钟惺·《与陈眉公书》英译

相见甚有奇缘，似恨其晚。然使十年前相见，恐识力未有坚透处，心目不能如是之相发也。朋友相见，极是难事。鄙意又以为不患不相见，患相见之无益耳。——有益矣，岂犹恨其晚哉！

<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> 

《隐秀轩集》

A Letter to Chen Meigong

Zhong Xing¹

A strange opportunity seemed to have brought about our chance meeting, which we thought to be too belated. However, if we had seen each other ten years ago, our insight into man’s character would not have been so penetrating, and our mutual understanding would not have been so profound. The meeting of true friends is something extremely difficult. But, in my humble opinion, what is really regretful is not the lack of opportunity for people’s meeting each other, but the lack of spiritual benefit from such a meeting—given spiritual benefit, there would be no reason to regret its being somewhat belated!

Collection of the Chamber of Hidden Beauty

1. Zhong Xing (1574-1625), born in Jingling of Hubei Province, was a scholar and man of letter in the Ming Dynasty.

（谢百魁、陈启达 译）