历代诗、词、曲译成英文，且能押韵自然，功力过人，实为有史以来di一。
    ——顾毓琇，已故美国宾州大学荣誉退休教授
    
    许教授已因其对中国诗歌的韵译而赢得世界性的声誉。
    ——奚如谷，加州大学伯克利分校教授
    
    许教授的《楚辞》英译当算英美文学里的一座高峰。
    ——寇志明，澳大利亚墨尔本大学学者
    
    许译《西厢记》在艺术性和吸引力方面，可以和莎士比亚的《罗密欧与朱丽叶》媲美。
    ——英国智慧女神出版社

许渊冲--诗译英法专家 ，北京大学教授，翻译家。希望这套许氏译本能使英语读者对中国经典诗文也能“知之，好之，乐之”，能够分享孔子、老子的智慧，分享唐诗、宋词、中国古典戏曲的优美，并以此促进东西文化的交流。值得珍藏。许渊冲先生从事翻译工作70年，2010年12月荣获“中国翻译文化终身成就奖”。他被称为将中国诗词译成英法韵文的专家，经他的妙手，许多中国经典诗文被译成出色的英文和法文韵语。这套“中国经典诗文集”就是由他所译，前半部分是英文，后半部分是中文。

Ancient Chinese classic poems are exquisite works of art. As far as 2,000 years ago, Chinese poets composed the beautiful work Book of Poetry and Elegies of the South, Later, they created more splendid Tang poetry and Song lyrics. Such classic works as Thus Spoke the Master and Laws: Divine and Human were extremely significant in building and shaping the culture of the Chinese nation. These works are both a cultural bond linking the thoughts and affections of Chinese people and an important bridge for Chinese culture and the world. Mr. Xu Yuanchong has been engaged in translation for 70 years. In December 2010, he won the Lifetime Achievement Award in Translation conferred by the Translators Association of China (TAC). He is honored as the only expert who translates Chinese poems into both English and French. After his excellent interpretation, many Chinese classic poems have been further refined into perfect English and French rhymes. This collection of Classical Chinese Poetry and Prose gathers his most representative English translations. It includes the classic works Thus Spoke the Master, Laws: Divine and Human and dramas such as Romance of the Western Bower, Dream in Peony Pavilion,  Love in Long-life Hall and Peach Blossom Painted with Blood. The largest part of the collection includes the translation of selected poems from different dynasties. The selection includes various types of poems, lyrics and Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasty songs. The selected works start from the pre-Qin era to the Qing Dynasty, covering almost the entire history of classic poems in China. Reading these works is like tasting "living water from the source" of Chinese culture. We hope this collection will help English readers "know, love and appreciate" Chinese classic poems, share the intelligence of Confucius and Lao Tzu, share the gracefulness of Tang Dynasty poems, Song lyrics and classic operas and songs and promote exchanges between Eastern and Western culture.  This book is one of the 14 books of Classical Chinese Poetry and Prose, a translation of Confucian classics Thus Spoke the Master.

Scene 4 Lute

Master Zhang enters and says:

Rose told me to wait for her Young Mistress to burn incense in the garden and to play my lute so as to see what she will say. I have thought it over and found it reasonable. The night is already dark. Oh, Moon, can’t you come out a little earlier for my sake? Oh, I have heard the drum beat. Oh, I have heard the bell ring.

(He tunes his lute.)

Oh, Lute, my travel companion, on you I depend for the success of tonight’s matter. Oh, Heaven, will you lend me a fair breeze to waft the song of my lute to my Young Lady’s ears carved from jade and moulded of powder?

(Yingying enters with Rose.)

Rose says:

My Young Mistress, let us go to burn incense. How bright the

moon is tonight!

Yingying says:

How can I have the heart to burn incense, Rose? Oh, Moon,

why have you come out?

She sings to the tune of FIGHT OF QUAILS:

Clouds break and clears the sky;

The moon dazzles the eye.

The wind sweeps off red flowers;

They fall in fragrant showers.

The grief to be kept apart

Now and then wrings my heart.

Oh, mother, why should something well begun

Be in the end undone?

He will be now to me but a dream lover dear,

And I shall be to him a beloved picture mere.

Tune: VIOLET FLOWER

I can but long for him in vain;

From talking of him I’ll refrain.

We cannot meet

But in dreams sweet.

A feast was given yesterday;

I fondly thought of my bridal array.

My visions fade:

I raised green sleeves to fill with wine his cup of jade.

How could I know

My mother showed her love

By parting fish from water below

And severing love-birds above!

Rose says:

Look, my Young Mistress, there is a halo around the moon.

It will probably be windy tomorrow.

Yingying says:

Yes, there is a halo around the moon.

