杂文 Miscellaneous Essays
智术之子，博雅之人，藻溢于辞，辩盈乎气。苑囿文情，故日新殊致。The descendants of the wise and the erudite, those of refined taste, are replete with refined expressions and full of argumentative vigor. They cultivate literary sentiments in their minds, thus presenting new and unique styles every day.
聪明才智、博学高雅的人，他们的言辞富有文采，他们的气质充满着才华，所以在写作上赋采抒情，能不断取得各种不同的新成就。
宋玉含才，颇亦负俗，始造对问，以申其志，放怀寥廓，气实使文。Song Yu, being talented, was rather unconventional. He first created the form of "Dialogue" to express his aspirations, allowing his mind to roam freely in the vast expanse, and his spirit truly enlivened his writing.
楚国宋玉才高，颇为一般人所不理解，首先写作了《对楚王问》，用以表白他的高志；舒展其胸怀于辽阔的太空，正是凭着气质来支配文辞。
及枚乘攡艳，首制《七发》，腴辞云构，夸丽风骇。Then Mei Cheng created the resplendent "Seven Stimuli", with elaborate and flowery words piling up like clouds, and its magnificent and startling style.
到汉初枚乘进行艳丽的描写，开始创作了《七发》，丰富的文采，如彩云结成，华丽的描写，像和风四起。人的眼耳口鼻所引起的，是各种各样的嗜欲；
盖七窍所发，发乎嗜欲，始邪末正，所以戒膏粱之子也。For what is expressed through the seven apertures of man stems from desires, starting with the improper and ending with the proper, thus admonishing the sons of the wealthy and noble.
《七发》开始讲不正当的嗜欲，最后讲正当的愿望，是为了用以告戒贵族子弟。
扬雄覃思文阁，业深综述，碎文琐语，肇为《连珠》，其辞虽小而明润矣。Yang Xiong pondered deeply in the literary pavilion, with profound achievements in comprehensive writing. He initiated the "Linked Pearls" with fragmented and trifling words, yet its expressions are clear and polished.
曾经在天禄阁进行深入思考的扬雄，擅长于深刻的著述；他用一些短小零碎的文辞，最早写了《连珠》，这种作品虽较短小，却具有明快润泽的特点。
凡此三者，文章之枝派，暇豫之末造也。All these three are branches and tributaries of literary works, and the products of leisure and amusement.
以上三种文体，是文章的支流，闲暇时用以为娱的次要作品。
自《对问》以后，东方朔效而广之，名为《客难》，托古慰志，疏而有辨。Since the "Dialogue", Dongfang Shuo followed suit and expanded it, naming it "The Guest's Question", consoling his own aspirations by referring to the ancients, being sparse yet discerning.
从宋玉写了《对问》以后，西汉东方朔仿效写作并加以扩大，写成了叫做《答客难》的作品；借托古人来安慰自己的情志，虽然写得粗疏，对自己的思想却有较好的辨析。
扬雄《解嘲》，杂以谐谑，回环自释，颇亦为工。Yang Xiong's "Mocking Myself" was mixed with humor and banter, explaining himself in a circular way, and was also quite skillfully written.
扬雄所写《解嘲》，其中夹杂一些诙谐嬉笑的话，为自己反复辩解，写得也还不错。
班固《宾戏》，含懿采之华；崔骃《达旨》，吐典言之裁；Ban Gu's "The Guest's Play" contained the elegance of splendid beauty; Cui Yin's "Expressing the Purport" presented the style of solemn utterances;
东汉班固的《答宾戏》，具有美好的文采；崔骃的《达旨》，表达了符合常道的体制；
张衡《应间》，密而兼雅；崔寔《答讥》，整而微质；蔡邕《释诲》，体奥而文炳；Zhang Heng's "Answering the Question" was both meticulous and elegant; Cui Shi's "Answering the Ridicule" was neat and slightly plain; Cai Yong's "Dispelling the Delusion" had a profound style and brilliant writing;
张衡的《应间》，写得严密而雅正；崔寔的《答讥》，写得较为齐整却略微质朴；蔡邕的《释诲》，内容深刻而文辞明亮；
景纯《客傲》，情见而采蔚：虽迭相祖述，然属篇之高者也。Guo Pu's "The Guest's Arrogance" showed rich emotions and lush beauty: Although they successively imitated their predecessors, they were among the excellent works.
