Reading Reflection
第十二章讲述的苏轼已然进入诗歌创作的成熟时期，在杭州时的愤怒与火气已无，只剩下安详平和与顺时知命的心境，甚至他对大自然之美的喜悦与生活中的乐事的享受，也比以前更洒脱而不执着。他越来越爱陶渊明，我初读《西斋》，真有在读陶诗的感觉。你看“西斋深且明，中有六尺床。病夫朝睡足，危坐觉日长。昏昏既非醉，福祸亦非狂。寒衣竹风下，穆然中微凉。”不是非常有“结庐在人境，而无车马喧。问君何能尔？心远地自偏。采菊东篱下，悠然见南山。山气日夕佳，飞鸟相与还。此中有真意，欲辨已忘言。”的感觉？但是同时苏东坡仍对平民百姓抱有深切的关怀，无论是在密州还是在徐州，他尽最大的努力帮扶百姓，为善一方，真真是福泽深厚。
Words & Expressions
1. 《水调歌头》英译“Mid-Autumn Moon”，原诗自然无出其右，但是林语堂将英诗也译出了韵律感和美感，值得一记。
How rare the moon, so round and clear! With cup in hand, I ask of the blue sky,
I do not know in the celestial sphere What name this festive night goes by?
I want to fly home, riding the air,
But fear the ethereal cold up there,
The jade and crystal mansions are so high!
Dancing to my shadow, I feel no longer the mortal tie.
明月几时有，把酒问青天？不知天上宫阀，今夕是何年？我欲乘风归去，又恐 琼楼玉宇，高处不胜寒。起舞弄清影，何似在人间？
She rounds the vermilion tower,
Stoops to silk-pad doors, Shines on those who sleepless lie.
Why does she, bearing us no grudge,
Shine upon our parting, reunion deny
But rare is perfect happiness
The moon does wax, the moon does wane, And so men meet and say goodbye.
I only pray our life be long, And our souls together heavenward fly!
转朱阁，低博户，照无眠。不应有恨，何事长向别时圆？人有悲欢离合，月有 阴晴圆缺，此事古难全。但愿人长久，千里共婢娟。
2. Even for a genius like Su Tungpo, life began at forty.
中文也有类似的表达，四十不惑、或是人生从四十开始、男人四十一枝花（……），也有译为‘花样中年’。
3. flog
While there was a law punishing magistrates who had flogged prisoners to death, Su pointed out that there was nothing being done about prisoners who died of disease and bad care.
flog: If someone is flogged, they are hit very hard with a whip or stick as a punishment. 鞭打; 棒打
to flog a dead horse: 徒劳无功；徒劳；枉费心机
to flog something to death: [口语](对某事)反复啰唆使人厌烦
