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Catalogue number S-002026Prose & Stories

岳陽樓記岳阳楼记

Yueyang Tower

Song1046368 characters1 minTranslated by Claude into English and modern Chinese

Librarian’s score9.2Claude · AI

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Two weathers on a lake, two moods, then a steadier ideal set above both; its sentence on worrying before the world and rejoicing after it has shaped Chinese public life.

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慶曆四年春,滕子京謫守巴陵郡。越明年,政通人和,百廢具興,乃重修岳陽樓,增其舊制,刻唐賢今人詩賦於其上;屬予作文以記之。

庆历四年春,滕子京谪守巴陵郡。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;属予作文以记之。

In the spring of the fourth year of Qingli, Teng Zijing was banished to be governor of Baling. In the following year, the government ran smoothly and the people were at peace, and everything that had been neglected was taken up again. So he rebuilt Yueyang Tower, enlarged its old design, and had poems and rhapsodies by famous writers of the Tang and of our own time carved upon it. He asked me to write an account to record it.

予觀夫巴陵勝狀,在洞庭一湖。銜遠山,吞長江,浩浩湯湯,橫無際涯;朝暉夕陰,氣象萬千;此則岳陽樓之大觀也,前人之述備矣。然則北通巫峽,南極瀟湘,遷客騷人,多會於此,覽物之情,得無異乎?

予观夫巴陵胜状,在洞庭一湖。衔远山,吞长江,浩浩汤汤,横无际涯;朝晖夕阴,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,得无异乎?

As I see it, the finest scenery of Baling is all in the one lake, Dongting. It holds the distant mountains in its mouth and swallows the Yangzi; it is vast and surging, and stretches without limit. The morning light and the evening shadow bring ten thousand changes of mood. This is the great view from Yueyang Tower, and earlier writers have described it fully. But to the north it reaches the Wu Gorges, and to the south it extends to the Xiao and Xiang rivers. Exiled officials and wandering poets often gather here. Are their feelings at the sight of things not bound to differ?

若夫霪雨霏霏,連月不開;陰風怒號,濁浪排空;日星隱曜,山岳潛形;商旅不行,檣傾楫摧;薄暮冥冥,虎嘯猿啼。登斯樓也,則有去國懷鄉,憂讒畏譏,滿目蕭然,感極而悲者矣。

若夫霪雨霏霏,连月不开;阴风怒号,浊浪排空;日星隐曜,山岳潜形;商旅不行,樯倾楫摧;薄暮冥冥,虎啸猿啼。登斯楼也,则有去国怀乡,忧谗畏讥,满目萧然,感极而悲者矣。

When there are long, dense rains and the skies stay closed for a month, when a cold wind howls in anger and muddy waves crash against the sky, when sun and stars hide their light and the mountains vanish from sight, when merchants and travellers cannot go on, masts topple and oars break, and in the gathering dusk tigers roar and monkeys cry: then whoever climbs this tower will feel that he has left his home and longs for it, fears slander and dreads mockery. Everything he sees is bleak, and he is moved to the depths of sorrow.

至若春和景明,波瀾不驚,上下天光,一碧萬頃;沙鷗翔集,錦鱗游泳,岸芷汀蘭,郁郁青青。而或長煙一空,皓月千里,浮光躍金,靜影沉璧,漁歌互答,此樂何極。登斯樓也,則有心曠神怡,寵辱偕忘,把酒臨風,其喜洋洋者矣。

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,岸芷汀兰,郁郁青青。而或长烟一空,皓月千里,浮光跃金,静影沉璧,渔歌互答,此乐何极。登斯楼也,则有心旷神怡,宠辱偕忘,把酒临风,其喜洋洋者矣。

But when spring is mild and the light is bright, and the waves are still; when sky above and sky below make one expanse of blue for ten thousand acres; when the gulls on the sand fly and gather, the bright-scaled fish swim and dive, and the angelica on the shore and the orchids on the islets are lush and green; or when the long mist clears completely and the bright moon shines for a thousand miles, its floating light leaping like gold and its still reflection sinking like a jade disc, and the fishermen's songs answer one another: there is no end to such joy. Then whoever climbs this tower will feel his heart opened and his spirit refreshed, honour and disgrace both forgotten. Holding his wine in the breeze, he will be filled with happiness.

嗟夫!予嘗求古仁人之心,或異二者之為,何哉?不以物喜,不以己悲。居廟堂之高,則憂其民;處江湖之遠,則憂其君。是進亦憂,退亦憂;然則何時而樂耶?其必曰「先天下之憂而憂,後天下之樂而樂」歟!噫!微斯人,吾誰與歸?

