送东阳马生序

《送东阳马生序》原文

余幼时即嗜学。家贫，无从致书以观，每假借于藏书之家，手自笔录，计日以还。天大寒，砚冰坚，手指不可屈伸，弗之怠。录毕，走送之，不敢稍逾约。以是人多以书假余，余因得遍观群书。既加冠，益慕圣贤之道 ，又患无硕师、名人与游，尝趋百里外，从乡之先达执经叩问。先达德隆望尊，门人弟子填其室，未尝稍降辞色。余立侍左右，援疑质理，俯身倾耳以请；或遇其叱咄，色愈恭，礼愈至，不敢出一言以复；俟其欣悦，则又请焉。故余虽愚，卒获有所闻。
当余之从师也，负箧曳屣，行深山巨谷中，穷冬烈风，大雪深数尺，足肤皲裂而不知。至舍，四支僵劲不能动，媵人持汤沃灌，以衾拥覆，久而乃和。寓逆旅，主人日再食，无鲜肥滋味之享。同舍生皆被绮绣，戴朱缨宝饰之帽，腰白玉之环，左佩刀，右备容臭，烨然若神人；余则缊袍敝衣处其间，略无慕艳意。以中有足乐者，不知口体之奉不若人也。盖余之勤且艰若此。
今虽耄老，未有所成，犹幸预君子之列，而承天子之宠光，缀公卿之后，日侍坐备顾问，四海亦谬称其氏名，况才之过于余者乎？
今诸生学于太学，县官日有廪稍之供，父母岁有裘葛之遗，无冻馁之患矣；坐大厦之下而诵《诗》《书》，无奔走之劳矣；有司业、博士为之师，未有问而不告，求而不得者也；凡所宜有之书，皆集于此，不必若余之手录，假诸人而后见也。其业有不精，德有不成者，非天质之卑，则心不若余之专耳，岂他人之过哉！
东阳马生君则，在太学已二年，流辈甚称其贤。余朝京师，生以乡人子谒余，撰长书以为贽，辞甚畅达，与之论辩，言和而色夷。自谓少时用心于学甚劳，是可谓善学者矣！其将归见其亲也，余故道为学之难以告之。谓余勉乡人以学者，余之志也；诋我夸际遇之盛而骄乡人者，岂知余者哉！

中文翻译

我年幼时就非常爱好读书。家里贫穷，无法得到书来看，常常向藏书的人家求借，亲手抄录，计算着日期按时送还。冬天非常寒冷，砚台里的墨汁都结了冰，手指冻得不能弯曲和伸直，也不放松抄录书。抄写完毕后，便马上跑去还书，不敢稍微超过约定的期限。因此有很多人都愿意把书借给我，于是我能够遍观群书。成年以后，我更加仰慕古代圣贤的学说，又苦于不能与学识渊博的老师和名人交往，曾经赶到数百里以外，拿着经书向乡里有道德学问的前辈请教。前辈德高望重，门人弟子挤满了他的屋子，他的言辞和态度从未稍有委婉。我站着陪侍在他左右，提出疑难，询问道理，俯下身子，侧着耳朵恭敬地请教；有时遇到他大声斥责，我的表情更加恭顺，礼节更加周到，不敢说一个字反驳；等到他高兴了，则又去请教。所以我虽然愚笨，但最终获得不少教益。
当我外出求师的时候，背着书箱，拖着鞋子，行走在深山峡谷之中。隆冬时节，刮着猛烈的寒风，雪有好几尺深，脚上的皮肤受冻裂开都不知道。回到客舍，四肢僵硬动弹不得。服侍的人拿着热水为我洗浴，用被子裹着我，很久才暖和起来。寄居在旅馆，店主人每天供给两顿饭，没有新鲜肥嫩的美味享受。同客舍的人都穿着华丽的衣服，戴着用红色帽带和珠宝装饰的帽子，腰间挂着白玉环，左边佩戴宝刀，右边挂着香囊，光彩鲜明，像神仙一样；我却穿着破旧的衣服处于他们之间，但我毫无羡慕的心。因为心中有足以快乐的事情，所以不觉得吃的、穿的享受不如别人。我求学的辛勤和艰苦就是像这个样子。
如今我虽已年老，没有什么成就，但所幸还得以置身于君子的行列中，承受着天子的恩宠荣耀，追随在公卿之后，每天陪侍着皇上，听候询问，天底下也不适当地称颂自己的姓名，更何况才能超过我的人呢？
如今的学生们在太学中学习，朝廷每天供给膳食，父母每年都赠给冬天的皮衣和夏天的葛衣，没有冻饿的忧虑了；坐在大厦之下诵读经书，没有奔走的劳苦了；有司业和博士当他们的老师，没有询问而不告诉，求教而无所收获的了；凡是所应该具备的书籍，都集中在这里，不必再像我这样用手抄录，从别人处借来然后才能看到了。他们中如果学业有所不精通，品德有所未养成的，如果不是天赋、资质低下，就是用心不如我这样专一，难道可以说是别人的过错吗！
东阳马生君则，在太学中已学习二年了，同辈人很称赞他的德行。我到京师朝见皇帝时，马生以同乡晚辈的身份拜见我，写了一封长信作为礼物，文辞很顺畅通达，同他论辩，言语温和而态度谦恭。他自己说少年时对于学习很用心、刻苦，这可以称作善于学习者吧！他将要回家拜见父母双亲，我特地将自己治学的艰难告诉他。如果说我勉励同乡努力学习，则是我的志意；如果诋毁我夸耀自己遭遇之好而在同乡前骄傲，难道是了解我吗？

