南北朝 Northern and Southern Dynasties · 文 Prose
答谢中书书
Reply to Xie Zhongshu
山川之美，古来共谈。
高峰入云，清流见底。
两岸石壁，五色交辉。
青林翠竹，四时俱备。
晓雾将歇，猿鸟乱鸣；
夕日欲颓，沉鳞竞跃。
实是欲界之仙都。
自康乐以来，未复有能与其奇者。
High peaks pierce the clouds; clear streams reveal their bottoms.
On both banks, rock cliffs in five colors interweave and glow.
Green woods and emerald bamboos are present in all seasons.
Morning mist about to clear, apes and birds cry in confusion;
Evening sun about to set, fish in the depths leap in competition.
Truly this is a fairyland in the realm of desires.
Since the Duke of Kangle, no one has been able to appreciate this wonder.
Meaning
This letter celebrates the natural beauty of mountains and rivers, describing scenes from peaks and streams to forests and wildlife. It concludes by lamenting that since the poet Xie Lingyun, no one else has truly appreciated such wonders, expressing both pride in the landscape and a sense of solitary enjoyment.
山川的秀美，自古以来便是人们共同称赏的话题。巍峨的山峰直插云霄，清澈的溪流一眼见底。两岸的石壁，色彩斑斓交相辉映。青葱的林木、翠绿的竹丛，四季常青各具风姿。清晨薄雾将要消散，猿猴与飞鸟此起彼伏地鸣叫；夕阳将要西沉，潜游的鱼儿争相跃出水面。这实在是人世间（欲界）的仙境啊。自从谢灵运（康乐公）之后，就再没有人能够欣赏这般奇景了。
Appreciation
Tao Hongjing, living in seclusion at Mount Jiqu, wrote this letter in response to Xie Zhongshu's inquiry about the landscape. The prose alternates between parallel and free styles, starting with a general statement on mountain-river beauty, then detailing static elements (peaks, streams, cliffs, forests) and dynamic ones (morning mist, sunset, animals). The ending references Xie Lingyun to highlight the author's own refined taste and isolation.
【白话串讲】 陶弘景回信：“山川之美，古来共谈。高峰入云，清流见底”。“晓雾将歇，猿鸟乱鸣；夕日欲颓，沉鳞竞跃”——清晨雾散，猿鸟乱鸣；夕阳西下，鱼跃出水。“实是欲界之仙都”——这里是人间仙境。“自康乐以来，未复有能与其奇者”——自谢灵运以来，没人能写出这样的奇景。 【意象与手法】 此文虽短，章法井然。起以'山川之美，古来共谈'立论，如老吏断狱 【情感与主旨】 陶弘景为南朝道教茅山宗奠基人，武帝礼聘不出，世称'山中宰相'。谢中书即谢徵（一作谢览），为梁武帝朝中书舍人 【名句点睛】 本文为山水小品名篇，命题点多。其一，写景层次：要求梳理'峰—流—壁—林—晓—夕'的空间与时间顺序，说出动静结合之妙
Background
Tao Hongjing was a foundational figure of the Maoshan sect of Taoism during the Southern Dynasties. Emperor Wu of Liang respected him deeply, and he was known as the 'Prime Minister in the Mountains.' Xie Zhongshu (Xie Zheng or Xie Lan) served as a secretary in the imperial court. This letter was likely written during Tao's seclusion at Mount Maoshan as a reply to a friend. During the Six Dynasties, landscape letters flourished, with Wu Jun's 'Letter to Zhu Yuansi' and Zu Hongxun's 'Letter to Yang Xiuzhi' being similar works. Tao, living in the Jiangnan region, personally experienced the beauty, using concise language to depict what he saw and heard, both answering the inquiry and showing the joy of reclusion.
《答谢中书书》为南朝梁陶弘景所作，是写山水之美、怡情山水的小品。陶弘景（456—536），字通明，丹阳秣陵人，南朝梁隐士。此文：山川之美，古来共谈。高峰入云，清流见底。两岸石壁，五色交辉。青林翠竹，四时俱备。晓雾将歇，猿鸟乱鸣；夕日欲颓，沉鳞竞跃。实是欲界之仙都。自康乐以来，未复有能与其奇者。全文写山水之美、与谢灵运同乐，是六朝山水小品的名篇。
Art
Despite its brevity, the piece is well-structured. It begins with a declarative statement, then uses antithetical pairs like 'high peaks pierce the clouds; clear streams reveal their bottoms' to create vertical space. Following are color descriptions of cliffs and forests, then temporal scenes of morning and evening with sound and motion. The phrase 'Truly this is a fairyland in the realm of desires' elevates the description, while the reference to Xie Lingyun adds a layer of self-praise and solitary appreciation. The prose is dominated by four-character phrases interspersed with free rhythm, achieving a balance that captures vast scenery in a small space.
