宋 Song · 文 Prose
醉翁亭记
The Record of the Pavilion of the Drunken Old Man
环滁皆山也。
其西南诸峰，林壑尤美，望之蔚然而深秀者，琅琊也。
山行六七里，渐闻水声潺潺而泻出于两峰之间者，酿泉也。
峰回路转，有亭翼然临于泉上者，醉翁亭也。
作亭者谁？
山之僧智仙也。
名之者谁？
太守自谓也。
Of its, the southwest, the various peaks,
The woods and the valleys, especially, the beautiful,
Looking, it, the lush and the flourishing, and the deep and the elegant,
The Langya, it is.
Walking, the mountains, the six or the seven li,
Gradually, hearing, the sounds of the water, the gurgling and the gurgling,
And, pouring out, between, the two peaks,
The Niangquan, it is.
The peak, turning, the road, turning,
Having, a pavilion, the wings, spreading,
Facing, upon, the spring,
The pavilion of the Drunken Old Man, it is.
Making, the pavilion, who,
The monk of the mountains, the Zhi Xian, it is.
Naming, it, who,
The prefect, from the self, calling, it is.
Meaning
A record of the pavilion and the prefect, written by Ouyang Xiu. Around the Chu all are the mountains, the southwest peaks with the woods and the valleys especially beautiful, looking the lush and the deep, the Langya — the mountains of the opening. Walking the six or the seven li with the water gurgling pouring out between the two peaks, the Niangquan — the spring of the walking. The peak turning with the road turning, a pavilion with the wings spreading facing upon the spring — the pavilion of the meeting. And the close's making the pavilion who, the monk Zhi Xian, naming it who, the prefect from the self calling — the naming of the close. The record is the pavilion and the prefect: the mountains, the spring, and the close's naming of the prefect.
环绕着滁州城的全都是山。它西南方向的几座山峰，树林和山谷尤其优美，远远望去树木茂盛、幽深秀丽的，是琅琊山。沿着山路走六七里，渐渐听到潺潺的水声，从两座山峰之间倾泻而出的，是酿泉。山峰回环、道路曲折，有一座亭子像鸟儿展翅一样高踞在泉水之上，那就是醉翁亭。建造亭子的人是谁？是山里的僧人智仙。给它命名的人是谁？是太守用自己的别号来称呼它。
Appreciation
[Plain Paraphrase] Around, the Chu, all, are, the mountains. Of its, the southwest, the various peaks, the woods and the valleys, especially, the beautiful, looking, it, the lush and the flourishing, and the deep and the elegant, the Langya, it is. Walking, the mountains, the six or the seven li, gradually, hearing, the sounds of the water, the gurgling and the gurgling, and, pouring out, between, the two peaks, the Niangquan, it is. The peak, turning, the road, turning, having, a pavilion, the wings, spreading, facing, upon, the spring, the pavilion of the Drunken Old Man, it is. Making, the pavilion, who, the monk of the mountains, the Zhi Xian, it is. Naming, it, who, the prefect, from the self, calling, it is. [Structure and Thought] The record moves from the mountains of the Langya, through the spring of the gurgling and the pavilion of the wings, to the close's making and naming of the pavilion. [Key Technique] The record's art is the naming of the close: the pavilion of the wings with the spring, and the close's naming of the prefect from the self — the record gathered in the scene and the close's naming. [Emotional Tone] Clear, leisurely, and delightful: the record is the mountains, the spring and the close's naming.
