China’s iconic poet

As William Shakespeare is to literature in English, so is the poet Du Fu to the Chinese literary tradition. “We have Dante, Shakespeare and Du Fu. These poets create the very values by which poetry is judged,” remarked Harvard Professor Stephen Owen in Du Fu, China’s Greatest Poet, a new BBC documentary that aired on April 7.
诗人杜甫之于中国传统文学，就好比莎士比亚之于英国文坛。“我们有但丁、莎士比亚和杜甫。这些诗人创造了诗歌艺术的价值，”哈佛大学教授斯蒂芬·欧文在4月7日播出的英国广播公司纪录片《杜甫：中国最伟大的诗人》中如此评价道。

Aimed at introducing the charm and beauty of traditional Chinese literature to viewers around the globe, the documentary invited famous British actor Ian McKellen, who played the wizard Gandalf in the film series The Lord of the Rings, to read 15 of Du’s poems that have been translated into English.
这部纪录片意在向全球观众介绍中国传统文学的魅力与美，并邀请了英国著名演员、曾在系列电影《指环王》中饰演巫师甘道夫的伊恩·麦克莱恩来朗读15首杜甫诗歌的英译版。

The one-hour film traces the poet’s life experiences in detail. Born in 712, Du lived under the reign of the Tang Emperor Xuanzong (713-756), a time marked by extraordinary prosperity, inclusiveness and cultural accomplishment.
这部时长1小时的纪录片详细回顾了这位诗人的人生经历。杜甫生于公元712年，当时正是唐玄宗（713-756）统治的盛唐时期，社会繁荣开明，文化兴盛。

However, as the An Lushan Rebellion of 755 floored the empire, Du, the former civil servant at the Tang court, had to take his family on the road as refugees, and endured starvation and suffering. Through ups and downs, the poet never stopped writing and about 1,500 poems have been kept over the ages.
然而，755年的安史之乱使大唐经受了动荡，先前身为唐朝官员的杜甫不得不带着家眷出逃避难，一路上备受饥苦折磨。面对人生的起起落落，这位诗人笔耕不辍，他的诗作约有1500首保存下来，流传于世。

In these poems, he poured out his concern for his country and people as well as the importance of celebrating the simple joys of life.
在这些诗作中，他表露了忧国忧民之情，以及享受人生中简单乐趣的重要性。

“Chinese people really value the recording of history and Du is better than anyone at reflecting history in his poetry. That’s because historical events are mirrored in his own life and spiritual journey,” Zeng Xiangbo, a professor of ancient Chinese literature at Renmin University of China, told China Daily.
“中国人相当重视历史记载，而没人比杜甫更擅长在诗歌中体现历史。因为这些历史事件都反映在了他的人生和心路历程之中，”中国人民大学中国古典文学教授曾祥波在接受《中国日报》采访时如此表示。

Du has been “the guardian of the moral conscience of the nation,” according to the documentary.
纪录片称杜甫向来是“国家道德良知的捍卫者”。

Even though he never held a high position in the government, Du still cared about common people. For example, in the poem My Cottage Unroofed By Autumn Gales, he wrote that “Could I get mansions covering ten thousand miles, I’d house all scholars poor and make them beam with smiles.”
尽管杜甫为官未能位居高位，但他依然心系百姓。比如，在《茅屋为秋风所破歌》一诗中，他写道：“安得广厦千万间，大庇天下寒士俱欢颜。”

“That’s why he was honored as a Poet Sage by later generations. A difficult life and his spirit of concern about the world helped him create so many masterpieces,” Shi Wenxue, a cultural critic based in Beijing, told the Global Times.
“这便是杜甫被后人誉为诗圣的原因。困顿的人生以及心忧天下的情怀令他写出了如此多杰作，”居于北京的文化评论员石文学在接受《环球时报》采访时如此表示。

Without doubt, Du is a cultural symbol of ancient China, but his brilliant works and core spirits have also inspired people outside of China. As the documentary noted, his work represents a precious cultural heritage for the entire world, not just China.
毫无疑问，杜甫是中国古代的一大文化象征，但他杰出的诗作以及精神内核也激励着海外的人们。正如纪录片中所指出的那样，他的作品不仅是中国珍贵的文化遗产，也是全世界的。

以上文章内容选自《21世纪学生英文报高中版》，详情请见《21世纪学生英文报高中版》高一790期