东晋郭璞的《客傲》，情志鲜明而文采丰富：以上各家虽是相互摹仿，但都是这方面写得较好的作者。
至于陈思《客问》，辞高而理疏；庾敳《客咨》，意荣而文悴。斯类甚众，无所取才矣。As for Chen Si's "The Guest's Question", its expressions were lofty but its reasoning was loose; Yu Ai's "The Guest's Consultation", its ideas were splendid but its writing was dull. There are many such works, and there is nothing worthy of note.
此外如陈思的《问客》，文辞不错而内容疏略；庾骃的《客咨》，内容较强而文辞太弱。像这样的作品还很多，已没有什么可取的成就了。
原夫兹文之设，乃发愤以表志。Originally, the creation of such works was to express one's aspirations out of indignation.
本来这种文体的创立，是为了抒发内心的烦闷，从而表达作者的情志。
身挫凭乎道胜，时屯寄于情泰，莫不渊岳其心，麟凤其采，此立体之大要也。When one's body is frustrated, one relies on the victory of the Tao; when the times are troubled, one entrusts one's feelings to tranquility. All of them have hearts as profound as mountains and rivers, and their writing is as splendid as the unicorn and the phoenix. This is the essential point of establishing the style.
无论是在作者不顺利时借以表现其高尚的道德，或是在困难时寄寓其泰然的心情，都要有高深的思想，奇特的文采，这就是这种文体的主要写作特点。
自《七发》以下，作者继踵，观枚氏首唱，信独拔而伟丽矣。Since the "Seven Stimuli", authors have followed in succession. Looking at Mei Cheng's pioneering work, it is truly outstanding and magnificent.
从枚乘写了《七发》以后，这种文体的作者继续不断。枚乘首先写的《七发》，看来真是超群出众、十分壮丽了。
及傅毅《七激》，会清要之工；崔骃《七依》，入博雅之巧；张衡《七辨》，结采绵靡；Then Fu Yi's "Seven Inspirations" combined the craftsmanship of clarity and refinement; Cui Yin's "Seven Dependences" incorporated the ingenuity of erudition and elegance; Zhang Heng's "Seven Discriminations" had a continuous and delicate style of writing;
到东汉傅毅的《七激》，会聚了明白而简要的优点；崔骃的《七依》，写成广博而雅正的妙文；张衡的《七辩》，文采柔和而细致；
崔瑗《七苏》，植义纯正；陈思《七启》，取美于宏壮；仲宣《七释》，致辨于事理。Cui Yuan's "Seven Soothings" had a pure and upright meaning; Chen Si's "Seven Invitations" was praised for its grandeur; Wang Can's "Seven Explanations" was excellent in discerning matters of principle.
崔瑗的《七苏》，立义纯正；曹植的《七启》，在宏伟壮丽上取胜；王粲的《七释》，致力于对事理的辨析。
自桓麟《七说》以下，左思《七讽》以上，枝附影从，十有馀家。From Huan Lin's "Seven Sayings" onwards and up to Zuo Si's "Seven Satirical Poems", there were more than ten others who followed like branches attached to the trunk or shadows following the body.
从汉末桓麟写《七说》以后，到西晋左思的《七讽》之前，其间摹仿学习写过这种文体的，还有十多家。
或文丽而义暌，或理粹而辞驳。观其大抵所归，莫不高谈宫馆，壮语畋猎。Some had beautiful writing but deviated from the meaning, while some had pure reasoning but disorderly expressions. Looking at their general tendency, they all talked loftily about palaces and halls, and boasted grandly about hunting.
他们的作品，有的文辞华丽而内容不正确，有的内容精粹，却又文辞杂乱。从这种文体的大概趋向来看，不外是高谈宫室的壮丽，大写田猎的盛况。
穷瑰奇之服馔，极蛊媚之声色。甘意摇骨髓，艳词洞魂识，虽始之以淫侈，而终之以居正。They described the most magnificent clothes and food, and the most alluring sounds and colors. The pleasant feelings shook one's bones and marrow, and the flowery words penetrated one's soul and consciousness. Although they began with extravagance, they ended with propriety.
尽量描绘衣服饮食的珍奇，极力形容音乐美女的动人；美好的用意感人至深，艳丽的文辞惊心动魄；虽然以夸张的描写开始，以谏正的用意结束。
然讽一劝百，势不自反。子云所谓“犹骋郑卫之声，曲终而奏雅”者也。However, with one satire against a hundred encouragements, the trend could not be reversed. This is what Yang Xiong meant by "It is like playing the music of Zheng and Wei, and only playing the elegant music at the end of the piece".
