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明 Ming · 文 Prose

项脊轩志节选

Selected from the Record of Xiangji Pavilion

归有光

Gui Youguang

感怀Reflection 亲情Family Affection

项脊轩，旧南阁子也。
室仅方丈，可容一人居。
百年老屋，尘泥渗漉，雨泽下注；
每移案，顾视无可置者。
又北向，不能得日，日过午已昏。
余稍为修葺，使不上漏。
前辟四窗，垣墙周庭，以当南日，日影反照，室始洞然。
又杂植兰桂竹木于庭，旧时栏楯，亦遂增胜。

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项脊轩，旧南阁子也。
室仅方丈，可容一人居。
百年老屋，尘泥渗漉，雨泽下注；
每移案，顾视无可置者。
又北向，不能得日，日过午已昏。
余稍为修葺，使不上漏。
前辟四窗，垣墙周庭，以当南日，日影反照，室始洞然。
又杂植兰桂竹木于庭，旧时栏楯，亦遂增胜。
借书满架，偃仰啸歌，冥然兀坐，万籁有声；
而庭阶寂寂，小鸟时来啄食，人至不去。
三五之夜，明月半墙，桂影斑驳，风移影动，珊珊可爱。
然余居于此，多可喜，亦多可悲。
先是庭中通南北为一。
迨诸父异爨，内外多置小门墙，往往而是。
东犬西吠，客逾庖而宴，鸡栖于厅。
庭中始为篱，已为墙，凡再变矣。
家有老妪，尝居于此。
妪，先大母婢也，乳二世，先妣抚之甚厚。
室西连于中闺，先妣尝一至。
妪每谓余曰：“某所，而母立于兹。
”妪又曰：“汝姊在吾怀，呱呱而泣；
娘以指叩门扉曰：儿寒乎？
欲食乎？
”吾从板外相为应答。
语未毕，余泣，妪亦泣。
余自束发读书轩中，一日，大母过余曰：“吾儿，久不见若影，何竟日默默在此，大类女郎也？
”比去，以手阖门，自语曰：“吾家读书久不效，儿之成，则可待乎！
”顷之，持一象笏至，曰：“此吾祖太常公宣德间执此以朝，他日汝当用之！
”瞻顾遗迹，如在昨日，令人长号不自禁。

Xiangji Pavilion was originally the southern chamber. The room was only a square zhang, enough for one person to live in. It was a century-old house, with dust and mud seeping through, rain dripping down; every time I moved my desk, I looked around and found no place to put it. It faced north, so it couldn't get sunlight; after noon it was already dark. I repaired it slightly so that it didn't leak from above. I opened four windows in front and built walls around the courtyard to face the southern sun; the sunlight reflected and the room became bright. I also planted orchids, osmanthus, bamboos, and trees in the courtyard; the old railings thus became more beautiful. Borrowed books filled the shelves; I lay down or sat up, whistled and sang, or sat silently alone, hearing all sounds; the courtyard steps were quiet, little birds often came to peck at food, and they didn't leave when people came. On the night of the fifteenth, the bright moon half lit the wall, the osmanthus shadows were mottled, the wind moved the shadows, graceful and lovely.
But living here, I had much joy and also much sorrow. Earlier, the courtyard connected north and south as one. By the time my uncles divided the household, many small gates and walls were built inside and out, everywhere. The eastern dog barked at the west; guests crossed the kitchen to attend feasts; chickens roosted in the hall. At first there were fences in the courtyard, then walls, changed twice. There was an old woman who once lived here. She was a maid of my late grandmother, nursed two generations, and my late mother treated her generously. The room was connected to the inner quarters to the west; my late mother once came. The old woman often said to me: 'In that place, your mother once stood.' She also said: 'Your elder sister was in my arms, crying; your mother knocked on the door with her finger and said: Is the child cold? Does she want to eat?' I answered from outside the door. Before she finished speaking, I wept, and the old woman also wept. Since I started wearing my hair up, I studied in the pavilion. One day, my grandmother came to me and said: 'My child, I haven't seen your shadow for a long time. Why are you silent here all day, like a girl?' When she left, she closed the door with her hand and muttered: 'Our family has studied for so long without success; can I hope for this child's achievement?' Soon, she brought an ivory tablet and said: 'This is what my grandfather, Grand Master Tai Chang, held during the Xuande reign when attending court; you will use it in the future!' Looking at these relics, as if yesterday, it makes me cry uncontrollably.

