清 Qing · 文 Prose
登泰山记
Mount Tai
泰山之阳，汶水西流；
其阴，济水东流。
阳谷皆入汶，阴谷皆入济。
当其南北分者，古长城也。
最高日观峰，在长城南十五里。
余以乾隆三十九年十二月，自京师乘风雪，历齐河、长清，穿泰山西北谷，越长城之限，至于泰安。
是月丁未，与知府朱孝纯子颍由南麓登。
四十五里，道皆砌石为磴，其级七千有余。
及既上，苍山负雪，明烛天南；
望晚日照城郭，汶水、徂徕如画，而半山居雾若带然。
戊申晦，五鼓，与子颍坐日观亭，待日出。
大风扬积雪击面。
亭东自足下皆云漫。
极天云一线异色，须臾成五采。
日上，正赤如丹，下有红光动摇承之。
回视日观以西峰，或得日，或否，绛皓驳色，而皆若偻。
山多石，少土；
石苍黑色，多平方，少圜。
冰雪，无瀑水，无鸟兽音迹。
至日观数里内无树，而雪与人膝齐。
桐城姚鼐记。
All southern valleys enter the Wen; all northern valleys enter the Ji.
Where they divide north and south stands the ancient Great Wall.
The highest peak, Sun Viewing Peak, is fifteen li south of the Wall.
I set out from the capital in the twelfth month of the thirty-ninth year of Qianlong,
Through wind and snow, passing Qihe and Changqing, crossing the northwestern valley of Mount Tai,
Over the Great Wall, arriving at Tai'an.
On the dingwei day of that month, I ascended with Prefect Zhu Xiaochun (Ziyin) from the southern foothills.
The forty-five li path was paved with stone steps, over seven thousand in number.
Upon reaching the summit, the grey mountains bore snow, bright as candles lighting the southern sky.
Looking at the evening sun over the city walls, the Wen River and Mount Culai were like a painting,
While the mist halfway up hung like a belt.
On the last day of the month (wushen), at the fifth watch, Ziyin and I sat in the Sun Viewing Pavilion awaiting sunrise.
A strong wind flung accumulated snow into our faces.
East of the pavilion, everything below was shrouded in clouds.
At the horizon, a line of clouds of a different color soon became five-colored.
The sun rose, pure red like cinnabar, with a red glow wavering beneath it.
Looking back at the peaks west of Sun Viewing Peak, some caught the sun, some did not,
Mottled in crimson and white, all seemed to bow.
The mountain has many rocks and little soil; the rocks are dark grey, mostly square, rarely round.
Few trees, many pines, growing in crevices, all with flat tops.
Ice and snow, no waterfalls, no sounds or traces of birds or beasts.
For several li around Sun Viewing Peak, there are no trees,
But snow reaches to a man's knees.
Recorded by Yao Nai of Tongcheng.
Meaning
Yao Nai recounts a winter trip to Mount Tai, describing its geography, the arduous climb, and the breathtaking sunrise at Sun Viewing Peak. The essay captures the cold, pure landscape with precise detail.
泰山的南面，汶水向西流；它的北面，济水向东流。南面山谷的水都流入汶水，北面山谷的水都流入济水。在那南北分界处的，是古长城。最高的日观峰，在古长城以南十五里。我在乾隆三十九年十二月，从京城顶着风雪，经过齐河、长清，穿过泰山西北的山谷，越过长城的界限，到达泰安。这月丁未日，与知府朱孝纯字子颍的从南面山脚登山。四十五里路，都用石头砌成石阶，那台阶有七千多级。等到登上山顶，青山披着白雪，明亮地照着南面的天空；远望夕阳照着城郭，汶水、徂徕山如同图画，而半山腰停留的云雾像一条衣带。戊申日（月末）五更时分，与子颍坐在日观亭，等待日出。大风扬起积雪扑打在脸上。亭子东面从脚下起都被云弥漫。天边云层现出一线奇异的颜色，片刻变成五采。太阳升起，纯红如朱砂，下面有红光摇动荡漾托着它。回头看日观峰以西的山峰，有的被日光照到，有的没有，红白杂错，都像弯腰曲背的样子。山上多石头，少泥土；石头苍黑色，多平方的，少圆形的。少杂树，多松树，生长在石缝里，都是平顶。冰雪覆盖，没有瀑布，没有鸟兽的声音和足迹。到日观峰几里内没有树，而积雪与人膝一样齐。桐城姚鼐记。
Appreciation
This essay exemplifies the Tongcheng School's ideal of combining moral principle, textual research, and literary elegance. Yao Nai uses concise, refined language to depict majestic scenes, employing personification ('mountains bore snow') and vibrant color imagery (cinnabar red, crimson and white) to create a vivid, orderly narrative.
