一部高度濃縮的中華文明簡(jiǎn)史
——《大中華賦》連載

文/劉長(zhǎng)允

一部高度濃縮的中華文明簡(jiǎn)史
——《大中華賦》連載

Serialization of Ode to Grand China:
A Volume of Highly Concentrated Brief History of Chinese Civilization

文/劉長(zhǎng)允

陸機(jī)《平復(fù)帖》所用麻紙

趙佶《夏日詩(shī)帖》所用皮紙

司南永指南，塵沙撲面知所趨；紙香傳萬國(guó)，文明之風(fēng)吹新花；

Sinan, the ancient compass, pointed to the south forever, so one was guided when sand against face makes the view blur; Paper spreads f owery fragrance far and wide, booming civilization all over the world.

活字印刷功千倍，大巧原本是布衣〔1〕；火藥雖烈不為暴，只向天邊生彩霞。

Movable-type printing contributed thousandfold, yet the inventor turned out to be a common person〔1〕. Gunpowder was strong but not violent, invented for lights glowing on the horizon.

〔1〕布衣：布制的衣服，借指平民。這里指宋代發(fā)明家畢昇。畢昇本為從事雕版印刷的工匠，在長(zhǎng)期實(shí)踐中總結(jié)規(guī)律，發(fā)明了活字印刷術(shù)。據(jù)沈括《夢(mèng)溪筆談》載，畢昇在慶歷年間（1041—1048），發(fā)明在膠泥片上刻字，一字一印，用火燒硬后，便成活字。排版前，先在置有鐵框的鐵板上敷一層摻和紙灰的松脂蠟，活字依次排在上面，加熱，使蠟稍熔，以平板壓平字面，泥字即固定在鐵板上，可以像雕版一樣印刷。

泥板活字

天行健，君子以自強(qiáng)不息；地勢(shì)坤，君子以厚德載物〔2〕。

The movement of the heaven is full of power, thus the superior man never ceases to be stronger; the capacity of the earth is high, thus the superior man should hold the out world with broad mind〔2〕.

〔2〕天行健，君子以自強(qiáng)不息；地勢(shì)坤，君子以厚德載物：出自《周易》。天道剛健，君子（效法此）當(dāng)自強(qiáng)不息；地勢(shì)柔順，君子（效法此）當(dāng)以寬厚之德容載萬物。

伏羲六十四卦方位

華夏探得至道，一個(gè)“中”字協(xié)萬理；神州獲有大寶〔3〕，一個(gè)“和”字生萬機(jī)。人與天合，陽光雨露春常在；人與人合，四海之內(nèi)皆兄弟〔4〕；人與己合，淡定從容心安泰。

Equilibrium coordinates the world, a divine principlethat〔3〕Chinese have explored. Harmony creates vitality, the essence that the nation has obtained. Man coordinating Heaven, the world would be sunny and peaceful; man coordinating each other, all would be brothers that harmonize〔4〕; man coordinating himself, he would live in leisure, peace, and comfort.

〔3〕大寶：這里指中國(guó)傳統(tǒng)文化的精華——和諧。《禮記·中庸》中有“中也者，天下之大本也；和也者，天下之達(dá)道也。致中和，天地位焉，萬物育焉”，《論語》中也有“禮之用，和為貴”、“君子和而不同”等。和諧思想包含豐富而深刻的精神意蘊(yùn)，具有十分重要的理論價(jià)值。

〔4〕四海之內(nèi)皆兄弟：語出《論語·顏淵》。原文是：“君子敬而無失,與人恭而有禮，四海之內(nèi)，皆兄弟也。”

孟子像

仁者愛人，惟仁可依，仁是大情，故可殺身以成仁；義者宜也，惟義可就，義乃至公，故可舍生以取義。

Benevolence means loving one’s sacrifice all, even his life. Righteousness means being just, the sole and highest axiom in the must; for it one may strive to defend, till die a martyr’s death in the end.

天地間本有正氣，我族養(yǎng)之成浩然：富貴不能淫，貧賤不能移，威武不能屈〔5〕。三軍可奪帥也，匹夫不可奪志也〔6〕。

Indulge never in money and rank, swerve never with poverty and adversity, and surrender never to power and force.〔5〕That’s the nobleness innate in the universe, which Chinese cultivate to magnitude. The commander of the forces can be replaced, but the will of a common man must not be destroyed〔6〕.

〔5〕富貴不能淫，貧賤不能移，威武不能屈：出自《孟子·滕文公下》。金錢地位不會(huì)使之迷惑，貧苦窮困不能使之改變志向，權(quán)勢(shì)武力不能使之屈服變節(jié)。

〔6〕三軍可奪帥也，匹夫不可奪志也：出自《論語·子罕》。軍隊(duì)可以被奪去主帥，但男子漢不可以被奪去志氣。

蘇武牧羊(清 黃慎)

蘇武〔7〕牧羊，歷千辛萬苦，凜然持節(jié)〔8〕十九載；

Going through innumerable ordeals while herding sheep, Su Wu〔7〕held onto the staff〔8〕for nineteen years indeed.

〔7〕蘇武（前140—前60）：字子卿，西漢杜陵（今陜西西安東南）人。天漢元年（前100）奉命出使匈奴，被扣留。匈奴多方威脅誘降，后又將其遷至北海（貝加爾湖）邊牧羊。蘇武歷盡艱辛，堅(jiān)持十九年不屈。始元六年（前81年），匈奴與漢修好，被遣歸漢。

〔8〕節(jié)：符節(jié)。綴有牦牛尾的竹竿，古代使者出使時(shí)用作憑證。《后漢書·徐璆傳》載：“昔者蘇武困于匈奴，不墜七尺之節(jié)。”這里引申為堅(jiān)守節(jié)操，拒不投降。

文天祥書法《謝昌元座右自警辭》

天祥〔9〕忠義，甘血染黃沙，留取丹心照汗青〔10〕。

Loyal and brave Tianxiangdied〔9〕, fighting to the last drop of blood; a man was honored for his loyalty, who illuminated the annals of history〔10〕.

〔9〕天祥：即文天祥（1236—1283），南宋大臣、文學(xué)家。文天祥抗元斗爭(zhēng)中被俘，面對(duì)威逼利誘，堅(jiān)貞不屈，最后英勇就義。〔10〕留取丹心照汗青：留取這顆赤膽忠心，光照史冊(cè)。汗青：史冊(cè)。出自文天祥的詩(shī)《過零丁洋》：“人生自古誰無死，留取丹心照汗青。”

林則徐像

惜身戀家必愛國(guó)，高莫過父母之邦，與國(guó)榮辱，茍利國(guó)家生死以；愛國(guó)必重大一統(tǒng)，最盼遐邇一體，為固金甌〔11〕，豈因禍福避趨之〔12〕。

Love yourself and your family, love your country at large.None but your motherland is paramount, so being with her ups and downs, and even devoting your life for her interest. Love the country, value her grand unity and integration. To consolidate the Golden Bowl〔11〕, one must not seek or evade whatever by weal or woe〔12〕.

〔11〕金甌：黃金之甌，比喻疆土完固。亦泛指國(guó)土。

〔12〕茍利國(guó)家生死以，豈因禍福避趨之：出自林則徐的《赴戍登程口占示家人》詩(shī)。如果有利于國(guó)家社稷，將會(huì)把生死置之度外，怎么會(huì)考慮有禍害而逃避，有利益就奔競(jìng)呢？