石钟山记
《石钟山记》是苏轼在元丰七年探访石钟山后所作,针对郦道元和李渤对石钟山得名原因的不完整解释提出质疑。苏轼亲赴实地,发现水波涌动与石穴共鸣产生钟鼓之声,从而揭示真相。文章强调实践的重要性,反对主观臆断,借此批判士大夫空谈学风。文笔生动,情景交融,富有哲理,是中国古代科学散文的典范。“事不目见耳闻,不可臆断其有无”成为实证精神的经典表述。
《石钟山记》原文
《水经》云:“彭蠡之口有石钟山焉。”郦元以为下临深潭,微风鼓浪,水石相搏,声如洪钟。是说也,人常疑之。今以钟磬置水中,虽大风浪不能鸣也,而况石乎!至唐李渤始访其遗踪,得双石于潭上,扣而聆之,南声函胡,北音清越,桴止响腾,余韵徐歇。自以为得之矣。然是说也,余尤疑之。石之铿然有声者,所在皆是也,而此独以钟名,何哉?
元丰七年六月丁丑,余自齐安舟行适临汝,而长子迈将赴饶之德兴尉,送之至湖口,因得观所谓石钟者。寺僧使小童持斧,于乱石间择其一二扣之,硿硿焉。余固笑而不信也。至暮夜月明,独与迈乘小舟,至绝壁下。大石侧立千尺,如猛兽奇鬼,森然欲搏人;而山上栖鹘,闻人声亦惊起,磔磔云霄间;又有若老人咳且笑于山谷中者,或曰此鹳鹤也。余方心动欲还,而大声发于水上,噌吰如钟鼓不绝。舟人大恐。徐而察之,则山下皆石穴罅,不知其浅深,微波入焉,涵澹澎湃而为此也。舟回至两山间,将入港口,有大石当中流,可坐百人,空中而多窍,与风水相吞吐,有窾坎镗鞳之声,与向之噌吰者相应,如乐作焉。因笑谓迈曰:“汝识之乎?噌吰者,周景王之无射也;窾坎镗鞳者,魏庄子之钟虡也。古之人不余欺也!”
事不目见耳闻,而臆断其有无,可乎?郦元之所见闻,殆与余同,而言之不详;士大夫终不肯以小舟夜泊绝壁之下,故莫能知;而渔工水师虽知而不能言。此世非无学,其为说也不一,能使人信之者,盖鲜矣。而陋者乃以斧斤考击而求之,自以为得其实。余是以记之,盖叹郦元之简,而笑李渤之陋也。
中文翻译
《水经》记载:“彭蠡湖口有座石钟山。”郦道元认为,此山下方临深潭,微风鼓动波浪,水与石相互撞击,发出洪钟般的声音。这种说法,人们常怀疑它的真实性。如今将钟磬置于水中,即使大风大浪也不能使其鸣响,何况是石头呢?到了唐代,李渤才探访其遗迹,在深潭边找到两块石头,敲击它们,听到的声音南边低沉模糊,北边清脆悠扬,鼓槌停止敲击后余音仍久久回荡。他自以为找到了真相。然而这种说法,我更加怀疑。石头铿锵作响的随处可见,为何唯独这座山以“钟”为名?
元丰七年六月丁丑日,我从齐安乘船前往临汝,大儿子苏迈将去饶州德兴县任县尉,我送他到湖口,因而得以观赏所谓的石钟山。寺中僧人让小童拿斧头在乱石中挑选几块敲击,发出硿硿的声响。我不禁笑而不信。深夜月明,我与苏迈乘小舟至绝壁下。巨大的山石侧立千尺,如猛兽奇鬼,阴森欲扑人;山上的鹘鸟听到人声也惊飞,在云霄间发出磔磔声响;又有似老人在山谷中咳嗽大笑的,有人说那是鹳鹤。我正心惊欲返,忽见水上大石发出噌吰如钟鼓般的声音。船夫大惊。待我细察,发现山下皆是石穴缝隙,微波涌入其中,激荡澎湃形成此声。船行至两山之间,即将进入港口时,有块巨石横亘中流,可坐百人,中间空心且多孔洞,与风水相互吞吐,发出窾坎镗鞳的声响,与之前的噌吰声相应和,如奏乐一般。我笑着对苏迈说:“你听懂了吗?噌吰声是周景王的无射钟声,窾坎镗鞳声是魏庄子的编钟声。古人没有欺骗我们啊!”
