中英雙語話中國歷史名人 第46期:李白

Li Bai (701~762), also known as Li Po, was renowned as the greatest romantic poet in ancient China. His courtesy name was Taibai and was born in Suiye in Central Asia. His ancestral home was located at Chengji, Longxi (present-day Tianshui, Gansu Province), but when he was five, he moved with his father to Qinglian town, in Changming, Mianzhou(now Jiangyou, Sichuan Province).

李白(701~762)，字太白，號青蓮居士，祖籍隴西成紀(今甘肅天水附近)，生於中亞碎葉城。5歲時隨父遷居綿州彰明(今四川江油)青蓮鄉，因自號青蓮居士。

Excepf for the three years he served for the Hanlin Academy and Prince Yong, he spent most of his life traveling extensively. His philosophy incorporated the features of Confucianism, Taoism as well as the virtues of chivalry.

李白一生除作過3年供奉翰林和短期永王幕僚外，主要是在漫遊流浪中度過的，其思想兼有儒、道、俠三家的特點。

The Confucian notion of "making the whole world virtuous" was the foundation of his ambitions and optimism.

儒家“兼濟天下”的思想支配他積極用世、建立功業。

One of the themes of his poetry is his political ambition of providing aid to the common people and bringing peace and stability to the country.

濟蒼生、安社稷的政治理想是其詩歌的中心主題之一。

In one of his poems, he assimilated himself to a soaring roc to express his lofty ambition and used historical allusions to suggest his own aspirations.

他自比大鵬，借歷史人物自許懷抱，有高昂的政治熱情。

When he was frustrated by the unfulfilment of his political ambitions, the Taoist loftiness and retreat in him prevailed and his poems affected a wild and free persona. On the other hand, he adored the bold and unconstrained mien of ancient errant knights, who would sacrifice their lives for righteousness and never brag about their exploits. Furthermore, he was an iconoclast against feudal principles and etiqueues.

當他在政治上遭受打擊，抑鬱不得志時，道家憤世嫉俗、返於自然的思想就在他身上佔了主導地位，其作品就表現出放浪形骸的反叛精神，蔑視人間的一切，浮雲富貴，糞土王侯。他又深深傾慕古代俠士慷慨悲歌、豪邁不羈的生活態度和他們所奉行的“以武犯禁”、“不愛其軀”、“羞伐其德”的遊俠精神，因此敢於蔑視封建秩序和禮教，衝擊傳統偶像。

Seeking retirement from fame and fortune, the political standard he lived up to in his life, is nothing more than the embodiment of the spirits of Confucianism, Taoism and chivalry.

李白一生身體力行的政治準則“功成身退”，正是儒、道、俠三者統一的產物。

Li Bai's poetry, in general, is characterized by its unconventional spirit and highly personalized imagery. His employment of hyperboles, imageries and allusions is bold, creating exquisite pieces that fully utilize the elements of language.

總之，這種強烈要求擺脫羈絆，追求個性解放和精神白由，風格飄逸豪放，是李白詩歌的最大特色。李白的詩歌，形象高度個性化，具有濃厚的主觀感情色彩;善於運用大膽的誇張、新穎的比喻和奇特的想象，興寄無端，瞬息萬變;善於運用歷史傳說和神話故事;語言清新自然而華美豪放。

More than 900 poems of Li Bai survived and were compiled in the Anthologyof Li Taibai. Thanks to the efforts of Li Bai, the "Poet Immortal" , the Chinese tradition of Romanticism reached another zenith after Qu Yuan.

李白著有《李太白集》，被稱爲“詩仙”，詩歌現存900多首，是繼屈原之後，我國古代浪漫主義的新高峯。