苏轼·《记承天寺夜游》英译
元丰六年十月十二日，夜。解衣欲睡。月色入户，欣然起行。念无与为乐者，遂至承天寺，寻张怀民。怀民亦未寝，相与步于中庭。庭下如积水空明，水中藻荇交横，盖竹柏影也。何夜无月，何处无竹柏，但少闲人如吾两人者耳。黄州团练副使苏某书。
Record of a Nightout at Cheng Tian Temple
Sushi
On the night of 12th 10th month in the 6th year of the Yuanfeng reign, I took off my clothes to sleep. As moonlight showered into the room, I got up at its invitation and ventured out. For someone to share the fun, I proceeded to Cheng Tian Temple to look for Zhang Huaimin (1). Huaimin, too, has yet to retire for the night, and together we went to the center courtyard. Down there, the yard glittered bright as if from pools of water crisscrossed with aquatic plants, which turned out to be shadows of bamboos and cypresses. Is there ever a night without a moon, or any place without bamboos and cypresses? But there is definitely a dearth of idlers like us two. Written by a certain Deputy Officer Su of the Village Militia of Huangzhou (2).
Notes:
(1) Zhang Huaimin, native of Qinghe in Hubei Province, at the time also a banishee in Huangzhou.
(2) “Deputy Officer of the Village Militia” was a sinecure job title. The sarcasm is obvious if viewed with the preceding sentence. （任治稷 译）
《战国策·齐策·画蛇添足》英译
楚有祠者，赐其舍人卮酒，舍人相谓曰：“数人饮之不足，一人饮之有余。请画地为蛇，先成者饮酒。”
一人蛇先成，引酒且饮之，乃左手持卮，右手画蛇，曰：“吾能为之足。”未成，一人之蛇成夺其卮,曰：“蛇固无足，子安能为之足？”遂饮其酒。为蛇足者终亡其酒。
Adding Feet to a Snake While Drawing It
A native of Chu after worshiping his ancestors gave his retainers a pot of wine. One of the retainers said: “It’s insufficient for all of us, but too much for one of us. I suggest, therefore, that we draw snakes on the ground, and the one who first finishes drawing the snake will win the pot of wine.” When one retainer had completed his drawing, he took the pot to drink. As he held it in his left hand, he continued to draw the snake with his right hand, saying: “I can add feet to it.” While he was adding feet to his snake, another man who had then drawn his snake snatched the pot from his hand, protesting: “No snake has feet. How can you add feet to it?” Then he drank the wine. The man who added feet to the snake lost his prize at last.（钱歌川 译）
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