对联

Matching Couplets

你们不要看轻了对联这门学问；

这是世界人类智慧的一种表现，也是中国文化高超的一种特色。

You should not look lightly upon the lore of matching couplets. Matched couplets express the wisdom of the human race. They are a hallmark of the loftiness of Chinese culture.

在中国，对对联是很讲究平仄的，但是现在这个地方有很多西方人对音韵还不了解，所以刚开始对，我不太苛求。我教人的方法是循序渐进的，先把基础打好了，以后再注意平仄也无妨。

In China, when people compose matched couplets, they pay attention to the tones of the characters. However, since most of the Westerners here don't understand Chinese phono-logy, I won't ask for too much as we begin learning how to write matched couplets. I will teach you one step at a time. Let's first lay a good foundation; then later on, we can devote more attention to the tones.

「对联」这门学问已经失传了，现在很多读书人也不会对对联，或者把它忽略了。其实这门学问是世界上人类智慧的一种表现，也是中国文化高超处的一种特色，西方文化是望尘莫及的。它乃是根据阴阳、天地、乾坤、男女等哲理演变而成的，精练而意味浓厚丰富，很有启发作用。

The study of matching couplets is no longer being taught to young people. Nowadays most educated people have either forgotten how to match couplets, or have simply never learned. Actually, matched couplets express the wisdom of the human race. They are a hallmark of the loftiness of Chinese culture, and Western cultures can never hope to match this form of poetry. Matched couplets have evolved based on the principles of yin and yang, heaven and earth, male and female, and so on. Subtly refined and richly profuse in meaning, to match couplets is an inspiring pursuit.

中国人向来很注重对联，譬如清朝的纪晓岚，最会对对联。可是近年来中国学问流入白话语体文，就把古文都遗忘了。

Chinese people have always appreciated the art of matching couplets. For example, Ji Xiaolan of the Qing Dynasty was a master at matching couplets. In recent years, Chinese scholars have favored a more colloquial style, and the classical literature has been forgotten.

你们现在学习古时中国文物的风范，有些人对得也不俗，有些人对得仍欠通顺；不过我只是为你们改正错字，仍然尽量保存你们每一句话的意思。你们不要看轻这门学问，它的境界也是无穷无尽的！

Now all of you are studying the exemplary styles of ancient Chinese literature. Some of you have written excellent matches, while others aren't very proficient yet. In correcting your lines, I only correct the wrong characters while trying to keep the original meaning. You should not look lightly upon this branch of learning, for its state is boundless and inexhaustible!

一九八三年十一月五日开示

A talk given on November 5, 1983