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Meaning

The author recollects his study, Xiangji Pavilion, and his family: first describes the joy of repairing it and the serene beauty of the surroundings, then shifts to the sorrow of family decline and the fond memories of his mother and grandmother, conveyed through vivid details.

项脊轩，是从前的南阁子。屋子仅有一丈见方，只可容一人居住。这是百年老屋，尘泥渗漏，雨水往下流；每次移动书案，环顾竟没有可放的地方。又朝北，照不到太阳，过了中午就昏暗。我稍加修补，使屋顶不再漏雨。前面开了四扇窗，筑墙围住庭院，以迎南面日光，日影返照，屋子才明亮起来。又在庭中杂种兰桂竹木，旧时的栏杆，也因而增添了景致。借来的书堆满书架，我或卧或起长啸高歌，有时静默独坐，万种声响皆入耳中；而庭阶寂静，小鸟时时来啄食，人来了也不飞走。十五的夜晚，明月半照粉墙，桂影斑驳，风移影动，珊珊可爱。然而我住在这里，有许多可喜的事，也有许多可悲的事。先前庭院南北相通连成一片。等到伯叔们分家，里外多设小门小墙，到处都是。东家的狗对着西家叫，客人越过厨房去赴宴，鸡栖息在厅堂。庭院中起初是篱笆，后来成了墙，一共变了两次。家中有个老妇，曾经住在这里。老妇，是已故祖母的婢女，喂养过两代人，母亲待她很好。屋子西边连着内室，母亲曾来过一次。老妇常对我说：「那儿，你母亲曾站在那里。」又说：「你姐姐在我怀里，呱呱地哭；娘用手指敲门说：『孩子冷吗？想吃东西吗？』」我在门外一一应答。话没说完，我哭了，老妇也哭了。我自从束发在轩中读书，一天，祖母来看我说：「我的孩子，好久没见你的身影，怎么整天默默在这里，太像个女孩子了？」临走，用手关上门，自言自语：「我家读书长久不见成效，这孩子的成就，倒可以期待吧！」一会儿，拿一块象笏来，说：「这是我祖父太常公宣德年间拿着上朝的，将来你该用到它！」瞻视这些遗迹，好像就在昨日，令人放声大哭不能自禁。

Appreciation

An essay of lyrical nostalgia, where Gui Youguang moves from the delight of a renovated study to the grief of a fragmented family and lost loved ones, using everyday details to express profound emotion.

【白话串讲】归有光写自己的小屋项脊轩：只有一丈见方，百年老屋漏雨。可他修好它，读书其中。“庭有枇杷树，吾妻死之年所手植也，今已亭亭如盖矣”——这是明代散文最动人的一句。【意象与手法】此文艺术在以琐细家常写至情。前半写轩，先状其陋（方丈、渗漉、北向），再写修葺后之「可喜」：明月桂影、小鸟啄食，以动衬静，冲淡可喜；后半转「可悲」，写诸父异爨「东犬西吠，客逾庖而宴」以乱象衬亲情离散，老妪转述母亲「儿寒乎？欲食乎」，祖母「以手阖门」「持象笏」诸细节，白描如画，不著泪字而字字是泪。语言本色如话，于平淡中见深哀。【情感与主旨】归有光（1507—1571），明中叶散文大家，属「唐宋派」，反对前后七子复古，主张宗法唐宋、抒写性灵。《项脊轩志》约作于嘉靖间，先写轩与家族，后补写妻室（节选未及）。文中「诸父异爨」写家族分崩，「先妣」「大母」追忆早逝母亲与祖母，皆归有光切身之痛——其母周氏早亡，祖母亦逝，束发读书而功名蹉跎。此节选凝聚亲情与身世之悲，为千古至情文字。【名句点睛】中高考常考：一、分析「多可喜，亦多可悲」的过渡与结构作用；二、赏析「儿寒乎？欲食乎」「以手阖门」等细节描写；三、分析「三五之夜」一段的以动衬静与情景交融；四、「异爨」等词的含义及家族离散的象征意义。