【白话串讲】 “环滁皆山也”——欧阳修写《醉翁亭记》。“醉翁之意不在酒，在乎山水之间也”——千古名句。“山水之乐，得之心而寓之酒也”——“朝而往，暮而归，四时之景不同，而乐亦无穷也”——他写与滁人同游之乐。 【意象与手法】 全文以「也」字句构成回环往复的节奏，设问自答、层层点题；语言极简而容量极大，「环滁皆山也」一句即被后人誉为省净之至的典范，启后世游记散文之先河 【情感与主旨】 欧阳修贬知滁州，寄情山水，以「醉翁」自号，写山水之乐而归于与民同乐，旷达之中有深沉的忧患 【名句点睛】 「峰回路转，有亭翼然临于泉上者，醉翁亭也」——以「翼然」写亭如鸟展翅，静物而动、形神毕现，历来为写亭之绝笔
Background
Ouyang Xiu (1007-1072), the great essayist of the Song, wrote this 'The Record of the Pavilion of the Drunken Old Man' of the pavilion and the prefect — the delight of the exile. The mountains of the Langya with the spring of the gurgling, the pavilion of the wings facing the spring, and the close's making and naming of the pavilion — the record gathers the delight of the prefect, the leisure of the mountains. The record is one of the most famous essays of the Song, the masterpiece of the poet's prose.
欧阳修（1007—1072），字永叔，号醉翁、六一居士，庐陵（今江西吉安）人，北宋诗文革新运动的领袖，唐宋八大家之一。《醉翁亭记》约作于宋仁宗庆历六年（1046），时欧阳修正贬知滁州（今安徽滁州）。庆历三年（1043），欧阳修参与范仲淹领导的「庆历新政」，力主改革吏治、兴利除弊；新政失败后，范仲淹等被贬，欧阳修亦因力辩新政、触怒权贵，于庆历五年（1045）出知滁州。滁州地处江淮之间，山清水秀而民风淳朴，欧阳修到任后宽简为政，与民休息，政务之余纵情山水，于城西南琅琊山麓建醉翁亭，常与宾客游宴其间，遂有此记。文中自号「醉翁」，自称「太守」，实为贬谪中的自嘲与自解——醉翁之意不在酒，而在山水之间，更深藏着一个失意文人以山水自遣、以民同乐自慰的复杂心绪。这篇记文作于他被贬后的第二年，正是其政治上失意而心境渐趋旷达之时；此后他又陆续写下《丰乐亭记》《菱溪石记》等滁州山水诸记，皆为此期心境之写真。
Art
The record's art is the art of the pavilion. The mountains open: around, the Chu, all, are, the mountains — the mountains of the Chu; of its, the southwest, the various peaks, the woods and the valleys, especially, the beautiful — the southwest peaks; looking, it, the lush and the flourishing, and the deep and the elegant, the Langya, it is — the Langya of the looking. The spring follows: walking, the mountains, the six or the seven li — the walking of the li; gradually, hearing, the sounds of the water, the gurgling and the gurgling — the gurgling of the water; and, pouring out, between, the two peaks, the Niangquan, it is — the Niangquan of the pouring. The pavilion: the peak, turning, the road, turning — the turning of the road; having, a pavilion, the wings, spreading, facing, upon, the spring — the wings of the pavilion; the pavilion of the Drunken Old Man, it is — the pavilion of the naming. And the close gathers the naming: making, the pavilion, who, the monk of the mountains, the Zhi Xian, it is — the making of the monk; naming, it, who, the prefect, from the self, calling, it is — the naming of the prefect — the mountains, the spring and the close's naming, gathered in the record.
此记在文体上属唐宋古文运动中的散体游记，却熔叙事、写景、抒情、议论于一炉，章法极讲究「收束」二字。开篇「环滁皆山也」，仅五字写尽滁州地理形势，前人评其省净，传说欧阳修初稿写滁州四围山势数十句，后改定为此五字，足见其锤炼之功。全文以空间由远及近、由大到小层层收拢：由城到山，由山到峰，由峰到泉，由泉到亭，如剥蕉取心，步步逼近中心意象「醉翁亭」；至「有亭翼然临于泉上者，醉翁亭也」方才点题，随后以「作亭者谁」「名之者谁」两个设问自答，引出「太守自谓」，把一座亭子与一个贬谪太守的命运绾结起来。语言上通篇以「也」字判断句贯穿（节选中即有六处「也」字），形成回环往复、一唱三叹的咏叹调式，这是欧阳修对先秦散文句式的创造性发展；句式骈散相间，长句舒卷、短句顿挫，如「山行六七里」「峰回路转」之简劲，与「望之蔚然而深秀者」之委婉相映成趣。
Allusions
'The Langya' (Lang ya) is the Langya — the mountain of the Langya, the lush and the deep; 'the Niangquan' (Niang quan) is the Niangquan — the spring of the brewing, the gurgling; 'the pavilion of the Drunken Old Man' (Zui weng ting) is the pavilion of the Drunken Old Man — the pavilion of the prefect; 'the Zhi Xian' (Zhi Xian) is the Zhi Xian — the monk of the mountains, the maker of the pavilion.
