《庄子 逍遥游》（1）（林语堂 英译）

北冥有鱼①，其名曰鲲②。鲲之大，不知其几千里也；化而为鸟，其名为鹏③。鹏之背，不知其几千里也；怒而飞④，其翼若垂天之云⑤。

In the northern ocean there is a fish, called the k'un, I do not know how many thousand li in size. This k'un changes into a bird, called the p'eng. Its back is I do not know how many thousand li in breadth. When it is moved, it flies, its wings obscuring the sky like clouds.

是鸟也，海运则将徙于南冥⑥。南冥者，天池也⑦。齐谐者⑧，志怪者也⑨。谐之言曰：“鹏之徙于南冥也，水击三千里⑩，抟扶摇而上者九万里(11)，去以六月息者也(12)。

When on a voyage, this bird prepares to start for the Southern Ocean, the Celestial Lake. And in the Records of Marvels we read that when the p'eng flies southwards, the water is smitten for a space of three thousand li around, while the bird itself mounts upon a great wind to a height of ninety thousand li, for a flight of six months' duration.

”野马也(13)，尘埃也(14)，生物之以息相吹也(15)。天之苍苍，其正色邪？其远而无所至极邪(16)？其视下也，亦若是则已矣。

There mounting aloft, the bird saw the moving white mists of spring, the dust-clouds, and the living things blowing their breaths among them. It wondered whether the blue of the sky was its real color, or only the result of distance without end, and saw that the things on earth appeared the same to it.

【注释】

①冥：亦作溟，海之意。“北冥”，就是北方的大海。下文的“南冥”仿此。传说北海无边无际，水深而黑。

②鲲（ｋūｎ）：本指鱼卵，这里借表大鱼之名。

③鹏：本为古“凤”字，这里用表大鸟之名。

④怒：奋起。

⑤垂：边远；这个意义后代写作“陲”。一说遮，遮天。

⑥海运：海水运动，这里指汹涌的海涛；一说指鹏鸟在海面飞行。徙：迁移。

⑦天池：天然的大池。

⑧齐谐：书名。一说人名。

⑨志：记载。

⑩击：拍打，这里指鹏鸟奋飞而起双翼拍打水面。

(11)抟（ｔｕáｎ）：环绕而上。一说“抟”当作“搏”（ｂó），拍击的意思。扶摇：又名叫飙，由地面急剧盘旋而上的暴风。

(12)去：离，这里指离开北海。息：停歇。

(13)野马：春天林泽中的雾气。雾气浮动状如奔马，故名“野马”。

(14)尘埃：扬在空中的土叫“尘”，细碎的尘粒叫“埃”。

(15)生物：概指各种有生命的东西。息：这里指有生命的东西呼吸所产生的气息。

(16)极：尽。