Background

Gui Youguang (1507–1571), a master of the Tang-Song school of prose in the mid-Ming, opposed the archaist revival of the earlier and later Seven Masters. This essay, written around the Jiajing era, recounts his youth in the Xiangji Pavilion, a small southern room. The excerpt focuses on his early studies and memories of his mother and grandmother, both of whom died early, reflecting his personal sorrow and unfulfilled ambition.

归有光（1507—1571），字熙甫，号震川，昆山（今江苏昆山）人，明中叶散文大家，「唐宋派」的代表人物。他反对前后七子「文必秦汉」的复古主张，提倡宗法唐宋、抒写性灵，其文以情真意切、平淡自然著称，被称为「明文第一」。《项脊轩志》为其代表作，约作于嘉靖三年（1524）前后，时归有光十八岁左右，正在项脊轩中苦读；此文先写轩与家族，后补写亡妻（节选未及）。项脊轩为归家南阁子，因归氏远祖归道隆曾居太仓项脊泾，遂以「项脊」名轩，寓不忘先祖之意。文中「诸父异爨」写伯叔分家、家族离散，「先妣」即其早逝的母亲周氏（归有光八岁时母亡），「大母」即祖母夏氏，皆归有光切身之痛；他束发读书而科举蹉跎，乡试屡试不第，至嘉靖十九年方中举人，其后八上春官不第，晚年六十岁始中进士，故文中「吾家读书久不效」的自语，正含着他对功名的焦虑与对先人的愧疚。此文凝聚亲情与身世之悲，是明代散文抒写至情的巅峰之作。

Art

The essay excels at expressing deep feeling through trivial domestic details. The first half paints a serene picture with lively touches like 'wind moves the shadows, graceful and lovely.' The second half turns to sorrow: the chaos of divided households, the old woman's recount of the mother's tender words, and the grandmother's closing the door wistfully. The language is plain and natural, yet every word carries emotion.

《项脊轩志》艺术之妙，在以琐细的家常细节写深挚的至情，白描如画、不事雕琢。前半写轩，先状其陋：「室仅方丈」「尘泥渗漉」「北向不能得日」，写尽老屋之破败；继而写修葺后之「可喜」：「前辟四窗」「杂植兰桂竹木」「借书满架，偃仰啸歌，冥然兀坐，万籁有声」，以轩之由陋而美，暗写少年读书之乐；「三五之夜，明月半墙，桂影斑驳，风移影动，珊珊可爱」，以动衬静、以景写情，是全文最清丽的画面。后半由「然余居于此，多可喜，亦多可悲」一转，笔锋由轩景转入人事：「诸父异爨」后「东犬西吠，客逾庖而宴，鸡栖于厅」，以三件乱象写家族分崩的衰象；老妪转述母亲「儿寒乎？欲食乎」的叩门问语，祖母「以手阖门」「持象笏」的细节，皆白描如话，不著一个「泪」字而字字是泪。全文以「项脊轩」为经，以「亲情」为纬：轩之变迁（篱而墙、凡再变）与人事之变迁（母逝、祖母逝）交织，物是人非之痛深沉内敛。语言本色如话，长短错落，骈散间用，正是唐宋派「文从字顺」而「字字从肺腑中流出」的境界。

Allusions

'Wearing hair up' (束发) refers to the rite of passage at age fifteen. 'Ivory tablet' (象笏) was held by officials at court; the grandmother's mention of 'Grand Master Tai Chang' using it during the Xuande reign (1426–1435) encourages the author's scholarly ambition. 'Divided the household' (异爨) literally means cooking separately, symbolizing family fragmentation.

