柳宗元·《始得西山宴游记》英译

自余为僇人，居是州。恒惴慄。其隙也，则施施而行，漫漫而游。日与其徒上高山，入深林，穷廻溪，幽泉怪石，无远不到。到则披草而坐，倾壶而醉。醉则更相枕以卧。卧而梦，意有所极，梦亦同趣。觉而起，起而归。以为凡是州之山水有异态者，皆我有也，而未始知西山之怪特。

今年九月二十八日，因坐法华西亭，望西山，始指异之。遂命仆人过湘江，缘染溪，斫榛莽，焚茅茷，穷山之高而止。攀援而登，箕踞而遨，则凡数州之土壤，皆在衽席之下。其高下之势，岈然洼然，若垤若穴，尺寸千里，攒蹙累积，莫得遁隐。萦青缭白，外与天际，四望如一。然后知是山之特立，不与培塿为类，悠悠乎与颢气俱，而莫得其涯；洋洋乎与造物者游，而不知其所穷。引觞满酌，颓然就醉，不知日之入。苍然暮色，自远而至，至无所见，而犹不欲归。心凝形释，与万化冥合。然后知吾向之未始游，游于是乎始。

故为之文以志。是岁，元和四年也。

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My First Visit to the Western Hill

Liu Zongyuan

After I was degraded I lived a most uneasy life in this district. I filled in my time with long walks and aimless rambles, climbed hills every day with my men, or explored deep woods and winding streams, visiting hidden springs and curious rocks no matter how distant. Once there, we would sit on the grass and pour out wine, to fall asleep when drunk resting our heads on each other while my dreams followed my roving fancy. Then, upon walking, we would rise and walk back. I thought at that time I knew all the strange sights in this district, but I had no conception of the wonders of the Western Hill.

On the twenty-eighth of the ninth month this year, as I was sitting in the west pavilion of Fahua Monastery and looking towards the Western Hill, I began to be s truck by its singularity. I ordered my servants to ferry me across the River Xiang; then we followed the Ran to its source, cutting down the brambles and burning the rushes on our way till we reached the summit of the hill.

After struggling to the top we squatted down to rest. The fields of several districts lay spread below my seat. There were undulating sloped with gaps and hollows, as well as mounds and burrows. A thousand li appeared like one foot or one inch, so compact that nothing escaped our sight. Encompassed by white clouds and azure sky, the hill merged with them into one single whole.

Then I realized that this was no common hill. I felt I was mingling freely with the boundless expanse of heaven, and lost myself in the infinity of nature. In utter content I filled my cup and got drunk, unaware that the sun had set. Dark night came from afar and soon nothing could be seen, yet still I was loath to leave; for my heart seemed to have ceased beating and I felt released from my body to blend with the myriad forms of created things. I knew then that I had never enjoyed an excursion before—this was my first such experience.

So I am writing this record in the fourth year of Yuan He (1).

(1)    809 AD.