「醉翁」之名，是理解此文的文化关键。欧阳修自号醉翁，源于《礼记·射义》「酒者，所以养老也，所以养病也」及《诗经》饮酒雅乐的传统——酒在中国士人文化中是解忧之物、是率性之具；而欧阳修取「醉」为号，又暗含《楚辞·渔父》「众人皆醉我独醒」的反向自嘲：众人皆醉而我独醒，本是屈原式的孤愤；欧阳修却反其道，以「醉」自居，化激愤为旷达。亭名「醉翁」，即谓「醉翁之亭」，全篇主旨却落在「醉翁之意不在酒，在乎山水之间也」——由酒而山水、由山水而民乐，层层翻转。山水意象承接六朝以来山水游赏传统：谢灵运「山水含清晖」、陶渊明「悠然见南山」，皆以自然为精神归宿；欧阳修琅琊之游，正是这一传统的宋代回响。此外，「酿泉」之名、「琅琊」之地，皆实有其物，作者以实景入文，使山水之乐落到实处，与陶渊明《桃花源记》的理想之境、柳宗元《小石潭记》的幽峭之境鼎足而三，代表了中国士人「山水—政治」间自我安顿的三重路径。
Commentary
This record is one of the most famous essays of the Song, quoted for the clearness of its scene and the naming of its close. The gurgling of the Niangquan, and the prefect from the self calling, are among the admired passages of the essay. Critics praise the record's leisure: the pavilion gathered in the scene, to the close's naming.
《醉翁亭记》是宋代游记散文的扛鼎之作，也是欧阳修最负盛名的传世名篇。它上承柳宗元山水游记的写景传统，下开苏轼《喜雨亭记》、王安石《游褒禅山记》等宋代游记「即景言志」的格局，把山水散文从单纯模山范水提升为士人心境的载体。后世评价极高：宋人罗大经《鹤林玉露》称「环滁皆山也」一句「省字而意尽」，赞其语言之至简；金人王若虚《滹南遗老集》专论此文句法，谓其「句法之妙，古今罕及」；明代茅坤编《唐宋八大家文钞》，将此文列为欧阳修游记之首；清代沈德潜评其「句句是记山水，却句句是写胸怀」。在文学史上，此文更因「醉翁之意不在酒」一语化为成语而深入人心，成为「意有所托」的代名词；「峰回路转」亦由此文进入日常语言。它还深刻影响了后世游记的结构模式——由远及近、层层点题的开篇法，被无数山水游记仿效。今天《醉翁亭记》仍是中学语文的必背篇目，滁州琅琊山醉翁亭亦因文而名，成为历史文化地标，可见一篇散文对地域文化的塑造之力。
Prosody
Line by line
环滁皆山也。其西南诸峰，林壑尤美，望之蔚然而深秀者，琅琊也。
Around, the Chu, all, are, the mountains. Of its, the southwest, the various peaks, the woods and the valleys, especially, the beautiful, looking, it, the lush and the flourishing, and the deep and the elegant, the Langya, it is.
环绕着滁州城的全都是山。它西南方向的几座山峰，树林和山谷尤其优美，远远望去树木茂盛、幽深秀丽的，就是琅琊山。
Chuzhou is ringed on all sides by mountains. The peaks to the southwest, with their forests and valleys, are especially lovely; the lush, deep and graceful one seen afar is Mount Langya.