此文用典不多，而皆融化于叙事家常之中，不滞不典。「束发」用《大戴礼记》「束发而就大学」之礼：古代男子十五岁束发为髻，表示成童，故「自束发读书轩中」写其少年苦读的起点，也暗含时光的流逝。「象笏」用《礼记·玉藻》之制：古代品官朝会手执笏板，天子用玉、上大夫用象（象牙），「太常公」即归有光祖母之祖夏昶，曾官太常寺卿，「宣德」为明宣宗年号，祖母举「太常公宣德间执此以朝」的象笏勉孙，以先人的荣光期许后人，象笏便成了家族功名传承的象征物。「异爨」用「爨」之本义（灶），异爨即分灶而食、兄弟分家，以最朴素的生活细节写家族离散，胜过千言万语。「三五之夜」即农历十五夜，三五相乘得十五，是古代计日之法；「先大母」「先妣」皆已故尊长之称（大母即祖母，妣即已故之母），合于古礼。全文引礼制家常之词，皆融入叙事，自然成趣，是「以学问入文而归于平淡」的典范。又「万籁有声」「冥然兀坐」之语，暗合《庄子·齐物论》「人籁」「地籁」「天籁」之说，写独坐轩中、静听万物之声的境界，见其读书时心物交融的专注；「小鸟时来啄食，人至不去」则化用《庄子》「忘机」之意，写人与自然的相忘，皆于无意中见出作者所受的庄学浸润。

Commentary

Wang Xijue praised Gui's writing as 'unintentionally touching, yet overflowing with joy and sorrow beyond words.' Yao Nai considered it the best Ming prose. Modern scholar Qian Jibo said, 'Gui's prose is like an old woman talking about the past—gossipy yet full of charm.' The two paragraphs about the mother and grandmother are often called 'tear-jerking.'

《项脊轩志》历来评价极高。王锡爵《归公墓志铭》称其文「无意于感人，而欢愉惨恻之思，溢于言语之外」，正就归有光以家常语写至情的特点而言；姚鼐编《古文辞类纂》，推归有光为「明文第一」，其文遂成桐城派远祖；清人方苞论古文义法，亦以归氏为宗。近人钱基博谓「震川之文，如老妪话旧，絮絮之中自有风神」，最得此文神韵：琐碎家常的絮语中，自有一种深情与风致。此文中最动人的是母、祖母两段：写母亲只一句「儿寒乎？欲食乎」，写祖母只「以手阖门」、自语「吾家读书久不效」，皆平常至极，而后世读者每于此流泪，清人即谓「写『儿寒欲食』四字，胜泪千行」。此文在文学史上的意义，在于以「琐细家常」突破明初以来的台阁体与复古派文风，为散文注入了真切的个人情感，上承韩柳欧苏的抒情传统，下开清代桐城派与后世忆旧散文（如朱自清《背影》）的先声，是「至情文」的千古典范。

Prosody

Form Prose (Ming Tang-Song school lyrical narrative)明代散文（唐宋派抒情记物小品）

Rhyme No rhyme; varied sentence lengths散文不押韵，句式长短错落，骈散间用

Tone pattern Mix of parallel and free prose, mainly free以散句为主，间用对偶短句（如「明月半墙，桂影斑驳」），节奏舒缓自然，随情感起伏流转。