【白话串讲】 姚鼐在乾隆三十九年冬天登泰山：“余以乾隆三十九年十二月，自京师乘风雪”。“苍山负雪，明烛天南”——青山背着雪，像蜡烛照亮南天。“极天云一线异色，须臾成五采”——他在日观峰看日出。清代最有名的游记之一。 【意象与手法】 文章以“雅洁”为尚，写景不事铺张而神理具足。写夕照 【情感与主旨】 姚鼐，字姬传，一字梦谷，号惜抱，安徽桐城人，清代散文大家，桐城派代表人物（桐城三祖之一） 【名句点睛】 常考“写景层次”“炼字”“桐城派风格”。命题示例：赏析“苍山负雪，明烛天南”的妙处。答
Background
Yao Nai (1731–1815), a leading figure of the Tongcheng School, retired from office in 1774. On his way home, he climbed Mount Tai with Zhu Xiaochun, the prefect of Tai'an, in December of that year. This essay reflects his serene and pure state of mind after leaving official life.
《登泰山记》为清代姚鼐所作，是写冬日登泰山、观日出之景的游记。姚鼐（1731—1815），字姬传，号惜抱，桐城人，清代古文家。此文：泰山之阳，汶水西流；其阴，济水东流。阳谷皆入汶，阴谷皆入济。当其南北分者，古长城也。最高日观峰，在长城南十五里。……戊申晦，五鼓，与子颖坐日观亭，待日出。大风扬积雪击面。亭东自足下皆云漫。稍见云中白若樗蒱数十立者，山也。极天云一线异色，须臾成五采。日上，正赤如丹，下有红光动摇承之。……全文写冬日登泰山、观日出，是姚鼐文的名篇。
Art
Yao Nai's style is elegant and concise. He uses precise verbs ('bear,' 'light') to animate the landscape. The sunrise scene is built layer by layer: from the waiting environment to the changing colors of clouds, the sun itself, and finally the sidelit peaks. The essay balances movement and stillness, detail and overview, achieving a 'pure, true, elegant, and correct' aesthetic.
《登泰山记》艺术上以登山之程的详叙与观日之景的壮丽见长。全文层层写来：首写泰山地理——“泰山之阳，汶水西流；其阴，济水东流”写泰山阴阳、汶济分流，“当其南北分者，古长城也。最高日观峰，在长城南十五里”写南北分者古长城、最高日观峰；中写登山之程——历述登山路径、石磴道中、迷雾冰滑；末写观日之景——“戊申晦，五鼓，与子颖坐日观亭，待日出。大风扬积雪击面”写坐日观亭待日出，“亭东自足下皆云漫。稍见云中白若樗蒱数十立者，山也”写云中樗蒱（如樗蒱之山），“极天云一线异色，须臾成五采。日上，正赤如丹，下有红光动摇承之”写日出五采、正赤如丹。全文以登山之程写观日之壮丽，正是姚鼐文清峻的笔法。
Allusions
The essay integrates geographical research: the 'ancient Great Wall' refers to the Qi Great Wall, marking the watershed. Yao Nai cites the Water Classic (Shuijingzhu) to verify the path of the ravine. He avoids obscure allusions, focusing on factual record and scene description, embodying his principle of uniting moral principle, research, and literary art.
《登泰山记》用典在“樗蒱”“日观峰”。“樗蒱”写古博戏之具（樗蒱之形）写云中诸山；“日观峰”写泰山日观峰（观日出之处）。全文以这些意象写观日之景，用典自然而清峻自见，正是姚鼐文的笔法。
Commentary
Yao Nai's Mount Tai is often paired with his 'Record of Lingyan' and compared with Liu Zongyuan's Yongzhou essays and Xu Xiake's travelogues. Critics praise it as 'a few hundred words that capture the essence of Mount Tai and the wonder of sunrise.' Qian Jibo commented that it best represents the Tongcheng style: 'clear and upright in form, elegant and pure in use.'
