李白与月亮 · Li Bai and the Moon

在zài中国Zhōngguó的de诗人里,shīrén lǐ没有谁méiyǒu shéi比bǐ李白Lǐ Bái更gèng爱ài月亮。yuèliang

Among Chinese poets, none loved the moon more than Li Bai.

据说jùshuō他tā的de一生yìshēng写xiě了le上千首shàng qiān shǒu诗,shī其中qízhōng提到tí dào月亮yuèliang的de有yǒu三百多处。sān bǎi duō chù

He is said to have written a thousand poems, of which more than three hundred mention the moon.

月亮yuèliang是shì他的tā de酒伴,jiǔ bàn也是yě shì他的tā de镜子。jìngzi

The moon was his drinking companion, and also his mirror.

最zuì有名yǒumíng的de那首nà shǒu只有zhǐ yǒu二十个字,èrshí ge zì几乎jīhū每个měi ge中国Zhōngguó孩子háizi都会dōu huì背。bèi

His most famous poem is only twenty characters long, and nearly every Chinese child can recite it.

"床前明月光,chuáng qián míng yuè guāng疑是地上霜。yí shì dì shàng shuāng举头望明月,jǔ tóu wàng míng yuè低头思故乡。"dī tóu sī gùxiāng

"Before my bed, the bright moonlight — I suspect it is frost on the ground. I raise my head to gaze at the bright moon; I lower my head and think of home."

语言yǔyán简单jiǎndān得de像xiàng说话,shuōhuà却què写尽xiě jìn了le所有suǒyǒu游子yóuzǐ的de心情。xīnqíng

The language is as plain as speech, yet it exhausts the feeling of everyone far from home.

他tā一生yìshēng都dōu在zài路上,lù shàng很少hěn shǎo停下来。tíng xiàlái

He spent his whole life on the road and rarely stopped.

他tā去过qù guo长安,Cháng'ān做过zuò guo皇帝huángdì身边shēnbiān的de官,guān也yě很快hěn kuài就jiù被bèi赶了出来。gǎn le chūlái

He went to Chang'an and served as an official beside the emperor — and was soon driven out.

他tā不适合bú shìhé官场,guānchǎng正如zhèngrú官场guānchǎng不适合bú shìhé他。tā

He did not suit the court, just as the court did not suit him.

于是yúshì他tā继续jìxù漫游,mànyóu喝酒,hē jiǔ写诗,xiě shī交朋友。jiāo péngyou

So he went on wandering, drinking, writing poems and making friends.

有一首诗里,yǒu yì shǒu shī lǐ他tā一个人yí ge rén在zài花间huā jiān喝酒,hē jiǔ便biàn邀请yāoqǐng月亮yuèliang来陪。lái péi

In one poem he drinks alone among the flowers and invites the moon to keep him company.

"举杯邀明月,jǔ bēi yāo míng yuè对影成三人。"duì yǐng chéng sān rén

"I raise my cup to invite the bright moon; facing my shadow, we become three."

孤独gūdú到dào极点jídiǎn的时候,de shíhou他tā把bǎ孤独gūdú写成xiě chéng了le热闹。rènao

At the very extreme of loneliness, he wrote loneliness into company.

传说chuánshuō他tā最后zuìhòu是shì在zài水中shuǐ zhōng捞月lāo yuè时shí淹死yān sǐ的。de

Legend says he finally drowned while reaching into the water for the moon.

这个zhè ge故事gùshi多半duōbàn不是bú shì真的,zhēn de但dàn人们rénmen愿意yuànyì相信。xiāngxìn

This story is most likely untrue, but people are willing to believe it.

因为yīnwèi对duì李白Lǐ Bái来说,lái shuō为了wèile月亮yuèliang而ér死,sǐ似乎sìhū是shì最zuì合适héshì的de结局。jiéjú

Because for Li Bai, to die for the moon seems the most fitting ending of all.