凡事不亲眼所见、亲耳所闻,却凭空臆断其有无,可以吗?郦道元的见闻,大概与我相同,但描述不够详尽;士大夫始终不愿乘小舟夜泊绝壁之下,因此无人知晓真相;而渔夫船工虽知却无法言明。世上并非没有学问渊博之人,但他们的说法不一,能让人信服的极少。而浅薄之人竟用斧头敲击石头来探求真相,自以为掌握了事实。我因此写下此文,既感叹郦道元记载的简略,又嘲笑李渤的浅陋。
英文翻译
(参考许渊冲译本及意译)
The Classic of Waterways states: “At the mouth of Pengli Lake lies Shizhong Mountain.” Li Yuan of the Liang Dynasty claimed that the mountain overlooked a deep pool, where gentle winds stirred waves, causing water and rocks to clash like a resounding bell. This explanation has long been doubted. If a bell or chime were placed in water, even a storm could not make it ring—let alone stone! By the Tang Dynasty, Li Bo explored the site and found two stones by the pool. Striking them, he heard muffled tones to the south and clear resonances to the north. The sounds lingered after the blows ceased, leading him to believe he had uncovered the truth. Yet I remain skeptical. Many stones clatter loudly, yet this one alone bears the name “Bell Mountain”—why?
In the seventh year of the Yuanfeng era (1084), on the 27th day of the sixth month, I sailed from Qianzhou to Linru. My eldest son Su Mai was to assume office in Dexing, and as we bid farewell at Hukou, I visited the famed Shizhong Mountain. Monks sent a boy with an axe to strike random stones among the rocks, producing dull thuds. I scoffed. That night, under a bright moon, Su Mai and I rowed to the cliffs. A colossal stone, like a beast or ghost, loomed a thousand feet tall. Gulls on the cliffs took flight, screeching into the clouds, while echoes resembling an old man’s cough and laughter echoed from the valley—perhaps cranes, some said. Just as fear gripped me, a thunderous clang erupted from the water, echoing like drums. The boatmen trembled. Upon inspection, we found crevices beneath the cliffs where waves surged, creating the sound. Nearing the harbor, a giant rock split the current. Hollow and pitted, it hummed with wind and water, resonating like a chime. I laughed and said to Su Mai: “Hear it? The deep clang is Zhou Jingwang’s ‘Wu Yi’ bell; the rumbling clang is Wei Zhuangzi’s bronze chime. The ancients spoke true!”
How can one judge the existence of something without witnessing it firsthand? Li Yuan’s account matches mine, yet lacks detail. Scholars refuse to sail by moonlight to probe the cliffs, leaving truths undiscovered. Fishermen know but cannot articulate. Scholars debate endlessly, yet few command belief. Ignorant men hack at stones, thinking they grasp reality. I record this to lament Li Yuan’s brevity and mock Li Bo’s shallowness.
背景补充
- 作者与创作背景
- 苏轼(1037—1101),北宋文豪,“唐宋八大家”之一。元丰七年(1084年),苏轼因乌台诗案贬谪黄州已五年,此年六月奉诏调任汝州,途经湖口(今江西九江)时探访石钟山,写下此文。
- 创作动机:针对郦道元、李渤等前人对石钟山得名缘由的臆断,苏轼通过实地考察,提出“事不目见耳闻,不可臆断”的实证精神,暗含对当时士大夫空谈学风的批判。
- 核心思想
- 主旨:强调实践是检验真理的标准,反对主观臆断。
- 哲学思辨:
- 现象与本质:郦道元仅以“水石相搏”解释钟声,李渤以敲击两石验证,均流于表面;苏轼发现石穴与风水共鸣的真相,揭示事物本质需深入探究。
- 真知源于实践:士大夫因循守旧、渔工虽知不能言,唯有亲身探访方能得真知。
- 结构特色:以“疑—探—证—悟”为脉络,层层递进,兼具科学性与文学性。
- 艺术特色
- 写景与说理交融:对绝壁、栖鹘、鹳鹤的描写渲染阴森氛围,为后文真相的揭示蓄势。
- 对比与讽刺:郦道元“言之不详”与李渤“考击而求”形成对比,讽刺空谈与浅薄;苏轼“笑曰”与“叹曰”体现其豁达与睿智。
- 骈散结合:散句叙事,骈句写声(如“噌吰如钟鼓”“窾坎镗鞳”),音韵铿锵,呼应钟声主题。
- 历史评价
- 中国古代科学小品的典范,被清代学者刘熙载评为“借山水以悟道,托物论理”。
- “事不目见耳闻,不可臆断其有无”成为实证精神的经典表述,影响后世科学研究方法。
- 文化关联
- 石钟山位于江西湖口,今存苏轼《石钟山记》碑刻,为省级文物保护单位。
- 文中“水石相搏”现象被现代地质学证实为溶洞共鸣效应,印证苏轼的科学观察。
- 衍生出“石钟山得名之谜”的学术讨论,成为文理交叉的经典案例。