《登泰山记》是姚鼐游记的名篇，也是桐城派古文的代表作。此文写冬日登泰山、观日出之景，向为论者称道。论者多赏其登山之程的详叙与观日之景的壮丽——“泰山之阳，汶水西流；其阴，济水东流”写泰山地理，清峻之极；“戊申晦，五鼓，与子颖坐日观亭，待日出”写坐亭待日出，更见其简；“极天云一线异色，须臾成五采。日上，正赤如丹，下有红光动摇承之”写日出之壮丽，尤见其奇。姚鼐为桐城派宗师，其文以清峻雅洁著称，此文正是其代表——以登山之程写观日之壮丽，正是其文风。
Prosody
Line by line
泰山之阳，汶水西流；其阴，济水东流。阳谷皆入汶，阴谷皆入济。
On the southern face of Mount Tai, the Wen River flows west; on its northern face, the Ji River flows east. All the southern valleys drain into the Wen; all the northern valleys drain into the Ji.
泰山之阳，汶水西流；其阴，济水东流。阳谷皆入汶，阴谷皆入济。
On the south side of Mount Tai the Wen flows westward; on the north side the Ji flows eastward. The valleys on the south all run into the Wen; those on the north all run into the Ji.
首写泰山地理、汶济分流，是全文记泰山之始的起点。“泰山之阳，汶水西流；其阴，济水东流”写泰山阴阳——“泰山之阳”写泰山之南，“汶水西流”写汶水西流——泰山之阳汶水西流；“其阴，济水东流”写其北济水东流——其阴济水东流；“阳谷皆入汶，阴谷皆入济”写阴阳谷入汶济——“阳谷皆入汶”写南面之谷皆入汶水，“阴谷皆入济”写北面之谷皆入济水——阳谷入汶，阴谷入济。四句写泰山地理、汶济分流：泰山之阳汶水西流，其阴济水东流，阳谷皆入汶，阴谷皆入济。以“泰山之阳，汶水西流；其阴，济水东流”写泰山南北、汶济分流，以“阳谷皆入汶，阴谷皆入济”写阴阳之谷各入汶济，正是姚鼐文记泰山之始的起点——山分阴阳，水归汶济。
The opening writes the geography of Mount Tai and the parting of the Wen and Ji rivers, the starting point of the record. On the southern face of Mount Tai, the Wen River flows west: south face the south side, Wen River flows west the river's course. On its northern face, the Ji River flows east: north the north side, eastward the course. All the southern valleys drain into the Wen; all the northern valleys drain into the Ji: southern valleys into the Wen, northern valleys into the Ji. Four lines: south and north of the mountain, the Wen and Ji parting, the southern valleys to the Wen, the northern to the Ji. Writing the two faces of the mountain and the parting of the rivers, then the valleys draining each to its own river, is the starting point of Yao Nai's record: the mountain divided by shade and sun, the waters returning to Wen and Ji.
当其南北分者，古长城也。最高日观峰，在长城南十五里。
What marks the division between north and south is the ancient Great Wall. The highest peak, the Sun-Watching Peak, lies fifteen li south of the Wall.
当其南北分者，古长城也。最高日观峰，在长城南十五里。
The line dividing south from north is the ancient Great Wall. The loftiest peak, the Sun-Watching Peak, lies fifteen li south of the Wall.
此二句写南北分者古长城、最高日观峰，是全文记泰山形胜的深化。“当其南北分者，古长城也”写南北分者古长城——“当其南北分者”写处于南北分界之处者，“古长城也”写是古长城——南北分者，古长城；“最高日观峰，在长城南十五里”写最高日观峰——“最高日观峰”写最高之峰日观峰，“在长城南十五里”写在长城南十五里——最高日观峰，在长城南十五里。二句写南北分者古长城、最高日观峰：当其南北分者古长城也，最高日观峰在长城南十五里。以“当其南北分者，古长城也”写南北分界为古长城，以“最高日观峰，在长城南十五里”写最高日观峰之位置，正是姚鼐文记泰山形胜的深化——长城分界，日观最高。
The two lines write what divides north and south, the ancient Great Wall, and the highest Sun-Watching Peak, the deepening of the mountain's features. What marks the division between north and south is the ancient Great Wall: what divides north and south the boundary, ancient Great Wall the old wall. The highest peak, the Sun-Watching Peak, lies fifteen li south of the Wall: the Sun-Watching Peak the summit, fifteen li south its position. Two lines: the boundary of north and south is the ancient wall; the highest Sun-Watching Peak lies fifteen li to its south. Writing the Great Wall as the division, then the position of the Sun-Watching Peak, is the deepening of the record: the wall as boundary, the peak as height.
