汉英对照《千字文》

The Kiloword (1)

By Zhou Xingsi (cir. 500-550)(2)


(1) A 1000-character Chinese verse, rendered into 1000 feet in English verse.
(2) A minister in the court of Emperor Wu Di (464-549) of the Liang dynasty, who asked Zhou to write a verse using only 1000 different characters from the classics, to be used as a textbook for the little princes and princesses.

天地玄黄，
宇宙洪荒。
日月盈昃，
辰宿列张。

The darkling skies and yellow earth
Amid great chaos had their birth.
Then Sun and Moon their courses ran,
Then stars were set and round they span.

寒来暑往，
秋收冬藏。
闰余成岁，
律吕调阳。

Then cold and heat arrived by turns
With reaping, keeping, man's concerns.
The extra days in leap years strewn,
It's yin and yang that call the tune.

云腾致雨，
露结为霜。
金生丽水，
玉出昆冈。

When clouds are formed, the rain is made.
When dew drops freeze, the frost is laid.
The Goldsand streams in gold abound.
From Kunlun mountains jade is found.