中英雙語話中國歷史名人 第55期:蘇軾
Su Shi (1037~1101) was born in Meishan, Meizhou (now part of Sichuan Province). His courtesy name was Zidan and his literary name Dongpo Jushi.
蘇軾(1037~1101),字子瞻，號東坡居士, 眉州眉山（今屬四川)人。
An erudite and foresighted scholar, he was twice banished for political persecutions. At the age of 45, he was banished to Huangzhou where he stayed for four years; When he was 59, he was exiled again to Huizhou for three years and then Danzhou, where he stayed for another three years before he was finally pardoned.
他學識淵博，思想通達，一生中受到兩次嚴重的政治迫害:第一次是45歲時因“烏臺詩案”被貶至黃州4年;第二次是在59歲時被貶往惠州，62歲時又貶至儋州，65歲才遇赦北歸，前後經過6年。
Combining the perseverance advocated by the Confucians with the Taoists' practice of the ignorance of time and space and the Zenists' philosophy of treating the caprice of the world with a peaceful mind, Su Shi developed an aloof, unwavering yet positive attitude toward the misfortunes in his life.
他把儒家“君子固窮”的堅毅精神、老莊輕視有限時空和物質環境的超越態度以及禪宗以平常心對待一切變故的觀念有機地結合起來，以一種超然物外的堅定沉着、樂觀曠達的人生態度面對接踵而至的不幸，在逆境中依然保持濃郁的生活情趣和旺盛的創作活力。
Deeply engrossed in his extensive interests, he kept a prolific art capacity.
蘇軾的文學思想是文道並重。
Su Shi believed that one's literary works should serve as a vehicle to carry his cause and they should further function as an advanced form revealing the spiritual activities of human beings.
他認爲文章不僅僅是載道的工具，其自身的表現功能便是人類精神活動的一種高級形態。
No longer restricted to the Confucian ideal, Su Shi's cause was extended to refer to the general rule of the development of all things.
他心目中的“道”也不限於儒家之道，而是泛指事物的規律。
Therefore, he suggested that literary works should reflect the objective world, natural and diverse rather than stagnant and monotonous.
所以蘇軾主張文章應像客觀世界一樣，文理自然，姿態橫生，提倡藝術風格的多樣化和生動性，反對千篇一律。
Holding fast to this principle, he wrote his prose in plain language and care-free styles. For his achievements in prose-writing, he was ranked as one of the "Eight Famous Scholars in the Tang and Song Dynasties".
他的文章風格多姿多彩，語言平易自然，氣勢雄放，爲“唐宋八大家”之一。
His poems, care-free and well-crafted, are critical of the social ills and reflective to life.
He expanded the scope of ci, a traditional Chinese lyrical form, and extended its expressiveness by channeling masculinity into a once more feminine form. He helped to promote ci from a minor lyrical genre to a position equally important as shi.
他的詞“自成一家”，突破了詞爲“豔科”的傳統格局，擴大了詞的表現功能，開拓了詞境，將傳統的表現女性化的柔情之詞擴展爲表現男性化的豪情之詞，使詞與詩一樣充分表現作者的性情懷抱和人格個性，把詞從“小道”提升爲與詩具有同等地位的抒情文體。
Excellent in prose, shi and ci, Su Shi is often regarded as the representative of the literature in the Song Dynasty.
總之，蘇軾在文、詩、詞三個方面都達到了極高的造詣，堪稱宋代文學最高成就的代表。
Furthermore, Su Shi's calligraphy and paintings were no lesser accomplishments than his poems. His father Su Xun and brother Su Zhe were also renowned literati at that time.
另外，蘇軾在書法、繪畫方面也頗有造詣。其父親蘇詢、弟弟蘇轍在當時也是著名的文人。
