Author: Thomas

中文原文﹕

嶺外音書絕，
經冬復立春。
近鄉情更怯，
不敢問來人。

英文翻譯 / English Translation﹕

Separated by mountain ranges, I was deprived of words from home,
Winter passed and spring came, over and again.
As I cross the Han River, the impending homecoming unnerves me so,
So much so I shy away from asking about my homeland of the locals.

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中文原文﹕

松下問童子，
言師采藥去。
只在此山中，
雲深不知處。

英文翻譯 / English Translation﹕

Under pine trees I asked a pupil of your whereabouts,
Who mentioned his master has gone to gather herbs.
Somewhere in the mountain you were for certain,
Uncertain was where among the deep cloud cover you were.

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中文原文﹕

向晚意不適，
驅車登古原。
夕陽無限好，
只是近黃昏。

英文翻譯 / English Translation﹕

Evening approaches finding my spirit indisposed,
So I rode a buggy up the historic site.
Sunset is ever so beautiful,
Regrettably as dusk fades, impends night.

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中文原文﹕

故國三千里，
深宮二十年。
一聲何滿子，
雙淚落君前。

英文翻譯 / English Translation﹕

Being thousands of miles away from home,
Kept for twenty years in the palace she has been.
Upon hearing a folk song of her region,
Tears come streaming down both her cheeks.

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中文原文﹕

綠螘新醅酒，
紅泥小火爐。
晚來天欲雪，
能飲一杯無？

英文翻譯 / English Translation﹕

I have some recently fermented wine,
The small terracotta pot stove is warm and inviting.
There's a feeling of snow coming after dark,
Would you like to join me for a drink tonight?

.

中文原文﹕

寥落古行宮，
宮花寂寞紅。
白頭宮女在，
閒坐說玄宗。

英文翻譯 / English Translation﹕

Inside the neglected summer palace walls,
Peonies are still glamorously red but without admirers.
Court maids remain though their hair has turned grey,
Chatting about the good old days when Emperor Xuanzong came to reside.

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中文原文﹕

千山鳥飛絕，
萬徑人蹤滅；
孤舟蓑笠翁，
獨釣寒江雪。

英文翻譯 / English Translation﹕

Hundreds of hills see not a bird flying by,
Thousands of paths bear not a footprint in sight;
One lone boat carries an old man in a bamboo hat and straw cloak,
In solitude in the river in the snow he angles in the cold.

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中文原文﹕

昨夜裙帶解，
今朝蟢子飛。
鉛華不可棄，
莫是藁砧歸。

英文翻譯 / English Translation﹕

Last night my girdle came undone by itself,
This morning around me flew moths; both are signs of expecting.
Therefore I shan't be neglectful with my rouge,
For perhaps my master may be returning home presently.

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中文原文﹕

三日入廚下，
洗手作羹湯。
未諳姑食性，
先遣小姑嘗。

英文翻譯 / English Translation﹕

On Day Three of my marriage I enter the kitchen,
I wash my hands to a soup prepare.
As I am not yet familiar with my parents-in-law's culinary likings,
I shall ask my sister-in-law to savour first.

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中文原文﹕

鳴箏金粟柱，
素手玉房前。
欲得周郎顧，
時時誤拂弦。

英文翻譯 / English Translation﹕

She plays the strings strung between shiny copper frets,
On the instrument her hands of delicate pale-skin strum and stroke.
Hoping to this learned handsome patron's attention draw,
Time and again she plucks a wrong note.

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