Translation under the text of the Records of the Yueyang Tower

In the spring of the fourth year of Qingli, Teng Zijing was banished to guard Baling County. The more next year, the political and human peace, all the waste and prosperity. It is to rebuild Yueyang Tower, increase its old system, engraved Tang Xian modern poetry on it. It is not a good idea to have a good time, but it's a good idea to have a good time.

I look at the Baling victory, a lake in Dongting. Articulate distant mountains, swallow the Yangtze River, Hao Hao Tang Tang, across the endless; sunrise and sunset, the weather is a thousand. This is a great view of Yueyang Tower. The previous statement is ready. However, the north through the Witch's Gorge, the south pole Xiaoxiang, the migrants, many will be here, the feeling of seeing things, there is no difference?

If the rain falls, even the moon is not open, the wind is angry, turbid waves in the air; the sun and the stars are hidden, the mountains are submerged; business travelers can not, the mast is destroyed; twilight, the tiger whistles and apes cry. Ascending the building is also, there is a country of nostalgia, worry about slander and ridicule, full of depression, feeling extreme and sad people carry on.

As for the spring and scenery, the waves are not alarmed, up and down the sky light, a blue million hectares; gulls gathered, Kam Kam scales swimming; Angelica dahurian orchids, lush green. And or long smoke a sky, the moon thousands of miles, floating light jumping gold, quiet shadow sinking jewellery, fishing songs answering each other, this music how extreme! Ascending the building is also, there is a relaxed and happy, forgetting the spoils and insults, wine in the wind, the joy of it is carried out.

Contempt! I tasted the heart of ancient benevolence, or different from the two for, why? Not to things like, not to their own grief. Living in the high temple is worried about its people; in the distance of the lake is worried about its ruler. It is also worried about entering, and also worried about retreating. But when to be happy? It must be said that "the world's worries first, after the world's happiness and joy". Yelp! I'm not sure who I'm going to be able to return to.

Then six years September 15.

Translation

In the spring of the fourth year of the Qingli reign, Teng Zijing was relegated to the post of governor of Baling. In the next year, the government was smooth, the people lived in peace and work in contentment, and all kinds of deserted undertakings were organized. So he rebuilt Yueyang Tower, enlarged its old size, and carved poems and fugitives of famous Tang Dynasty writers and present-day people on it. I was instructed to write an article to recount this.

I see that the wonderful scenery of that Baling County is all in one lake, Dongting. It connects the distant mountains and gulps down the current of the Yangtze River; it is vast and boundless; it is clear in the morning and cloudy in the evening, and has a thousand different kinds of weather. This is the grand and spectacular sight of Yueyang Tower. The account of the predecessors (has been) very exhaustive. However, the north side leads to the Witch's Gorge, the south side until the Xiaoxiang, the deported politicians and poets, most of them gather here, the feelings triggered by seeing the natural scenery, probably will be different, right?

Like the rainy days that lasted for months, the cold winds roared, and the turbid waves rushed to the sky; the sun and stars hid their light, and the mountains lurked in form; merchants and travelers couldn't move forward, the masts fell down, and the oars were broken; the evening sky darkened, and the tigers roared and the apes cried out in sadness. (At this time) climbed this building, ah, will be deported from the capital, nostalgia for home, fear of slander, fear of ridicule feelings, (will feel) full of depressing scenes, feelings to the extreme and sad.

By the time the spring breeze is warm and sunny, the lake is calm, there are no waves, the upper and lower sky and lake are connected, a turquoise expanse; the white gulls on the sandbar fly from time to time and stop, the beautiful fish, swim to and fro; the shore of the grass, the orchids on the small continent, the aroma is strong, the color is verdant. Sometimes a large area of smoke completely dissipated, bright moonlight a cascade, floating light flashes of gold, quiet moon image sinking jade jade, the fisherman's song a song, this fun which has no end it! At this time on the Yueyang Tower, there is a heart open, the spirit is happy; glory and humiliation and forget, end of the glass to the wind, that mood is really happy.

Alas! What is the reason that I once inquired into the thoughts and feelings of ancient men of noble character, which were perhaps different from the above two moods? Not because of the good or bad of external things and their own gains and losses and either happy or sad, in the court as a high official for the people to worry about; not in the court as an official for the monarch to worry about. In this way, it seems that one worries even when one is an official in the court, and one worries even when one is not an official in the court. If this is the case, then when will one be happy? Then it must be said, "Worry before the people of the world worry, and be happy after the people of the world are happy". Alas! If there were no such people, with whom would I join?

Written on the 15th day of the 9th month of the 6th year of the Qingli reign (1046).

Notes

1

Exile: the demotion or distant transfer of an official of a feudal dynasty.

Shou: to be a governor of a state or county.

Baling: the name of the county, i.e. Yuezhou, with its seat in Yueyang, now in Hunan Province.

Beyond the next year: to the second year. (That is, the fifth year of Qingli, 1045)

Beyond: more than, over.

Tongtong Renhe: the government is smooth and the people are happy.

Tong: smooth.

Harmony: harmony and joy.

Gu: 俱, 全,皆.

Nai: thus.

