中英雙語話中國歷史名人 第50期:柳宗元

Liu Zongyuan (773~819) was a Chinese writer who lived in Chang'an during the Tang Dynasty. He was traditionally classed as one of the Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song.

柳宗元(773~819)，中國唐代作家，唐宋八大家之一。

Along with Han Yu, he was a founder of the Classical Prose Movement.

他居於長安，與韓愈一起發起了古文運動。

His civil service career was initially successful, but in 805 he fell from favour because of his association with a failed reformist movement. He was exiled first to Yongzhou (Hunan Province ), and then to Liuzhou (Guangxi Province).

柳宗元的官場生活起初非常成功，但是805年他因與一場不成功的改革派運動有關而失寵，首先被貶到永州(湖南境內)，之後又被貶到柳州(廣西境內)。

However, this setback allowed his literary career to flourish: he produced poems, fables, reflective travelogues and essays sythesizing elements of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism.

然而，官場上的挫折卻使得柳宗元的文學事業繁榮了起來: 他創作了詩歌、寓言、遊記以及融合了儒釋道思想元素的散文。

Liu Zongyuan produced many examples of clear and charming prose and became reputed as one of the renowned "Eight Masters of Tang and Song."

柳宗元寫了許多清晰迷人的散文，成爲著名的唐宋八大家之一。柳宗元最著名的遊記是《永州八記》。

His best-known travel pieces are the Eight Records of Excursions in Yongzhou. Around 180 of his poems are extant.

現存柳詩約180首。

Some of his works celebrate his freedom from office, while others mourn his banishment.

儘管他的一些作品中對遭貶表示遺憾，但是他的一些作品也表明他很慶幸自己能夠遠離官場。