中英雙語話中國歷史名人 第53期:歐陽修
Ouyang Xiu(1007~1072), courtesy name Yongshu, literary name Zuiweng, or Liuyi Jushi, was a Chinese poet, historian, and statesman of the Song Dynasty who reintroduced the simple “ancient style" in Chinese literature and sought to reform Chinese political life through principles of classical Confucianism.
歐陽修(1oo7~1072），字永叔，號醉翁、六一居士，宋代詩人、歷史學家、政治家。歐陽修重新把樸素的“古文”引人中國文學，並且試圖通過傳統的儒家思想原則改革政治生活。
In 1030, Ouyang Xiu placed first in the doctoral examinations and was appointed a judge at the western capital, Luoyang.
1030年，歐陽修考中進士，被任命爲西京(今洛陽)留守推官。
He was already known as a brilliant young writer, and at Luoyang he befriended the renowned essayist Yin Zhu and the poet Mei Yaochen.
當時歐陽修已經是很有名的才子了，他在洛陽與著名散文家尹洙和詩人梅堯臣結爲至交。
Not only did these friendships enhance Ouyang's status but, more important, they reinforced his strong preference for the simplicity and clarity of the "ancient style."
他們的友誼不但提高歐陽修的地位，而且更重要的是，他們鞏固了歐陽修對“古文”簡單明瞭特質的偏愛。
In 1034, he was appointed a collator of texts in the imperial library at the capital, Kaifeng. Two years later, Fan Zhongyan, a government official, was banished at the insistence of an imperial counselor for speaking out against certain official practices and institutions; Ouyang immediately defended Fan and attacked the counselor in writing. As a result, Ouyang, too, was banished and demoted to low judicial office in Hubei and Hunan Provinces.
1034年，歐陽修任都城開封皇室圖書館館閣校勘兩年後范仲淹因大膽上諫而在司諫的堅持下遭貶、歐陽修寫信斥責司諫不主持正義，結果他自己也被貶到湖北湖南做小官。
There he wrote the Xin Wudai Shi (“New History of the Five Dynasties"), a history of a period of political chaos lasting through almost the entire 10th century.
歐陽修在那兒寫了《新五代史》。在10世紀的五代時期，政亂幾乎持續了整個世紀。
Ouyang's strong sense of fairness led him to devote separate sections to political outcasts such as martyrs, rebels, and traitors, a radical departure from previous dynastic histories.
歐陽修強烈的正直感使他在一些章節裏記錄了被政治所排斥的人，比如:烈士、叛亂者和叛國者。這與以前的王朝史是不同的。
Ouyang was recalled to the capital in 1040 and reinstated in his former office.
1040年，歐陽修被召回京城，官復原職。
Three years later, when Fan Zhongyan, who was also back at the capital, and other high officials began to carry out new political policies, Ouyang participated and put forward some propositions for reforming official institutions and military affairs.
三年後，同樣業已回京的范仲淹還有其他一些高官開始執行新政，歐陽修參與了革新並提出改革吏治、軍事等主張。
The reformation was aborted two years later;Fan and other reformers were dismissed.
兩年後新政失敗;范仲淹和其他的改革家被解職。
Ouyang was banished to Anhui Province, where he served as magistrate of one county after another.
歐陽修被貶到安徽各地做太守。
Living in the countryside, he often wrote about the beauty of nature and the pleasures of drinking wine.
在農村，歐陽修經常描寫自然之美和飲酒的樂趣。
He called himself Zuiweng ("Old Drunkard"), built a pavilion of that name, and wrote an essay about it, Zuiwengting ji ("Old Drunkard Pavilion"), which has become one of the most celebrated works in Chinese literature.
歐陽修自稱“醉翁”，建了座“醉翁亭”，還寫了一篇《醉翁亭記》。《醉翁亭記》現在是最著名的中國文學作品之一。
After a term (1050) as defense commander of the southern capital of Shangqiu, in Henan Province, he was recalled to the capital in 1054 to become an academician of the Hanlin Academy.
1050年，歐陽修知應天府，任期過後，歐陽修於1054年奉詔人京，成爲翰林學士。
In 1057 he was placed in charge of civil service examinations. He favoured those who wrote in the "ancient style" but failed those who employed literary embellishments.
1057年，歐陽修主持進士考試，他喜歡用“古文”風格行文的考生，放棄那些用辭華麗的考生。
For thus imposing his own ideas of literature on the traditional exami-nation system, he was physically attacked by disgruntled candidates.
因爲歐陽修把自己的文學觀強加給傳統的考試制度，所以他遭到了不滿考生的人身攻擊。
He survived, however, and the literary style championed by him set a new course for Chinese literature. He praised and promoted brilliant young writers such as Su Dongpo, Su Zhe, and Zeng Gong.
然而，歐陽修活了下來，他所支持的文風也改變了中國文學的發展方向，歐陽修讚揚提拔了一些像蘇東坡、蘇轍和曾鞏這樣才華橫溢的年輕作家。
When the Xin Tang shu was finished in 1060, Ouyang was rapidly promoted to the highest councils of state, leaving a remarkable record in social, financial, and military affairs.
