Reading Reflection

????第十二章講述的蘇軾已然進入詩歌創作的成熟時期，在杭州時的憤怒與火氣已無，只剩下安詳平和與順時知命的心境，甚至他對大自然之美的喜悅與生活中的樂事的享受，也比以前更灑脫而不執著。他越來越愛陶淵明，我初讀《西齋》，真有在讀陶詩的感覺。你看“西齋深且明，中有六尺床。病夫朝睡足，危坐覺日長?；杌杓确亲?，福禍亦非狂。寒衣竹風下，穆然中微涼?！辈皇欠浅Ｓ小敖Y廬在人境，而無車馬喧。問君何能爾？心遠地自偏。采菊東籬下，悠然見南山。山氣日夕佳，飛鳥相與還。此中有真意，欲辨已忘言?！钡母杏X？但是同時蘇東坡仍對平民百姓抱有深切的關懷，無論是在密州還是在徐州，他盡最大的努力幫扶百姓，為善一方，真真是福澤深厚。

Words & Expressions

1. 《水調歌頭》英譯“Mid-Autumn Moon”，原詩自然無出其右，但是林語堂將英詩也譯出了韻律感和美感，值得一記。

How rare the moon, so round and clear!???? With cup in hand, I ask of the blue sky,

I do not know in the celestial sphere???? What name this festive night goes by?

I want to fly home, riding the air,

But fear the ethereal cold up there,

The jade and crystal mansions are so high!

Dancing to my shadow, I feel no longer the mortal tie.

明月幾時有，把酒問青天？不知天上宮閥，今夕是何年？我欲乘風歸去，又恐 ????瓊樓玉宇，高處不勝寒。起舞弄清影，何似在人間？ ????

She rounds the vermilion tower,

Stoops to silk-pad doors, Shines on those who sleepless lie.

Why does she, bearing us no grudge,

Shine upon our parting, reunion deny

But rare is perfect happiness

The moon does wax, the moon does wane,???? And so men meet and say goodbye.

I only pray our life be long, ??? And our souls together heavenward fly!

轉朱閣，低博戶，照無眠。不應有恨，何事長向別時圓？人有悲歡離合，月有 ????陰晴圓缺，此事古難全。但愿人長久，千里共婢娟。

2.?Even for a genius like Su Tungpo, life began at forty.

中文也有類似的表達，四十不惑、或是人生從四十開始、男人四十一枝花（……），也有譯為‘花樣中年’。

3. flog

While there was a law punishing magistrates who had flogged prisoners to death, Su pointed out that there was nothing being done about prisoners who died of disease and bad care.

flog: If someone is flogged, they are hit very hard with a whip or stick as a punishment. 鞭打; 棒打

to flog a dead horse: 徒勞無功；徒勞；枉費心機

to flog something to death: [口語](對某事)反復啰唆使人厭煩