jade in Queenalps, that is, the Kunlun Mountains.
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