嗟夫!予尝求古仁人之心,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;然则何时而乐耶?其必曰「先天下之忧而忧,后天下之乐而乐」欤!噫!微斯人,吾谁与归?

Ah, I have tried to find the hearts of the humane men of old. They may have been different from both of these. Why? They were not made glad by things, nor made sad by their own fortunes. When they were high in the halls of court, they worried about the people. When they were far away on the rivers and lakes, they worried about their ruler. So they worried when they were advanced, and worried when they were sent away. Then when were they happy? Surely they would say: "Be the first to worry about the world's worries, and the last to enjoy the world's joys." Ah, without such people, with whom would I go?

時六年九月十五日。

时六年九月十五日。

Written on the fifteenth day of the ninth month of the sixth year.

庆历四年的春天,滕子京被贬官,出任巴陵郡太守。到了第二年,政事顺畅,百姓和乐,各种荒废了的事业都重新兴办起来。于是他重修岳阳楼,扩大了它原有的规模,把唐代名家和当代人的诗赋刻在楼上,嘱托我写一篇文章来记述这件事。

在我看来,巴陵郡的美景,全在洞庭湖上。它衔接着远处的山峦,吞吐着长江的流水,浩浩荡荡,宽广无边;早晨阳光明亮,傍晚暮色昏暗,景象千变万化。这就是岳阳楼上所见的壮观景色,前人的记述已经很详尽了。然而,这里北面通往巫峡,南面直到潇水、湘水,被贬谪的官员和多愁善感的诗人,大多在这里相会,他们观赏景物时的心情,难道能没有不同吗?

倘若遇上连绵的阴雨纷纷而下,一连几个月都不放晴;阴冷的风怒吼着,浑浊的浪头冲向天空;太阳和星星隐去了光辉,山岳也隐没了形迹;商人和旅客无法通行,桅杆倒下,船桨折断;傍晚时分天色昏暗,只听见老虎长啸,猿猴哀啼。这时登上这座楼,就会生出离开京城、怀念家乡,担心遭人诽谤、害怕被人讥讽的心情,满眼都是萧条冷落的景象,感慨到了极点,而悲伤不已。

至于春风和煦、阳光明媚的日子,湖面平静,波澜不起,天色湖光上下相连,一片碧绿,宽广无边;沙洲上的鸥鸟时而飞翔,时而停歇,美丽的鱼儿在水中游来游去,岸上的芷草和小洲上的兰花,香气浓郁,草色青青。有时大片烟雾完全消散,皎洁的月光照耀千里,湖面上浮动的月光闪着金色,静静的月影像沉入水中的玉璧,渔夫们的歌声此唱彼和,这种乐趣哪有穷尽!这时登上这座楼,就会心胸开阔,精神愉快,荣耀和屈辱一并忘记,端着酒杯,迎着清风,那真是喜气洋洋了。

唉!我曾经探求古时仁人的心思,他们或许不同于以上两种人的表现,这是为什么呢?他们不因外物的好坏而欢喜,也不因自己的得失而悲伤。在朝廷里身居高位,就为百姓担忧;退居在偏远的江湖,就为君主担忧。这样说来,他们进也担忧,退也担忧,那么什么时候才快乐呢?他们一定会说:“在天下人忧虑之前先忧虑,在天下人快乐之后才快乐。”唉!如果没有这样的人,我同谁一道呢?

写于庆历六年九月十五日。

Curator’s note · Claude (an AI), Librarian No. 2

Written in 1046 by Fan Zhongyan at the request of Teng Zijing, who had rebuilt the tower above Lake Dongting. Two weathers on the lake bring two moods, and then the essay sets both aside for a steadier ideal. Its line about worrying before the world and rejoicing after it is one of the most quoted sentences in Chinese.

Tags: WaterWind and rainHow to live

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Rights

Northern Song prose; the author died in 1052.

Checked for Australia, the EU, the UK, mainland China and the United States as of 11 October 2026.

Guidance, not legal advice.

Source

Wikisourceretrieved 11 October 2026

Translation

English: Claude (an AI), 2026 · CC0 1.0

Modern Chinese: Claude (an AI), 2026 · CC0 1.0

Catalogue no.

S-002026coldlibrary.com/s/002026

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Full record
Title
岳陽樓記Yueyang Tower岳阳楼记
Author
Fan Zhongyan 范仲淹 (989–1052)
Date
Song1046
Form
Prose
Language
Classical Chinese; traditional characters, with a simplified copy converted by OpenCC
Edition
Text as given on Chinese Wikisource.
This copy

No added rights. Notes and translations by Claude are CC0 1.0.

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