《游萬(wàn)柳堂記》 是清代文學(xué)大家劉大櫆創(chuàng)作的一篇游記散文。這篇散文第一段是敘述部分的前導(dǎo),說(shuō)明富貴人家修建林園別墅是沒(méi)有什么意義的。中間兩段是記敘,以精練的筆觸敘寫了三次游覽萬(wàn)柳堂的情況。最后一段寫萬(wàn)柳堂的變化,進(jìn)一步引起作者的議論。這篇文章采用了夾敘夾議的寫法,層次清楚,主題思想明確。
劉大魁·《游萬(wàn)柳堂記》
昔之人貴極富溢,則往往為別館以自?shī)?,窮極土木之工而無(wú)所愛(ài)惜。既成,則不得久居其中,偶一至焉而已,有終身不得至者焉。而人之得久居其中者,力又不足以為之。夫賢公卿勤勞王事,固將不暇于此;而卑庸者類欲以此震耀其鄉(xiāng)里之愚。
臨朐相國(guó)馮公,其在廷時(shí)無(wú)可訾,亦無(wú)可稱。而有園在都城之東南隅。其廣三十畝,無(wú)雜樹(shù),隨地勢(shì)之高下,盡植以柳,而榜其堂曰"萬(wàn)柳之堂"。短墻之外,騎行者可望而見(jiàn)其中。徑曲而深,因其洼以為池,而累其土以成山;池旁皆兼葭,云水蕭疏可愛(ài)。
雍正之初,予始至京師,則好游者咸為予言此地之勝。一至,猶稍有亭榭。再至,則向之飛梁架于水上者,今欹臥于水中矣。三至,則凡其所植柳,斬焉無(wú)一株之存。
人世富貴之光榮,其與時(shí)升降,蓋略與此園等。然則士茍有以自得,宜其不外慕乎富貴。彼身在富貴之中者,方殷憂之不暇,又何必朘民之膏以為苑囿也哉!
The Mansion of Willow
Liu Dakui
When people in the past became extremely exalted and rich, they would build garden villas for their pleasure, exhausting all the superb workmanship of the building craft, sparing nothing within their reach. But after the completion of the villas, they could not afford to live there long and came only once in a while. Some were unable to come all their lives. Yet those who had lived long at the place had not the means to build them. As for the good ministers occupied with state affairs, they certainly had no time for them. So it was only the base and mean who wanted them to overwhelm the ignoramuses among their townsmen with such a vanity.
Prime Minister Feng of Linqu, a man who had neither merits nor demerits when he was at court, built a garden mansion at the southeast corner of the capital, with a total area of thirty mu. It was planted, according to the configuration of the ground, with willows unmixed with any other trees, and the mansion was named the Mansion of Willow. The garden could be seen by riding travelers over the parapets. It had twisted and deep lanes as well as a pond laid in a depression and knolls made out of excavated earth. The pond, surrounded with weeds, looked lovely because of the dim reflection of clouds in the water.
Not long after I had come to the capital at the beginning of the Yongzhen period, the frequent excursionists all told me about the scenic splendour of the place. When I first visited it, a few arbours and pavilions still stood there. At the second time, the bridge previously spanning the pond lay slanting in the water, while at the third time, the planted willows were all cut down, without a single survival.
The glory imparted by wealth and honour in one's life is enhanced and eclipsed with time, which is well-nigh the same with this garden. If a gentleman has gained some insight into this fact, he had better now envy it. As for those who are swamped with wealth and honour, they are simply best with ensuring worries. Such being the case, what need is there for them to suck the blood of the people for the sake of building magnificent garden mansions?
(謝百魁 譯)