英文翻译

When I was young, I was very fond of learning. My family was poor and I had no way to get books to read. So I often borrowed books from families with collections and copied them by hand, returning them on the agreed date. In winter, when it was extremely cold and the ink in the inkstone was frozen solid, my fingers were so numb that I couldn't bend or stretch them, but I never slackened in my copying. As soon as I finished copying, I would rush to return the book, never daring to be even slightly late. As a result, many people were willing to lend me books, and I was thus able to read a wide variety of books.
After I grew up, I became even more eager to learn from the sages and worthies of ancient times. However, I was troubled by the fact that I had no access to learned teachers and famous scholars. So I once traveled more than a hundred miles to seek guidance from a respected elder in my hometown. The elder was highly respected and had many students, and he never showed the slightest leniency in his speech or expression. I stood by his side, asking questions and seeking explanations. Sometimes, when he scolded me harshly, I became even more respectful and polite, never daring to retort a single word. When he was pleased, I would ask again. Although I was dull-witted, I eventually gained a great deal of knowledge.
When I went out to seek teachers, I carried a book bag on my back and dragged my shoes, walking through deep mountains and valleys. In the severe winter, with fierce winds blowing and several feet of snow on the ground, my feet were frozen and cracked without my noticing. When I returned to the inn, my limbs were so stiff that I couldn't move. The servant would pour hot water over me to wash me, and then wrap me in quilts. It took a long time before I warmed up. Living in an inn, the innkeeper only provided two meals a day, and I had no chance to enjoy fresh and delicious food. My fellow students all wore fine clothes, with red tassels and jeweled hats, jade rings around their waists, swords on their left sides, and fragrant sachets on their right sides, looking as splendid as immortals. But I wore shabby clothes among them, without any feeling of envy. Because I had something that brought me great joy in my heart, I didn't feel that my food and clothing were inferior to those of others. Such was the hardship and toil I endured in my pursuit of learning.
Although I am now old and have achieved little, I am fortunate to be among the ranks of gentlemen, enjoying the imperial favor and following behind the high-ranking officials. I daily attend the emperor, ready to answer his questions, and people all over the world speak of my name, not to mention those more talented than me.
Nowadays, students in the Imperial Academy are provided with daily rations by the court, and their parents send them warm clothes in winter and cool clothes in summer every year. They have no worries about cold and hunger. They sit in large buildings and recite the "Book of Songs" and other classics, without the toil of running around. They have instructors and doctors as their teachers, and there is no question that goes unanswered or request that goes unfulfilled. All the books they need are collected here, and they don't have to copy them by hand or borrow them from others like I did. If their studies are not thorough or their morals are not cultivated, it is either because of their low natural endowments or because they are not as focused as I was. How can it be the fault of others?
Dongyang Ma Shengjun, who has been studying in the Imperial Academy for two years, is highly praised by his peers for his virtue. When I went to the capital to pay respects to the emperor, Ma Sheng, as a fellow townsman, called on me. He wrote a long letter as a gift, with fluent and coherent language. When we debated, his words were gentle and his expression respectful. He said that he had been very diligent in his studies when he was young, and he could indeed be regarded as a good learner. He is about to return home to see his parents, so I am telling him about the difficulties of learning. If I encourage my fellow townspeople to study hard, it is my aspiration. If someone slanders me for boasting about my good fortune and being arrogant in front of my fellow townspeople, how can they understand me?

背景补充

创作背景

明洪武十一年（1378 年），宋濂告老还乡的第二年，应诏从家乡浦江（浙江省浦江县）到应天（今江苏南京）去朝见同乡晚辈太学生马君则。这篇赠序是宋濂写给他的，勉励他勤奋学习。当时马生在太学已学习两年，同辈人很称赞他的德行。宋濂到京师朝见皇帝时，马生以同乡晚辈的身份拜见他，并写了长信作为见面礼，文辞十分流畅。宋濂看到马生的勤奋好学，又想到自己早年求学的艰难，于是写了这篇文章来勉励马生珍惜太学的学习条件，刻苦学习。

作者简介

宋濂（1310 年 - 1381 年），字景濂，号潜溪，别号玄真子、玄真道士、玄真遁叟，浦江（今浙江浦江）人，元末明初文学家，曾被明太祖朱元璋誉为“开国文臣之首”，学者称太史公。他与高启、刘基并称为“明初诗文三大家”。宋濂自幼家境贫寒，但聪敏好学，一生刻苦学习，“自少至老，未尝一日去书卷，于学无所不通”。他的散文质朴简洁，或雍容典雅，各有特色。代表作有《送东阳马生序》《桃花涧修禊诗序》等。

文章主旨

文章通过叙述作者自己早年虚心求教和勤苦学习的经历，勉励青年人珍惜良好的读书环境，专心治学。文中生动而具体地描述了自己借书求师之难，饥寒奔走之苦，并与太学生优越的条件加以对比，有力地说明学业能否有所成就，主要在于主观努力，不在天资的高下和条件的优劣，这种认识在今天仍有借鉴意义。