Increase: expand.

System: scale.

Genus: to instruct.

Composition: to write.

Record: to recount.

2

Shengshu: winning scenery, good view.

articulate: contain.

Swallow: to gulp.

Hao Hao Tang Tang (shāng): the appearance of vast waves of water.

Horizontal boundlessness: wide and boundless.

Horizontal: wide and far.

International End: edge. (Difference between international and end-of-the-world: international refers to the border of land; end-of-the-world refers to the border of water)

Chaohui xiyin (朝晖夕阴): early morning or late evening (in a day) with many changes in shade and sunshine.

Hui: daylight.

Weather: scenery.

Wanqian: a thousand changes.

Daquan: majestic scene.

Preceding account is ready: the previous account is very detailed.

Be prepared: exhaustive.

Ran then: although so, then.

Nanji Xiaoxiang: south until Xia Shui, Xiang Shui. Xia Shui is a tributary of Xiang Shui, which flows into Dongting Lake.

Extreme: the end.

Relocated Guest: a person who is relegated to a distant post.

Sao Ren: poet. During the Warring States period, Qu Yuan wrote Li Sao, so later people also called the poet Sao Ren.

Hui: gathering.

The feelings of looking at things, get no different: how can the feelings triggered by looking at natural scenery not be different?

Visit: to see.

Difference: different

3

Ruofu: used at the beginning of a paragraph to evoke the following. The same applies to the following phrase "to if". "Wakfu" is similar to "like that", and "to wak" is similar to "to that".

Rain: continuous rain.

Fall: the appearance of dense rain (or snow).

Opening: clearing up.

Yin: gloomy and cold.

Turbid: muddy.

Platoon: to rush into the sky.

Sun and Stars Hidden: the sun and stars hide their light.

Yao: radiance

Yue: tall mountain.

Mountains: the mountains hide their forms.

Submerged: hidden.

Line: passage.

The masts fell: the masts fell and the oars broke.

Boom: mast.

Oar: oar.

Tilting: falling down.

Thin twilight: darkness in the evening.

Thin: imminent.

S: this.

Then: on.

Have: to produce.

Going to the country and missing home: leaving the capital and missing home.

Go: leave.

Kuo: the capital of the country.

Worrying about slandering and ridiculing: worrying about (people) saying bad things, fearing (people) criticizing and accusing.

Fear: to be afraid.

Slander: to speak ill of.

Sneer: criticize and accuse.

Slumpy: depressed and cold.

Sense: feeling.

4

Spring Harmony: a warm spring breeze.

Jing: daylight.

Waves and Ripples: the lake is calm and there are no shocking waves.

Shocked: here it means "to rise" or "to move".

Up and down the sky light, a blue ten thousand hectares: the sky and the lake light are connected, a turquoise, vast and boundless.

Ten thousand hectares: it is extremely wide.

Shagou: gulls on the sandbar.

Shoujie: sometimes flying, sometimes stopping.

Set: birds resting on trees.

Jinshi: beautiful fish.

Dahi: a kind of herb.

Ting: a small continent.

Bank of Zhi Zhi Ting Lan: grass on the bank and wildflowers on the small continent.

Yuyu: describing the lushness of grass and trees.

And or: sometimes.

Long Smoke and Empty: a large area of smoke completely dissipated.

One: all.

Hao Yue Li Li: the bright moonlight cascades over a thousand miles.

Floating Light: the fluctuating light flashes gold. Here it describes the waves of water illuminated by the moonlight.

Silent Shadow Sinking Jade Jewelry: The image of the silent moon sinks into the water. This is about the moon's shadow in the water when there is no wind.

Bik: round jade.

Hoji: there is no end to it.

Kuang: openness.

Yi: pleasant.

Favor and Humiliation: forgetting both honor and humiliation.

Favor: glory.

Kai: together.

Lin: to meet.

Holding wine to the wind: to hold wine to the wind, that is, to hold wine to drink in the breeze.

Handle: to hold, to hold.

Yangyang: a happy and pleased look.

5

Taste: once.

Seek: to seek.

Gu Ren Ren (古仁人): people of high moral character in ancient times.

heart: thoughts and feelings.

Or different from the two: perhaps different from the two moods (above).

Or: close to the meaning of "perhaps" and "maybe", in a euphemistic tone.

Different: different from.

For: here refers to mental activity (i.e. two moods).

To: because.

Not to be happy with things, not to be sad with oneself: not to be either happy or sad because of external things (good or bad) and oneself (gain or loss).

Living on the height of the temple hall: being on a high temple hall, meaning being an official at the court. In the following, "to enter" means "to live on the heights of the temple hall".

Temple: temple.

Tang: temple.

Temple Hall: at the court.

Sit in the distance of rivers and lakes: to be in a remote place between rivers and lakes, meaning not to be an official at the court. In the following, the word "retreat" means "to be far away from the rivers and lakes".

Yes: this way.

Ran then: since so, then ......

其必：一定。

First: before .......

After: after .......

With whom shall I return: (If) there be no such person, with whom shall I join?

Micro: there is none.

Shi man: such a person.

Who will return with me: "with whom will I return".

Return: to return to.