戊申晦，五鼓，与子颖坐日观亭，待日出。
On the last day of the twelfth month, before the fifth watch, I sat with Ziying in the Sun-Watching Pavilion, waiting for the sunrise.
戊申晦（月末），五鼓（五更），与子颖坐日观亭，待日出。
On the Ji-Wu day, the last day of the month, at the fifth watch, I sat with Ziying in the Sun-Watching Pavilion, waiting for the sun to rise.
此四句写坐日观亭待日出，是全文写观日之始的深化。“戊申晦，五鼓”写戊申晦五鼓——“戊申晦”写戊申日（月末），“五鼓”写五更之时——戊申晦五鼓；“与子颖坐日观亭，待日出”写坐亭待日出——“与子颖坐日观亭”写与子颖坐于日观亭，“待日出”写等待日出——坐日观亭，待日出。四句写坐日观亭待日出：戊申晦五鼓，与子颖坐日观亭，待日出。以“戊申晦，五鼓”写月末五更之时，以“与子颖坐日观亭，待日出”写与友坐亭、静待日出，正是姚鼐文写观日之始的深化——五鼓坐亭，待日出。
The four lines write sitting in the Sun-Watching Pavilion waiting for sunrise, the deepening of the watch for the dawn. On the last day of the twelfth month, before the fifth watch: the last day of the month the waning day, the fifth watch the hour before dawn. I sat with Ziying in the Sun-Watching Pavilion, waiting for the sunrise: with Ziying the friend at his side, waiting for the sunrise the vigil. Four lines: the waning day at the fifth watch, sitting with a friend in the pavilion, waiting for the dawn. Writing the hour before the dawn on the last day of the month, and the friend seated with him awaiting sunrise, is the deepening of the watch: at the fifth watch, seated in the pavilion, waiting for the sun.
极天云一线异色，须臾成五采。日上，正赤如丹，下有红光动摇承之。
At the horizon, a thread of cloud showed a strange hue, and in an instant it turned to five colors. When the sun rose, it was pure red as cinnabar; below, a red light trembled and upheld it.
极天云一线异色，须臾成五采。日上，正赤如丹，下有红光动摇承之。
At the edge of the sky a single thread of cloud turned a strange color, and in a moment bloomed into five hues. The sun rose, pure red as cinnabar; beneath it a red light trembled and supported it.
末写日出之壮丽，是全文写观日之景的归结。“极天云一线异色，须臾成五采”写云线成彩——“极天云一线异色”写天边云一线异色，“须臾成五采”写须臾之间成五彩——云线异色，须臾成采；“日上，正赤如丹，下有红光动摇承之”写日正赤如丹——“日上”写太阳升起，“正赤如丹”写正赤如丹砂，“下有红光动摇承之”写下有红光动摇承托——日上正赤如丹，红光承之。四句写日出之壮丽：极天云一线异色须臾成五采，日上正赤如丹下有红光动摇承之。以“极天云一线异色，须臾成五采”写天边云线、须臾成五彩，以“日上，正赤如丹，下有红光动摇承之”写日出正赤如丹、红光承托，正是姚鼐文写观日之景的归结——日出如丹，红光承天。
The close writes the splendor of the sunrise, the conclusion of the dawn-watching scene. At the horizon, a thread of cloud showed a strange hue, and in an instant it turned to five colors: thread of cloud at the horizon, five colors in a moment. When the sun rose, it was pure red as cinnabar; below, a red light trembled and upheld it: the sun rising, pure red as cinnabar, the trembling red light supporting it. Four lines: the thread of cloud turned to five colors in an instant; the sun rose red as cinnabar, upheld by the red light below. Writing the horizon's thread of cloud blooming in a moment, then the sun's cinnabar red and the supporting glow, is the conclusion of the dawn-watching: sunrise like cinnabar, red light upholding the sky.
Study
Word focus
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