但正面的讽谏太少而反面的劝诱过多，这种趋势已不能返回。正如扬雄所说：这是首先“大肆宣扬郑国和卫国的淫乐，曲子末了才缀以典正的雅乐”。
唯《七苏》叙贤，归以儒道，虽文非拔群，而意实卓尔矣。Only the "Seven Soothings" narrated the worthy and returned to the Confucian way. Although its writing was not outstanding, its meaning was truly remarkable.
只有崔瑗的《七苏》，叙述贤明而归结于儒家之道，虽然文辞不很突出，但意义是卓越的。
自《连珠》以下，拟者间出。杜笃、贾逵之曹，刘珍、潘勖之辈，欲穿明珠，多贯鱼目。Since the "Linked Pearls", imitators have emerged from time to time. Du Du, Jia Kui and others, Liu Zhen, Pan Xu and their ilk, wanted to string pearls but mostly strung fish eyes instead.
从扬雄写了《连珠》以后，摹拟这种作品的也偶有出现。如东汉的杜笃、贾逵之辈，刘珍、潘勖之流，虽然想穿明“珠”，却往往是连贯的鱼眼睛。
可谓寿陵匍匐，非复邯郸之步；里丑捧心，不关西施之颦矣。It can be said that they were like the man from Shouling who crawled on the ground, no longer having the steps of Handan; or like the ugly woman in the village who clutched her heart, having nothing to do with Xi Shi's frown.
这就正如去邯郸学走路的寿陵人，他爬着回去，当然不是邯郸人的走法；学西施心痛时皱眉的丑女，她捧着心装做心痛的样子，也和西施皱眉头的美态毫不相干了。
唯士衡运思，理新文敏，而裁章置句，广于旧篇，岂慕朱仲四寸之珰乎！Only Lu Ji thought deeply, with novel ideas and quick writing. And in terms of arranging chapters and sentences, he was more extensive than the previous works. Was he perhaps admiring Zhu Zhong's four-inch earring?
只有陆机所写《演连珠》，道理新颖，文辞敏捷；但在篇章字句的处理上，却比过去的篇幅扩大得多。这岂不是羡慕仙人朱仲的四寸大珠！
夫文小易周，思闲可赡。足使义明而词净，事圆而音泽，磊磊自转，可称珠耳。For a short piece of writing is easy to be comprehensive, and with leisure thinking it can be rich. It is sufficient to make the meaning clear and the words clean, the events complete and the sound smooth, revolving clearly, and thus can be called a pearl.
这种文体比较短小，易于写得紧凑，经过深思熟虑，就能写得内容丰富。必须把意义表达明显而又文词简净，事理完备而又音韵和谐，好像许多圆石转动不已，这就可以叫做“珠”了。
详夫汉来杂文，名号多品。或典诰誓问，或览略篇章，或曲操弄引，或吟讽谣咏。Looking closely at the miscellaneous essays since the Han Dynasty, they have many different names. Some are canons, edicts, oaths, questions; some are overviews, summaries, chapters, sections; some are tunes, preludes, introductions; some are chants, recitations, ballads, odes.
仔细考察从汉代以来的杂文，名称类别甚多。有的叫典、诰、誓、问，有的叫览、略、篇、章，有的叫曲、操、弄、引，有的叫吟、讽、谣、咏等等。
总括其名，并归杂文之区；甄别其义，各入讨论之域。类聚有贯，故不曲述也。Summarizing their names, they all belong to the category of miscellaneous essays; distinguishing their meanings, they each enter the domain of discussion. Since they are grouped by category and have a connection, there is no need to detail them further.
总括这些名目，都属于杂文一类。审查其不同的意义，可以分别归入有关文体中去讨论；因为要对各种有联系的文体分类集中论述，所以这里不作详论。
赞曰 总结：Eulogy:
伟矣前修，学坚才饱。负文馀力，飞靡弄巧。How great were the predecessors! With solid learning and ample talent. With the remaining strength of writing, they flaunted their refinement and displayed their ingenuity.
前代优秀作者真是伟大，学识雄厚，才能高超。他们以从事写作的余力，舞文弄墨，写得优美奇巧。
枝辞攒映，嚖若参昴。慕颦之心，于焉只搅。The branching expressions gathered and shone, glittering like the stars of Shen and Mao. The heart of admiration and imitation was thus stirred up.
各种杂文相互辉映，好像小小的群星照耀。可是后来摹仿者的作品，就只有令人心烦意扰！