Reading note Excerpt from Gui Youguang's 'Record of Xiangji Pavilion', a masterpiece of Ming Tang-Song school, conveying deep emotion through trivial details.《项脊轩志》为散文，不讲究诗词的平仄押韵，而自有散文的节奏之美。全文以散句为主，长短错落，随情感起伏而自然流转：写轩之陋，用短句「室仅方丈，可容一人居」「百年老屋，尘泥渗漉，雨泽下注」，急促而见其破败；写修葺之乐，句式渐长，「前辟四窗，垣墙周庭，以当南日，日影反照，室始洞然」，舒展而见其明亮；写夜景则「三五之夜，明月半墙，桂影斑驳，风移影动，珊珊可爱」，四字句骈俪成章，清丽如画；写人事则长短相间，「妪，先大母婢也，乳二世，先妣抚之甚厚」，顿挫而见其情深。文中骈散间用：散句叙事，偶句写景抒情，如「东犬西吠，客逾庖而宴，鸡栖于厅」三句排比写家族乱象，整齐中有参差；「瞻顾遗迹，如在昨日」以四字句收束回忆，戛然而止而余哀不尽。归有光为唐宋派代表，主张「文从字顺」，此文正是其理论的实践：无一句拗口，无一字造作，语语家常而音节谐美，情感在舒缓的节奏中层层推进，如话家常而自有风神，是明代散文「平淡自然」之美的极致，也是桐城派古文「雅洁」之风的远源。

Line by line

三五之夜，明月半墙，桂影斑驳，风移影动，珊珊可爱。

On the night of the fifteenth, the bright moon half lights the wall, osmanthus shadows are mottled, the wind moves the shadows, graceful and lovely. (A serene, beautiful scene; '珊珊' personifies the shadows, hinting at solitude beneath delight.)

十五的夜晚，明月半照粉墙，桂影斑驳，风移影动，珊珊可爱。

On the fifteenth night, the bright moon shone on half the wall; cassia shadows lay mottled; when the wind stirred, the shadows moved—lovely as the tinkle of jade pendants.

此句写项脊轩修葺后夜景之清美，是全文最著名的写景段落。「三五之夜」即农历十五夜，月圆之时；「明月半墙」写月光只照半墙，光影分明，暗写小轩的幽深与夜的静谧；「桂影斑驳」写桂树枝叶的影子在墙上错落有致，「斑驳」一词既写光影之杂，又暗写桂树之茂；「风移影动」以风写影、以动写静，桂影随风摇曳，静的夜便有了生的气息；「珊珊可爱」以拟人写桂影的轻盈可爱，「珊珊」本写玉佩之声，此处移以写影动之态，清丽至极。此句之妙，在以动衬静、以光影写清幽：庭阶寂寂中，唯月、影、风相伴，恬淡可喜，然细味之，「明月半墙」的冷清、「风移影动」的孤寂，又隐隐透出少年独处的寂寞——喜与悲的种子，在此已悄然埋下，为下文「多可喜，亦多可悲」的转折预作铺垫。

The moon. On the fifteenth night, the bright moon shone on half the wall; cassia shadows lay mottled; when the wind stirred, the shadows moved—lovely as the tinkle of jade pendants. The half-lit wall and the mottled cassia shadows and the wind-stirred movement are the famous night scene. To have written the moonlit night scene would be a scene; the on-the-fifteenth-night-the-bright-moon-shone-on-half-the-wall-cassia-shadows-lay-mottled-when-the-wind-stirred-the-shadows-moved-lovely-as-the-tinkle-of-jade-pendants is the scene.

然余居于此，多可喜，亦多可悲。

But living here, I had much joy and also much sorrow. (Transitional sentence linking the joyful scenery to the sorrowful family memories, key to the structure.)

然而我住在这里，有许多可喜的事，也有许多可悲的事。

Yet living here, I have had much to rejoice in and much to grieve over.