开篇两句是全文的「总起」，以极简之笔拓开全篇的空间格局。「环滁皆山也」五字一句，写滁州四面皆山的地理大势，语极省而意极足：一个「环」字画出群山合抱之势，「皆」字写山之普遍，「也」字以判断句定调，读来如地理图卷徐徐展开。传说欧阳修初稿铺陈四围山势数十言，后改定为此五字，成为古文炼句的经典佳话，正见「省净」之妙。第二句由面到点，先以「西南诸峰」收窄视线，再以「林壑尤美」点出此间最优胜处，最后用「望之蔚然而深秀者，琅琊也」的设问自答句式亮出琅琊山——「蔚然」状其草木繁茂之盛，「深秀」状其幽深秀丽之质，一远望一近观，山之气象全出。两句由城而山、由诸峰而琅琊，层层聚焦，为下文「酿泉」「醉翁亭」的出场预留了「由大及小」的叙述逻辑，笔法如抽丝剥茧，从容而有法度。
The opening two lines are the essay general introduction, opening its spatial frame with the utmost economy. Chuzhou is ringed by mountains - five words laying out the geography: the single word ringed draws the enclosing hills, all shows how universal they are, and is sets the judgmental tone, so that the prose seems to unroll like a map. Legend says Ouyang Xiu first drafted the encircling slopes in dozens of words before cutting to these five, a classic tale of classical prose compression. The second line narrows from the whole to the point: first the peaks to the southwest, then forests and valleys especially lovely, and finally the question-and-answer naming of Mount Langya. Lush shows the dense vegetation; deep and graceful its hidden beauty, one view from afar, one from near, and the mountain presence is complete. The two lines focus steadily from city to mountains, from many peaks to Langya, reserving the from-large-to-small narrative logic for the Brew Spring and the pavilion to come - deliberate, lawed, unhurried.
山行六七里，渐闻水声潺潺而泻出于两峰之间者，酿泉也。
Six or seven li up the mountain path, the sound of gurgling water gradually grows clear - it is the Brew Spring, pouring out between two peaks.
沿着山路走六七里，渐渐听到潺潺的水声，从两座山峰之间倾泻而出的，就是酿泉。
Walking six or seven li up the mountain path, one gradually hears gurgling water - it is the Brew Spring, pouring out between two peaks.
此句由写山转入写水，叙述中暗含行进的动态。「山行六七里」以数字纪程，写人沿山路而行的实际步履，把读者带入山中；「渐闻水声潺潺」以「渐」字写声音由远及近、由隐约而清晰的过程，先闻其声、后见其泉，是典型的「未见其形、先闻其声」的写法，妙在以听觉牵引视觉。「泻出于两峰之间」写泉流从两峰夹峙处倾泻而出，「泻」字写出水势之奔涌飞动，着一「出」字则泉之来路明晰可寻；「酿泉」点出其名，因水清可酿酒而得名，为下文太守与宾客「酿泉为酒」的宴游暗埋伏笔。此句以「者……也」的判断句式收束，与上句「琅琊也」句式呼应，形成「山—泉」的平行结构；由闻声到见泉、由泉名到泉用，层层递进，把一座普通的山泉写得有声有色、有情有用，充分体现欧阳修「状难写之景如在目前」的笔力。
This line turns from mountains to water, with the motion of walking implicit in the narrative. Six or seven li up the mountain path measures the actual journey and draws the reader into the hills. One gradually hears gurgling water - the word gradually traces the sound coming nearer, faint then clear; hearing it before seeing it is the classic method of the sound first, the shape after, using hearing to lead the eye. Pouring out between two peaks shows the spring bursting from the gap between opposing peaks; pouring gives the rushing motion, and out makes the spring source traceable. It is named the Brew Spring because its water was clear enough for brewing, quietly foreshadowing the prefect later feast brewing wine at the spring. The line closes with the is judgment, echoing it is Langya above, forming a parallel mountain-spring structure; from hearing to sight, from name to use, it layers forward, rendering a common mountain spring vivid, sonorous and purposeful - proof of Ouyang gift for making the hardest scene stand before the eyes.