《答谢中书书》艺术上以山水之美的描绘与怡情之意的清雅见长。全文分三层：首写山川之美——“山川之美，古来共谈”写山川之美、古来共谈；中写山水之景——“高峰入云，清流见底。两岸石壁，五色交辉。青林翠竹，四时俱备”写高峰清流、石壁交辉、青林翠竹，“晓雾将歇，猿鸟乱鸣；夕日欲颓，沉鳞竞跃”写晓雾猿鸟、夕日沉鳞；末写仙都之叹——“实是欲界之仙都。自康乐以来，未复有能与其奇者”写欲界仙都、与谢灵运同乐。全文以山水之美写怡情山水，正是六朝山水小品清雅的笔法。
Allusions
The closing line 'Since the Duke of Kangle, no one has been able to appreciate this wonder' alludes to Xie Lingyun, the Duke of Kangle and pioneer of landscape poetry. Xie's famous line 'Spring grass grows by the pond' opened a new poetic era. Tao cites him not only to honor Xie as a kindred spirit but also to imply himself as a successor. 'Realm of desires' (yujie) is a Buddhist term referring to the world of sentient beings driven by desires; Tao uses it to say this landscape rivals a celestial realm, reflecting the Three Teachings' fusion in the Six Dynasties. 'Sinking scales' (chen lin) is a metonym for fish, common in Six Dynasties writing, with no deeper allusion.
《答谢中书书》用典在“康乐”“欲界之仙都”。“康乐”用谢灵运（袭封康乐公）之典，写山水之赏；“欲界之仙都”写人间之仙境（佛教欲界之语）。全文以这些典故写山水之美，用典自然而清雅自见，正是六朝山水小品的笔法。
Commentary
Ming scholar Zhang Pu commented that Tao Hongjing's 'writings, though few, are pure and detached.' Qing scholar Xu Lian in 'Six Dynasties Prose' said this piece is 'both refined and elegant, with far-reaching spirit.' Modern scholar Qian Zhongshu praised it as 'capturing the soul of Jiangnan's landscape in few words,' pairing it with Wu Jun's 'Letter to Zhu Yuansi' as the two gems of Six Dynasties landscape letters, calling it 'the pinnacle of short essays.'
《答谢中书书》是陶弘景山水小品的名篇，也是六朝山水文学的代表作。此文写山水之美、怡情山水，向为论者称道。论者多赏其山水之美的描绘与怡情之意的清雅——“高峰入云，清流见底。两岸石壁，五色交辉”写山水之景，清雅之极；“晓雾将歇，猿鸟乱鸣；夕日欲颓，沉鳞竞跃”写朝夕之景，更见其趣；“实是欲界之仙都”写仙都之叹，尤见其情。陶弘景隐于山林，此文正以清雅之笔写山水之美，是六朝山水小品的代表作。
Prosody
Line by line
山川之美，古来共谈。高峰入云，清流见底。两岸石壁，五色交辉。青林翠竹，四时俱备。
The beauty of hills and waters has been celebrated since olden days. High peaks pierce the clouds; clear streams show their beds. On both banks stone walls glow with blended colors; green woods and bamboos abide through every season.
山川之美，古来共谈。高峰入云，清流见底。两岸石壁，五色交辉。青林翠竹，四时俱备。
The beauty of mountains and rivers has been praised since ancient times. High peaks enter the clouds; clear streams show their beds. Stone walls on both banks shimmer with five colors; green woods and bamboos are there in all four seasons.
首写山川之美、山水之景，是全文写景的主体。“山川之美，古来共谈”写山川之美——“山川之美”写山川之美，“古来共谈”写古来共谈——山川之美，古来共谈；“高峰入云，清流见底”写高峰清流——“高峰入云”写高峰入云，“清流见底”写清流见底——高峰入云，清流见底；“两岸石壁，五色交辉。青林翠竹，四时俱备”写石壁青林——“两岸石壁，五色交辉”写两岸石壁、五色交辉，“青林翠竹，四时俱备”写青林翠竹、四时俱备——石壁五色，翠竹四时。七句写山川之美、山水之景：山川之美古来共谈，高峰入云清流见底，两岸石壁五色交辉，青林翠竹四时俱备。以“山川之美，古来共谈”总写山川之美，以“高峰入云，清流见底”写高峰清流，以“两岸石壁，五色交辉。青林翠竹，四时俱备”写石壁交辉、翠竹四时，正是六朝山水小品写景清丽的笔法——山水如画，四时俱美。
The beauty. The beauty of hills and waters has been celebrated since olden days. High peaks pierce the clouds; clear streams show their beds. On both banks stone walls glow with blended colors; green woods and bamboos abide through every season. The celebrated-beauty-since-olden-days and the peaks-piercing-clouds and the stone-walls-blended-colors and the bamboos-all-seasons are the description. To have celebrated the beauty would be a celebrating; the the-beauty-of-hills-and-waters-has-been-celebrated-since-olden-days-high-peaks-pierce-the-clouds-clear-streams-show-their-beds-on-both-banks-stone-walls-glow-with-blended-colors-green-woods-and-bamboos-abide-through-every-season is the celebrating.