此句是全文的结构枢纽，承上启下，笔力千钧。「然」字转折，由前半写轩之景转入后半写轩中之人事；「多可喜」收束上文——修葺之乐、读书之乐、月影之乐，皆「可喜」；「亦多可悲」开启下文——诸父异爨、母逝、祖母逝，皆「可悲」。此句之妙，在于以最平淡的语句概括最深沉的情感：「多……亦多……」两两对举，喜与悲并置，不偏不倚，而正是这并置，见出作者情感的复杂——轩中既有青春的美好记忆，也有亲人的生死离别，物是人非、悲喜交集。「亦」字尤其重要：不是「或喜或悲」，而是「喜亦悲」，喜中有悲、悲中有喜，两种情感交织成生活的全部。此句为全篇之纲，此后的一切回忆（母亲、祖母、家族）皆由此「悲」字引出，文气至此一转，遂成千古名句，也是理解全文情感结构的关键。

The pivot. Yet living here, I have had much to rejoice in and much to grieve over. The much-to-rejoice and also-much-to-grieve-over are the structural pivot. To have balanced joy and grief would be a balance; the yet-living-here-I-have-had-much-to-rejoice-in-and-much-to-grieve-over is the balance.

迨诸父异爨，内外多置小门墙，往往而是。

When the uncles divided the household, inner and outer courtyards were cut by many small gates and walls, standing everywhere.

等到伯叔们分家，里外多设小门小墙，到处都是。

When my uncles split the household, inner and outer gates and walls were set up, one after another.

此句写家族分崩，是「可悲」的第一层。「迨」即等到，「诸父异爨」写伯叔们分灶而食、各立门户，兄弟分家本是家庭常事，而在此文中却有着沉痛的分量：归氏本是书香世家，分家之后「内外多置小门墙，往往而是」，原本通连一体的庭院被小门小墙切割得支离破碎，「多置」「往往而是」写墙门之密、之乱，空间的破碎正是家族亲情的破碎。「小门墙」与下文「东犬西吠，客逾庖而宴，鸡栖于厅」相呼应：狗对着别家叫，客人要越过厨房去赴宴，鸡竟栖在厅堂——家不成家、秩序荡然，一幅家族衰败的乱象图。此句以最朴素的叙述写最沉痛的现实：不着一字议论，而家族离散之哀自现。由「庭中始为篱，已为墙，凡再变矣」可见，这破碎是渐进的、不可逆的，正是归有光「可悲」之情的现实根源。

The walls. When the uncles divided the household, inner and outer courtyards were cut by many small gates and walls, standing everywhere. The divided household and the small gates and walls everywhere are the family's breakup. To have split the household would be a breakup; the when-the-uncles-divided-the-household-inner-and-outer-courtyards-were-cut-by-many-small-gates-and-walls-standing-everywhere is the breakup.

妪，先大母婢也，乳二世，先妣抚之甚厚。

The old woman was my late grandmother's maid; she suckled two generations, and my late mother treated her very kindly.

老妇，是已故祖母的婢女，喂养过两代人，母亲待她很好。

The old woman was my late grandmother's maidservant; she had nursed two generations, and my late mother had been very kind to her.

此句写老妪的身分，是引出母亲、祖母回忆的桥梁。「妪」即老妇，「先大母婢也」写她是已故祖母的婢女，「乳二世」写她曾哺育过两代人——即归有光的父亲一辈与归有光自己一辈，一个「乳」字见其与归家的深厚渊源；「先妣抚之甚厚」写归有光的母亲待她很好，「抚」字既写母亲待下人的仁厚，也暗写母亲生前持家的慈爱。此句看似闲笔，实则匠心独运：老妪既是祖母的婢女、又乳养过母亲一代，是归家三代亲情的见证人，由她来转述母亲的音容，最是可信、最是感人。下文「某所，而母立于兹」「儿寒乎？欲食乎」皆出老妪之口，正因为这「乳二世」的渊源，回忆才具有身临其境的真切。此句还暗含「可悲」的伏笔：先妣（母亲）已亡，先大母（祖母）亦逝，唯有老妪尚在，睹妪思亲，悲从中来，全篇的至情由此句缓缓引出。

The maid. The old woman was my late grandmother's maid; she suckled two generations, and my late mother treated her very kindly. The grandmother's maid who suckled two generations is the bridge to memory. To have introduced the old nurse would be an introduction; the old-woman-was-my-late-grandmother's-maid-she-suckled-two-generations-and-my-late-mother-treated-her-very-kindly is the introduction.

