一部高度浓缩的中华文明简史——《大中华赋》连载

文/刘长允

一部高度浓缩的中华文明简史
——《大中华赋》连载

Serialization of Ode to Grand China:
A Volume of Highly Concentrated Brief History of Chinese Civilization

文/刘长允

陆机《平复帖》所用麻纸

赵佶《夏日诗帖》所用皮纸

司南永指南，尘沙扑面知所趋；纸香传万国，文明之风吹新花；

Sinan, the ancient compass, pointed to the south forever, so one was guided when sand against face makes the view blur; Paper spreads f owery fragrance far and wide, booming civilization all over the world.

活字印刷功千倍，大巧原本是布衣〔1〕；火药虽烈不为暴，只向天边生彩霞。

Movable-type printing contributed thousandfold, yet the inventor turned out to be a common person〔1〕. Gunpowder was strong but not violent, invented for lights glowing on the horizon.

〔1〕布衣：布制的衣服，借指平民。这里指宋代发明家毕昇。毕昇本为从事雕版印刷的工匠，在长期实践中总结规律，发明了活字印刷术。据沈括《梦溪笔谈》载，毕昇在庆历年间（1041—1048），发明在胶泥片上刻字，一字一印，用火烧硬后，便成活字。排版前，先在置有铁框的铁板上敷一层掺和纸灰的松脂蜡，活字依次排在上面，加热，使蜡稍熔，以平板压平字面，泥字即固定在铁板上，可以像雕版一样印刷。

泥板活字

天行健，君子以自强不息；地势坤，君子以厚德载物〔2〕。

The movement of the heaven is full of power, thus the superior man never ceases to be stronger; the capacity of the earth is high, thus the superior man should hold the out world with broad mind〔2〕.

〔2〕天行健，君子以自强不息；地势坤，君子以厚德载物：出自《周易》。天道刚健，君子（效法此）当自强不息；地势柔顺，君子（效法此）当以宽厚之德容载万物。

伏羲六十四卦方位

华夏探得至道，一个“中”字协万理；神州获有大宝〔3〕，一个“和”字生万机。人与天合，阳光雨露春常在；人与人合，四海之内皆兄弟〔4〕；人与己合，淡定从容心安泰。

Equilibrium coordinates the world, a divine principlethat〔3〕Chinese have explored. Harmony creates vitality, the essence that the nation has obtained. Man coordinating Heaven, the world would be sunny and peaceful; man coordinating each other, all would be brothers that harmonize〔4〕; man coordinating himself, he would live in leisure, peace, and comfort.

〔3〕大宝：这里指中国传统文化的精华——和谐。《礼记·中庸》中有“中也者，天下之大本也；和也者，天下之达道也。致中和，天地位焉，万物育焉”，《论语》中也有“礼之用，和为贵”、“君子和而不同”等。和谐思想包含丰富而深刻的精神意蕴，具有十分重要的理论价值。

〔4〕四海之内皆兄弟：语出《论语·颜渊》。原文是：“君子敬而无失,与人恭而有礼，四海之内，皆兄弟也。”

孟子像

仁者爱人，惟仁可依，仁是大情，故可杀身以成仁；义者宜也，惟义可就，义乃至公，故可舍生以取义。

Benevolence means loving one’s sacrifice all, even his life. Righteousness means being just, the sole and highest axiom in the must; for it one may strive to defend, till die a martyr’s death in the end.

天地间本有正气，我族养之成浩然：富贵不能淫，贫贱不能移，威武不能屈〔5〕。三军可夺帅也，匹夫不可夺志也〔6〕。

Indulge never in money and rank, swerve never with poverty and adversity, and surrender never to power and force.〔5〕That’s the nobleness innate in the universe, which Chinese cultivate to magnitude. The commander of the forces can be replaced, but the will of a common man must not be destroyed〔6〕.

〔5〕富贵不能淫，贫贱不能移，威武不能屈：出自《孟子·滕文公下》。金钱地位不会使之迷惑，贫苦穷困不能使之改变志向，权势武力不能使之屈服变节。

〔6〕三军可夺帅也，匹夫不可夺志也：出自《论语·子罕》。军队可以被夺去主帅，但男子汉不可以被夺去志气。

苏武牧羊(清 黄慎)

苏武〔7〕牧羊，历千辛万苦，凛然持节〔8〕十九载；

Going through innumerable ordeals while herding sheep, Su Wu〔7〕held onto the staff〔8〕for nineteen years indeed.

〔7〕苏武（前140—前60）：字子卿，西汉杜陵（今陕西西安东南）人。天汉元年（前100）奉命出使匈奴，被扣留。匈奴多方威胁诱降，后又将其迁至北海（贝加尔湖）边牧羊。苏武历尽艰辛，坚持十九年不屈。始元六年（前81年），匈奴与汉修好，被遣归汉。

〔8〕节：符节。缀有牦牛尾的竹竿，古代使者出使时用作凭证。《后汉书·徐璆传》载：“昔者苏武困于匈奴，不坠七尺之节。”这里引申为坚守节操，拒不投降。

文天祥书法《谢昌元座右自警辞》

天祥〔9〕忠义，甘血染黄沙，留取丹心照汗青〔10〕。

Loyal and brave Tianxiangdied〔9〕, fighting to the last drop of blood; a man was honored for his loyalty, who illuminated the annals of history〔10〕.

〔9〕天祥：即文天祥（1236—1283），南宋大臣、文学家。文天祥抗元斗争中被俘，面对威逼利诱，坚贞不屈，最后英勇就义。〔10〕留取丹心照汗青：留取这颗赤胆忠心，光照史册。汗青：史册。出自文天祥的诗《过零丁洋》：“人生自古谁无死，留取丹心照汗青。”

林则徐像

惜身恋家必爱国，高莫过父母之邦，与国荣辱，苟利国家生死以；爱国必重大一统，最盼遐迩一体，为固金瓯〔11〕，岂因祸福避趋之〔12〕。

Love yourself and your family, love your country at large.None but your motherland is paramount, so being with her ups and downs, and even devoting your life for her interest. Love the country, value her grand unity and integration. To consolidate the Golden Bowl〔11〕, one must not seek or evade whatever by weal or woe〔12〕.

〔11〕金瓯：黄金之瓯，比喻疆土完固。亦泛指国土。

〔12〕苟利国家生死以，岂因祸福避趋之：出自林则徐的《赴戍登程口占示家人》诗。如果有利于国家社稷，将会把生死置之度外，怎么会考虑有祸害而逃避，有利益就奔竞呢？