峰回路转，有亭翼然临于泉上者，醉翁亭也。
The peak, turning, the road, turning, having, a pavilion, the wings, spreading, facing, upon, the spring, the pavilion of the Drunken Old Man, it is.
山峰回环、道路曲折，有一座亭子像鸟儿展翅一样高踞在泉水之上，那就是醉翁亭。
Where the path winds and turns, a pavilion stands poised like a spreading wing above the spring - it is the Pavilion of the Drunken Old Man.
此句是全篇的点题之笔，亦是中国游记中最著名的亭台描写之一。「峰回路转」四字写山路之曲折，既是实写琅琊山道盘旋之景，又暗喻人生际遇的起伏流转——贬谪路上的「峰回路转」，恰是此亭得以出现的契机；成语「峰回路转」即由此而来。「翼然」二字是千古传神的比喻：以飞鸟展翅之态写亭檐四角翘起、凌空欲飞之形，静物写得栩栩如生、生气灌注，比「高耸」「巍然」等泛写高明远甚；「临于泉上」点明亭与泉的位置关系——亭临泉上，居高俯瞰，正与「酿泉」上下呼应。句式上，「有亭翼然临于泉上者，醉翁亭也」以「者……也」判断句自答，与「琅琊也」「酿泉也」构成三叠，至此由山而泉、由泉而亭，层层聚焦的中心意象终于现身；而亭名「醉翁」，又把一座无名的亭子与太守的别号绾合，景物自此染上人的色彩，下文「作亭者谁」「名之者谁」的设问便水到渠成。
This line is the essay point of naming, and one of the most famous pavilion descriptions in Chinese travel writing. The path winds and turns shows the twisting mountain road, both literally the way up Langya and metaphorically the ups and downs of exile - the very turning that brought the pavilion into being; the idiom path winds and turns originates here. Like a spreading wing is the immortal image: the upturned eaves, poised as if about to fly, give a static structure living breath, far beyond vague words like towering. Above the spring fixes the pavilion position, high and overlooking, answering the spring below. The sentence closes with the is judgment, forming a triple refrain with it is Langya and it is the Brew Spring; from mountain to spring to pavilion, the focused center image finally appears. And the name Drunken Old Man binds the anonymous pavilion to the prefect own sobriquet; from this point the scenery takes on human color, and the later questions who built it and who named it follow naturally.
作亭者谁？山之僧智仙也。名之者谁？太守自谓也。
Making, the pavilion, who, the monk of the mountains, the Zhi Xian, it is. Naming, it, who, the prefect, from the self, calling, it is.
建造亭子的人是谁？是山里的僧人智仙。给它命名的人是谁？是太守用自己「醉翁」的别号来称呼它。
Who built the pavilion? The monk Zhixian of the mountain. Who named it? The prefect, after himself.
两个设问自答，是全文由写景转入写人的枢纽，也是理解「醉翁」之意的钥匙。「作亭者谁？山之僧智仙也」交代亭之建造者，实有其人、不涉虚构，见记事之实；「名之者谁？太守自谓也」则笔锋一转，落到命名权——亭非太守所建，却由太守命名，且以「醉翁」自号名之，一座山僧所建的无名小亭，因太守的命名而与一位贬谪文人的精神世界发生关联。这里暗藏深意：太守自号醉翁，人以为醉，而「醉翁之意不在酒」（全篇后文），名亭实为名己，亭之「翼然」亦即人之昂然自持。句式上，两组设问一答一收，问得紧凑、答得斩截，与上文「者……也」的长句铺陈形成快慢对比，节奏为之一变；由问亭到问名，由物及人，将一座地理建筑升华为文化意象——醉翁亭自此不再是一座亭，而成为士人在逆境中自适、自守的象征。
The two question-and-answer exchanges are the essay hinge from landscape to person, and the key to the meaning of the Drunken Old Man. Who built it? The monk Zhixian records a real builder, no fiction, showing the factual care. Who named it? The prefect, after himself turns to the right of naming: the pavilion was not the prefect work, yet he named it, and named it after his own sobriquet; a humble hut built by a mountain monk becomes, through his naming, bound to the inner life of an exiled scholar. The hidden depth: men thought the prefect drunk on wine, yet later he declares the Drunken Old Man heart is not in the wine; naming the pavilion was really naming himself, and the pavilion wing-like poise mirrors the man own upright bearing. The two exchanges ask and answer briskly, contrasting with the longer descriptive sentences above; from pavilion to name, from thing to person, a geographical structure is raised into a cultural symbol - the Drunken Pavilion is no longer merely a pavilion but an emblem of the scholar serene self-possession in adversity.