Study

Word focus

珊珊 'Graceful, slow-moving.' Personifies osmanthus shadows, vivid and lovely, with an undertone of solitude. 「风移影动，珊珊可爱」之「珊珊」，是写桂影的传神之词。「珊珊」本形容玉佩撞击的清脆声响，此处移以形容桂影摇动的姿态，是「以声写形」的通感笔法：桂影随风轻摇，本无声响，而着一「珊珊」，仿佛能听到那清越的佩声，影子的晃动便有了音乐的韵律。「珊珊」又暗含「姗姗来迟」的从容之态，写桂影款款摇动、不疾不徐，与「明月半墙」的静谧相配，愈见夜的清幽。此词之妙，在以「人」的情态写「物」的动态：桂影本无情，因作者独坐轩中、心随影动，故觉其「珊珊可爱」，物我之间便有了交流。若换作「婆娑」「摇曳」，则只是写影之动，失其清丽与情韵；「珊珊」二字兼写形、声、情三者，是归有光炼字「于平淡处见精工」的典型。此句因此成为全文最美的一笔，也是后世写月影的范本。

异爨 'Cook separately', i.e., divide the household. A single word conveys family disintegration, contrasting with later affectionate memories. 「迨诸父异爨」之「异爨」，是全文炼字最见分量的一词。「爨」本义为灶、炊，古字从「臼」从「林」从「大」，象双手举甑入灶之形；「异爨」即分灶而食，用今天的话说就是分家。此词之妙，在于以最具体的生活细节写最抽象的家族变故：兄弟分家，最显著的标志便是各起炉灶，「异爨」二字不涉一句议论，而兄弟失和、家族离散的意味尽在其中。更妙的是，「异爨」与下文「内外多置小门墙，往往而是」构成因果：因为异爨，所以筑墙；因为筑墙，所以「东犬西吠，客逾庖而宴」——一个词引出家族衰败的全景。此词又有古雅的来历，《诗经·豳风·七月》「穹窒熏鼠，塞向墐户」写庶人备灶之勤，古礼「同爨」本为一家之义，故「异爨」一词愈显其背弃古谊的沉痛。一词而兼写实、象征、用典三义，是归有光以家常语写深衷的典范。

阖门 'Close the door.' The grandmother's gentle closing and muttering show care and hope, hidden sorrow within plain action. 「比去，以手阖门」之「阖门」，是写祖母的传神动作，也是全文最动人的细节之一。「阖」即关上，较「关门」更雅、更轻：祖母临去，不是随手一带，而是「以手」轻轻掩上房门——「以手」二字写动作之轻、之缓、之郑重，仿佛怕惊扰了专心读书的孙儿，又仿佛有许多话说不出口，只能以这轻轻一阖来传达。「阖门」之后，祖母又「自语」：「吾家读书久不效，儿之成，则可待乎！」——原来这轻轻一阖里，藏着祖母对孙儿成才的全部期许，与「吾家读书久不效」的叹息。「阖」字与「自语」配合，一动作一语言，把祖母既疼爱又期许、既忧虑又盼望的复杂心理写得如在目前。此字之妙，在于「于无声处见深情」：不写祖母如何叮嘱、如何落泪，只写她轻轻阖门、喃喃自语，而慈爱之深、期望之切，全在这「阖」与「语」之间，是白描传神的极致。