She sings to the tune of RED PEACH BLOSSOMS:

A lovely jade-like face

Is locked up within the broidered curtains of lace;

It’s feared to be profaned

By the touch of a mortal hand

第四折 琴 心

（张生上云）红娘教我今夜花园中，待小姐烧香时，把琴心探听他。寻思此言，深有至理。天色晚也，月儿你于我分上，不能早些出来呵。呀，恰早发擂也[1]。呀，恰早撞钟也。（理琴科云）琴呵，小生与足下湖海相随，今日这场大功，都只在你身上！天那，你于我分上，怎生借得一阵轻风，将小生这琴声，送到我那小姐的玉琢成、粉捏就、知音俊俏耳朵里去者！（莺莺引红娘上，红云）小姐，烧香去来，好明月也。（莺莺云）红娘，我有甚心情烧香来？月儿呵，你出来做甚那！

【越调•斗鹌鹑】（莺莺唱）云敛晴空，冰轮乍涌[2]。风扫残红，香阶乱拥。离恨千端，闲愁万种。娘呵！靡不初，鲜有终。他做会影里情郎，我做会画中爱宠。

【紫花儿序】只许心儿空想，口儿闲题，梦儿相逢。昨日个大开东阁，我只道怎生般炮凤烹龙[3]。朦胧，却教我“翠袖殷勤捧玉钟”。要算主人情重。将我雁字排连，着他鱼水难同。

（红云）小姐，你看月阑[4]，明日敢有风也？（莺莺云）呀，果然一个月阑呵。

【小桃红】人间玉容，深锁绣帏中，是怕人搬弄。想嫦娥，西没东生有谁共？怨天公，裴航不作游仙梦。劳你罗帏数重，愁他心动，围住广寒宫。

（红轻咳嗽科）（张生云）是红娘姐咳嗽，小姐来了也！（弹琴科）（莺莺云）红娘，这是甚么响？（红云）小姐，你猜咱！

【天净沙】是步摇得宝髻玲珑，是裙拖得环珮玎。是铁马儿檐前骤风[5]，是金钩双动，吉丁当敲响帘栊。

【调笑令】是花宫夜撞钟，是疏竹潇潇曲槛中。是牙尺剪刀声相送[6]，是漏声长滴响壶铜。我潜身再听，在墙角东，元来西厢理结丝桐。

【秃厮儿】其声壮，似铁骑刀枪冗冗。其声幽，似落花流水溶溶。其声高，似清风月朗鹤唳空。其声低，似儿女语小窗中喁喁[7]。

【圣药王】他思已穷，恨不穷，是为娇鸾雏凤失雌雄。他曲未通，我意已通，分明伯劳飞燕各西东。尽在不言中。

（红云）小姐，你住这里听者，我瞧夫人便来。（假下）

【麻郎儿】不是我他人耳聪，知你自己情衷。知音者芳心自同，感怀者断肠悲痛！

（张生云）窗外微有声息，定是小姐，我今试弹一曲。

（莺莺云）我近这窗儿边者。（张生叹云）琴呵，昔日

司马相如求卓文君，曾有一曲，名曰《文凤求凰》。小

生岂敢自称相如，只是小姐呵，教文君将甚来比得你？

我今便将此曲依谱弹之。琴曰：有美一人兮，见之不忘。一日不见兮，思之如狂！凤飞翱翔兮，四海求凰。无奈佳人兮，不在东墙。张琴代语兮，欲诉衷肠。何时见许兮，慰我彷徨[8]！愿言配德兮，携手相将。不得于飞兮，使我沦亡[9]！

Contents

目 录

Preface

序

ACT I

第一本

Scene 1 Enchantment

第一折 惊艳

Scene 2 Renting of Quarters

第二折 借厢

Scene 3 Verse Exchange

第三折 酬韵

Scene 4 Religious Service

第四折 闹斋

ACT II

第二本

Scene 1 Alarm

第一折 寺警

Scene 2 Invitation

第二折 请宴

Scene 3 Promise Broken

第三折 赖婚

Scene 4 Lute

第四折 琴心

ACT III

第三本

Scene 1 First Expectation

第一折 前侯

Scene 2 Billet-doux

第二折 闹简

Scene 3 Repudiation

第三折 赖简

Scene 4 Further Expectation

第四折 后侯

ACT IV

第四本

Scene 1 Tryst

第一折 酬简

Scene 2 Rose in the Dock

第二折 拷艳

Scene 3 Farewell Feast

第三折 哭宴

Scene 4 Dreams

第四折 惊梦

ACT V

第五本

Scene 1 Report of Success

第一折 捷报

Scene 2 Guess

第二折 猜寄

Scene 3 Contest for the Beauty

第三折 争艳

Scene 4 Union

第四折 团圆