晓雾将歇，猿鸟乱鸣；夕日欲颓，沉鳞竞跃。
Morning mist about to scatter, apes and birds cry at random; the evening sun about to set, submerged fishes leap together.
晓雾将歇，猿鸟乱鸣；夕日欲颓，沉鳞竞跃。
Morning mist about to lift, apes and birds cry in disorder; the evening sun about to sink, hidden fish leap up.
此四句写朝夕之景，是全文写景的动态深化。“晓雾将歇，猿鸟乱鸣”写晓景——“晓雾将歇”写晓雾将散，“猿鸟乱鸣”写猿鸟乱鸣——晓雾将歇，猿鸟乱鸣；“夕日欲颓，沉鳞竞跃”写夕景——“夕日欲颓”写夕日将落，“沉鳞竞跃”写沉鳞（水中之鱼）竞跃——夕日欲颓，沉鳞竞跃。四句写朝夕之景：晓雾将歇猿鸟乱鸣，夕日欲颓沉鳞竞跃。以“晓雾将歇，猿鸟乱鸣”写晓雾将散、猿鸟乱鸣之晓景，以“夕日欲颓，沉鳞竞跃”写夕日将落、沉鱼竞跃之夕景，正是六朝山水小品写景的动态深化——朝夕之景，生机盎然。
The mist. Morning mist about to scatter, apes and birds cry at random; the evening sun about to set, submerged fishes leap together. The morning-mist-about-to-scatter and the evening-sun-about-to-set are the motion. To have scattered would be a scattering; the morning-mist-about-to-scatter-apes-and-birds-cry-at-random-the-evening-sun-about-to-set-submerged-fishes-leap-together is the scattering.
实是欲界之仙都。自康乐以来，未复有能与其奇者。
Truly this is a fairyland within the mortal world. Since the Lord of Kangle, no one has shared its wonder again.
实是欲界之仙都。自康乐（谢灵运）以来，未复有能与其奇者。
Truly it is a fairyland in the mortal world. Since the Lord of Kangle, no one has again shared its wonder.
末写仙都之叹、与谢灵运同乐，是全文怡情山水的归结。“实是欲界之仙都”写欲界仙都——“实是欲界之仙都”用佛教欲界之语写实是人间之仙境——实是欲界之仙都；“自康乐以来，未复有能与其奇者”写与谢灵运同乐——“自康乐以来”用谢灵运之典写自康乐（谢灵运）以来，“未复有能与其奇者”写未复有能与其奇者——自康乐以来，无人与其奇。二句写仙都之叹、与谢灵运同乐：实是欲界之仙都，自康乐以来未复有能与其奇者。以“实是欲界之仙都”写此山水实为人间仙境，以“自康乐以来，未复有能与其奇者”写自谢灵运以来、无人能赏此奇，正是六朝山水小品写怡情山水、自得此乐的归结——山水之奇，唯我独赏。
The fairyland. Truly this is a fairyland within the mortal world. Since the Lord of Kangle, no one has shared its wonder again. The fairyland-in-the-mortal-world and the since-Kangle-no-one-shared-wonder are the close. To have been the fairyland would be a being; the truly-this-is-a-fairyland-within-the-mortal-world-since-the-lord-of-kangle-no-one-has-shared-its-wonder-again is the being.
Study
Word focus
Related Reading
Compare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
吴均《与朱元思书》“风烟俱净，天山共色”写富春江山水之景，与本首同为六朝山水小品。差异在情境：答谢中书书写山中四时之景；与朱元思书写江上之景。一写“山”之美，一写“江”之丽。两者并读，可见六朝山水小品的两种情境。
诏问山中何所有赋诗以答 In Reply to the Edict Asking What the Mountains Hold 陶弘景 · 同为陶弘景写山中之情，一为书一为诗，皆清雅 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
陶弘景《诏问山中何所有赋诗以答》“山中何所有，岭上多白云”写山中之情，与本首同为陶弘景作品。差异在体裁：答谢中书书为书；诏问山中何所有为诗。一写“景”之美，一写“云”之趣。两者并读，可见陶弘景写山中之情的两种体裁。
山中杂诗 Miscellaneous Poems from the Mountains 吴均 · 与本首相关联的同类或同作者作品，供对比阅读 Related readingCompare this related work with the poem above through theme, imagery, tone, and emotional movement.
此处关联吴均《山中杂诗》，与本首在主题、体裁或作者上相关联，可对比阅读以见其同异。