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Fan Zhongyan's 'On the Yueyang Tower' — 'the joy of the world first, the worry of the world last' — is the record of the tower; Ouyang Xiu's 'The Record of the Pavilion of the Drunken Old Man' — 'the delight of the mountains and the waters' — is the record of the pavilion — the two records of the Song, the one of the worry, the other of the delight.
范仲淹《岳阳楼记》与《醉翁亭记》作于同一政治背景——庆历新政失败后，范仲淹贬邓州、欧阳修贬滁州，二人各以一篇楼亭记抒写贬谪中的怀抱。二文同属亭台楼阁记，都以「记物」为表、「言志」为里：范仲淹借岳阳楼之「览物之情」发「先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐」之志，欧阳修借醉翁亭之山水宴游写「醉翁之意不在酒」之趣。差异亦分明：范文格局宏阔，议论激昂，以「忧乐」二字立骨，是士人政治理想的宣言；欧阳文情致闲适，以「醉」字立骨，是失意者自我安顿的诗意。一「忧」一「醉」、一进取一自适，恰见庆历新政后士人两种典型的心态，而二文同为千古名篇，并称宋代亭记之双璧。
小石潭记 A Record of the Little Stone Pond 柳宗元 · 同属贬谪文人山水游记，唐宋山水散文的承续 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
柳宗元《小石潭记》是唐代贬谪山水游记的代表，欧阳修《醉翁亭记》承其余绪而另开生面。相同处：二文皆为贬官后所写，皆以山水为精神寄托，皆以精炼语言写景传神——柳宗元「潭中鱼可百许头，皆若空游无所依」之空灵，欧阳修「有亭翼然临于泉上」之灵动，皆以少少许胜多多许。差异亦分明：柳文景物幽峭清冷，「凄神寒骨，悄怆幽邃」，是孤愤者眼中的山水，凄清压抑；欧阳文山水葱茏明媚，「蔚然而深秀」，是旷达者眼中的山水，欣然自乐。同是贬谪，柳宗元以苦语写景、郁结难解，欧阳修以乐语写景、自我化解，二人一「峭」一「和」，恰成唐宋贬谪文学两种心境的对照，亦见散文从唐之清峻到宋之平和的演进。
桃花源记 The Peach Blossom Spring 陶渊明 · 同为中国士人「理想之境」书写的经典 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
陶渊明《桃花源记》虚构了一个「阡陌交通、鸡犬相闻」的世外桃源，欧阳修《醉翁亭记》则写实了琅琊山中一座与民同乐的醉翁亭，一虚一实，同为中国士人安顿身心的「理想之境」。桃花源是逃避乱世的乌托邦，可望而不可即，「不复得路」暗示理想之虚幻；醉翁亭是贬谪之地的真实山水，太守与客游饮其间，是现实中的自得其乐。陶渊明以「归隐」化解对现实的不满，欧阳修以「同乐」消解政治失意的郁结——前者指向离开，后者指向安处。二文相隔六百余年，却共同回答了中国士人的经典命题：当政治理想受挫时，人当何处安放自己？陶渊明给出「逃」的答案，欧阳修给出「安」的答案，合观之，可见中国士人精神自我调节的两条路径。