and perspicacity. It would be inappropriate to show partiality and make distinction between regulations inside and outside the court.
Ministers such as Guo Youzhi, Fei Yi and Dong Yun, having integrity and probity as well as faith in our cause and purity of mind, were selected by the late Emperor to be used by Your Majesty. I think that they should be consulted on all court affairs, be they great or small, before they are put into execution. This will certainly be conducive to making up for loopholes and defects in our work and to effecting greater successes. General Xiang Chong, a man of good nature, well versed in tactics, formerly used on probation and considered by the late Emperor as capable, has been recommended by all to be the Military Superintendent. In my humble opinion, he should be consulted on all matters concerning the army, be they great or small. This will surely contribute to the harmony in the army and to putting both the superior and the indifferent people in their proper places.
To be close to virtuous courtiers and alien to knavish ones was what made the Earlier Han Dynasty strong and prosperous, while to be close to knavish courtiers and alien to virtuous ones was what made the Latter Han Dynasty collapse. When the late Emperor was still alive, he did not fail to sign with regret and bear a bitter grudge against Emperors Huan and Ling every time he discussed this history with me. Ministers such as Chen Zhen, Zhang Yi and Jiang Wan are all constant and loyal subjects. It is hoped that Your Majesty will hold them dear and trust them. In that case, the revival of the Han Dynasty can be expected in the nearest future.
I was originally a commoner, tilling my land in Nanyang, trying merely to survive in the troublous times, not seeking to be known to the nobility. The late Emperor, disregarding my humble birth and low position, condescended to pay me three visits in my thatched cottage, consulting me on contemporary issues. I was therefore very grateful to him and promised him my whole-hearted service. Later our army suffered a disastrous defeat, I was appointed as envoy to Wu at the time of the debacle, and was installed in office at a moment of great peril and tribulation. Since then twenty one years have elapsed. Knowing my prudence, the late Emperor entrusted me with that task of great consequence upon his demise. Being thus committed, I have often worried at night, fearing lest I should fail to live up to the trust, reflecting discredit upon His Majesty‘s sagacity. Consequently, I led the troops to cross the River Lu in the fifth month, penetrating into the depth of the barren land. Now that the southern territory is stabilized and armaments are
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sufficient, it is high time to reward the army, so as to march north and recover the central part of the country. I wish that I might exhaust my mediocre ability in extirpating the treacherous malefactors and restoring the Han Dynasty with a triumphant re-entry into the lost capital. This is what I should do to repay the kindness of the late Emperor and to perform my duty to Your Majesty. As for handling matters with discretion and weighing advantages and disadvantages as well as making faithful remonstrances, they are the concern of Guo, Fei and Dong. I beg Your Majesty to enjoin upon me the success of the expedition and the revival of the Han Dynasty. Should I fail, then call me to task and have me duly punished, so as to solace the soul of the late Emperor. In the absence of outspoken suggestions regarding the advancement of virtues and morality, Guo, Fei and Dong are to be corrected and to have their fault of remissness made known to everybody.
It would be wise that Your Majesty also give more consideration to State affairs, soliciting the good opinions on conducting the government and accepting with discernment other people‘s views, so as to realize the late Emperor‘s wish as expressed in his testament. I shall be most grateful to you for your kindness. Upon my departure to a remote region, I cannot help shedding tears while writing this memorial, not quite clear myself on what I have herein related. 20. 魏学洢·《核舟记》
明有奇巧人曰王叔远，能以径寸之木，为宫室、器皿、人物，以至鸟兽、木石，罔不因势象形，各具情态。尝贻余核舟一，盖大苏泛赤壁云。