1060年《新唐書》完成之後，歐陽修很快升任樞密副使，次年任參知政事，以後，又相繼任刑部尚書、兵部尚書等職，在社會事務、財務、軍事等方面留下了值得注意的記錄。
Eventually his position at court became untenable, however, and at age 60 he was approaching the end of his political career.
然而，在歐陽修60歲即將結束自己的政治生涯時，他的政治地位最終發生了動搖。
He was falsely accused of having an affair with his daughter-in-law, a charge that injured his prestige and left him increasingly isolated in the capital.
歐陽修被人誣告與兒媳有染，這使他名聲受到破壞，在京城越來孤立。
He repeatedly asked to be relieved of his duties, but instead the new emperor sent him to be magistrate successively in Anhui, Shandong and Henan.
歐陽修多次辭職均未獲準，而且新君還接連派他到安徽、山東和河南做官。
In Shandong he opposed the reforms of his former protégé Wang Anshi, particularly a system of loans to farmers at a low interest rate, and he refused to carry them out in his districts.
歐陽修在山東時反對他的門生王安石的新法，特別是青苗法，並且在他的轄區沒有執行新法。
In 1071 he was retired with the title of grand preceptor of the crown prince.
1071年，歐陽修以太子少師的身分辭職。
He intended to make his permanent home in beautiful Anhui, the place of his Old Drunkard Pavilion, but he died within months of his retirement.
歐陽修本來想永遠住在美麗的安徽(他的醉翁亭所在之地)，但是辭職後沒幾個月他就去世了。
Ouyang's personal influence and many-faceted activity had a lasting effect.
歐陽修的個人勢力和多方面的活動有着持久的影響。
As a statesman, he worked to regenerate political life through classical Confucian principles; he criticized fearlessly, and he recommended the promotion of able men who eventually led opposing parties.
作爲政治家，歐陽修努力通過傳統的儒家原則改革政治生活;他無畏的進行批判，推薦提拔有能力的人，但是他的門生最終又成了他的反對派。
He was early captivated by writings of Han Yu, whose opposition to Buddhism he shared, though in a more moderate form.
歐陽修很早就迷上了韓愈的著述，他與韓愈都反對佛教，當然沒韓愈那麼激烈。
As the leader of the literary reform movement in the Northern Song Dynasty, Ouyang established monumental prestige with his creative works and was esteemed as one of the “Eight Great Masters of Tang and Song".
作爲北宋文學改良運動的領袖，歐陽修用他創造性的文學作品贏得了不朽的聲望並被尊爲唐宋八大家之一。
He believed that those who grasp the Dao are able to create excellent works.
歐陽修認爲“道勝者，文不難而自至。”
Like Han Yu, Ouyang advocated a simpler, more direct prose to replace the mannered and excessively rhythmic style then popular, and his writings in the resultant guwen style established a model emulated thenceforth.
跟韓愈一樣，歐陽修提倡簡單、直率的散文風格，摒棄當時盛行的矯揉造作、過於講究節奏的文風。歐陽修的“古文”風格的著述爲後人確立了典範。
He emancipated the fu prose poems from strict conventions and left superb examples of these as well as of the newer ci (lyrics set to popular tunes) and other literary forms.
歐陽修把賦從嚴格的規矩裏解放了出來，變“律體”爲“散體”，給賦、詞還有其它的文學形式留下了極好的範文。
In his Xin Wudai Shi and Xintangshu, Ouyang Xiu stretched the boundaries of the standard history and praised or censured men and institutions through terse but exact descriptions implying moral judgment, in supposed emulation of Confucius.
在《新五代史》和《新唐書》裏，歐陽修延伸了正史的邊界，他用簡潔精確語言的描述(暗含了道德判斷)對人和制度或褒或貶(應該是模仿孔子)。
As a scholar, Ouyang ignored later commentaries and instead sought a fresh and immediate understanding of early texts.
作爲學者，歐陽修不看後加的註釋，而是對早期的文本進行直接的理解。
He contributed to archaeological study and compiled Jigulu(“The Collection of Antiques”), which covers classical documents from the Zhou to the Tang dynasties.
歐陽修對考古研究也做了貢獻，編輯了《集古錄》，這本書涵蓋了從周至唐的古典文獻。
As a painter, he helped create the new wenrenhua (literati) style.
作爲畫家，歐陽修促進了“文人畫”的產生。
His preserved writings include not only his histories but more than 150 chapters of poems, state papers, letters, and other smaller pieces.
歐陽修保存的著述不僅包括他的歷史還包括150多章的詩、政府文件、信和其它的小文章。
His Iibrary consisted of 10,000 books and a large collection of literary artifacts and archaeological records from ancient times.
歐陽修的藏書室有1o,000冊圖書，還有大量的文學典藏和古代留下的考古學記錄。
He was honoured posthumously with the title Wenzhong (“literary and loyal").
歐陽修的諡號是“文忠”。
