许渊冲，1921年出生于江西南昌。先后毕业于西南联大、巴黎大学。北京大学文学翻译教授。英文著作有《中诗英韵探胜》、《逝水年华》。译作方面，除了由英国企鹅出版公司出版的汉译英《不朽之歌》外，还有《诗经》、《楚辞》、《唐诗三百首》、《宋词三百首》、《李白诗选》、《苏东坡诗词选》、《西厢记》和《毛泽东诗词选》等英译或法译。外译汉则有福楼拜《包法利夫人》等世界文学名著多种。2010年，荣获中国翻译文化终身成就奖。

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.

    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

Scene 3 The Camp Gate

(Enter two soldiers.)

First Soldier (Singing):

Killing the foe, we take the things they leave;

We occupy their houses but none grieve.

Officers eat from the stores a great deal;

Soldiers have from dawn till dusk their meal.

Second Soldier: Now we do not sing like that.

First Soldier: How do you sing now?

Second Soldier (Singing):

We can take nothing the foe leave;

People’s empty houses make us grieve.

Officers eat nothing from the store;

Soldiers can have their meals no more.

First Soldier: If what you sing is true, we poor soldiers would die of hunger.

Second Soldier: That is almost true.

First Soldier: Last time when we shouted for food supply, our general promised to station us around the food stores in the vicinity of the Southern Capital. But now days have passed without further information. Could our general have changed his mind?

Second Soldier: If he changes his mind, we may raise another tumult.

First Soldier: Do not talk about tumult. We had better go to the camp gate for the daily manoeuvre. Do not forget the punishment for violation of martial law is more terrible than hunger or even death. (Exeunt.)

(Enter Liu Jingting with his baggage on the back.)

第三出 投 辕[1]

（净、副净扮二卒上）（净）杀贼拾贼囊，救民占民房，当官领官仓，一兵吃三粮。（副净）如今不是这样唱了。（净）你唱来！（副净）贼凶少弃囊，民逃剩空房，官穷不开仓，千兵无一粮。（净）这等说，我们这穷兵当真要饿死了。（副净）也差不多哩。（净）前日鼓噪之时，元帅着忙，许俺们就粮南京，这几日不见动静，想又变卦了。（副净）他变了卦，俺们依旧鼓噪，有何难哉。（净）闲话少说，且到辕门点卯，再作商量。正是 “不怕饿杀，谁肯犯法”。（俱下）

【北新水令】（丑扮柳敬亭，背包裹上）走出了空林落叶响萧萧，一丛丛芦花红蓼。倒戴着接帽[2]，横跨着湛卢刀[3]，白髯儿飘飘，谁认的诙谐玩世东方老[4]。

俺柳敬亭冲风冒雨，沿江行来，并不见乱兵抢粮，想是讹传了。且喜已到武昌城外，不免在这草地下打开包裹，换了靴帽，好去投书。（坐地换靴帽介）

【南步步娇】（副净、净上）晓雨城边饥乌叫，来往荒烟道，军营半里遥。（指介）风卷旌旗，鼓角缥缈，前面是辕门了，大家趱行几步。饿腹好难熬，还点三八卯[5]。

（丑起拱介）两位将爷，借问一声，那是将军辕门？（净向副净私语介）这个老儿是江北语音，不是逃兵，就是流贼。（副净）何不收拾起来，诈他几文，且买饭吃。（净）妙！（副净问介）你寻将军衙门么？（丑）正是。（净）待我送你去。（丢绳套住丑介）（丑）呵呀！怎么拿起我来了？（副净）俺们是武昌营专管巡逻的弓兵，不拿你，拿谁呀。（丑推二净倒地，指笑介）两个没眼色的花子，怪不得饿的东倒西歪的。（净）你怎晓得我们挨饿。（丑）不为你们挨饿，我为何到此？（副净）这等说来，你敢是解粮来的么？（丑）不是解粮的，是做甚的。（净）啐！我们瞎眼了，快搬行李，送老哥辕门去。（副净、净同丑行介）

【北折桂令】（丑）你看城枕着江水滔滔，鹦鹉洲阔，黄鹤楼高[6]。鸡犬寂寥，人烟惨淡，市井萧条。都只把豺狼喂饱，好江城画破图抛。满耳呼号，鼙鼓声雄，铁马嘶骄。

Contents

目 录

Preface1

序

ACT I

第一本

Beauty and Duty

一见钟情结良缘

Scene 1 Visit to a Beauty

第一出 访翠

Scene 2 Wedding Night

第二出 眠香

Scene 3 Dowry Rejected

第三出 却奁

ACT II

第二本

Word and Sword

一封书信阻刀兵

Scene 1 The Army

第一出 抚兵

Scene 2 The Message

第二出 修札

Scene 3 The Camp Gate

第三出 投辕

ACT III

第三本

Crime and Succession

三罪阻立继位人

Scene 1 Parting

第一出 辞院

Scene 2 The Emperor’s Death

第二出 哭主

Scene 3 Succession to the Throne

第三出 阻奸

ACT IV

第四本

Persecution on Persecution

三番两次逼香君

Scene 1 Refusa

第一出 拒媒

Scene 2 Fragrant in Her Bower

第二出 守楼

Scene 3 The Fan

第三出 寄扇

ACT V

第五本

Songs and Tears

歌舞声中花泣血

Scene 1 The Banquet

第一出 骂筵

Scene 2 Selection of Songstresses

第二出 选优

Scene 3 Lee’s Bower Revisited

第三出 题画

Scene 4 Epilogue

第四出 余韵