舟首尾长约八分有奇，高可二黍许。中轩敞者为舱，箬篷覆之。旁开小窗，左右各四，共八扇。启窗而观，雕栏相望焉。闭之，则右刻“山高月小，水落石出”，左刻“清风徐来，水波不兴”，石青糁之。
船头坐三人，中峨冠而多髯者为东坡，佛印居右，鲁直居左。苏、黄共阅一手卷。东坡右手执卷端，左手抚鲁直背。鲁直左手执卷末，右手指卷，如有所语。东坡现右足，鲁直现左足，各微侧，其两膝相比者，各隐卷底衣褶中。佛印绝类弥勒，袒胸露乳，矫首昂视，神情与苏黄不属。卧右膝，诎右臂支船，而竖其左膝，左臂挂念珠倚之，珠可历历数也。
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舟尾横卧一楫。楫左右舟子各一人。居右者椎髻仰面，左手倚一衡木，右手攀右趾，若啸呼状。居左者右手执蒲葵扇，左手抚炉，炉上有壶，其人视端容寂，若听茶声然。
其船背稍夷，则题名其上，文曰：“天启壬戌秋日，虞山王毅叔远甫刻”，细若蚊足，钩画了了，其色墨。又用篆章一文曰“初平山人”，其色丹。
通计一舟，为人五；为窗八；为箬篷，为楫，为炉，为壶，为手卷，为念珠各一；对联、题名并篆文，为字共三十有四。而计其长曾不盈寸。盖简桃核修狭者为之。
魏子详瞩既毕，诧曰：嘻，技亦灵怪矣哉！《庄》《列》所载，称惊鬼犹神者良多，然谁有游削于不寸之质，而须麋了然者。假有人焉，举我言以复于我，亦必疑其诳，乃今亲睹之。繇斯以观，棘刺之端，未必不可为母猴也。嘻，技亦灵怪矣哉！
The Peach-Stone Boat
Wei Xueyi
Our dynasty has a master craftsman named Wang Shuyuan, who can carve a piece of wood one inch across into palaces, utensils and human figures as well as birds, beasts, trees and rocks, each done real to life with distinctive features. He once gave me a peach-stone boat, which represents Su Shi sailing past the Red Cliff.
The boat from stern to stern measures a fraction more than four-fifths of an inch and is roughly the height of two grains of rice. In the centre, high and roomy, is a cabin shingled with bamboo which has four small windows on either side—eight in all. In the windows that are open you can see the carved railings on the other side; in the closed ones, two inscriptions in blue. That on the right reads, ―High hills dwarf the moon, low water reveals the rocks‖ that on the left, ―The breeze is fresh and gentle, but the water remains unruffled.‖
In the bow sit three men: in the middle, Su Shi, heavily bearded and wearing a tall hat, with Foyin on his right and Huang Tingjian on his left (1). Su and Huang are studying a scroll. Su holds one end in his right hand, patting Huang‘s back with his left, while Huang holds the other end in his left hand and is pointing at it with his right as if making some comment. We can see Su‘s right leg and Huang‘s left, both stretched slightly outwards, though their knees which hare touching are hidden by the folds of their clothes underneath the scroll. Foyin looks the image of Buddha, the
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nipples showing on his bare chest and his head raised to gaze forward, his whole attitude contrasting with that of the other two. He is reclining on his right leg, propped up against the boat on his right elbow, his left knee sticking up. From his left arm hangs string of beads, each single bead so distinct that you can count them.
In the stern of the boat lies an oar, flanked by two boatmen. The one on the right, his hair knotted on the crown of his head, is looking up with his left hand on the rudder while with his right he nurses his right foot; and he seems to be hailing someone. The one on the left has a palm-leaf fan in his right and with his left is feeling the pot on the stove, watching it with quiet intentness as if waiting for the tea to boil.
The back of the boat is fairly flat and bears this inscription: ―Carved in the autumn of the second year of the Tianqi Period by Wang Yi, formally Shuyuan, of Yushan.‖ These words, written in black ink, are as fine as the legs of mosquitoes but each stroke and dot is clear-cut. There is also a vermilion seal with the signature, ―The Hermit Chuping.‖
All told, here is one boat with five figures, eight windows and one bamboo roof, oar, stove, pot, scroll and string of beads, as well as a couplet, inscription and seal comprising thirty-four characters between them. Yet the whole measures less than one inch. The peach stone from which it is carved is slightly more elongated than ordinary ones.
After a careful study of this boat I exclaimed in astonishment, ―Why, the craftsmanship is simply miraculous! There are many anecdotes in Zhuang Zi and Lie Zi of well-nigh supernatural feats, but who ever saw a carving less than an inch in size, with each single hair distinct? If someone described this to me I should suspect him of lying, but I have seen it now with my own eyes. Judging by this, it may be possible to carve a female monkey on the tip of a thorn (2). Ah, the craftsmanship is simply miraculous!‖
(1)The monk Foyin and the poet Huang Tingjian were Sushi‘s good friends. (2)This story is from Han Fei Zi, another early philosophical work. （杨宪益、戴乃迭 译）
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