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中文注释　　English

　　苏轼（1037-1101），字子瞻，号东坡居士，北宋大文学家、大艺术家，在诗词、散文、书法、绘画等方面都有杰出的成就，对后世影响很深。他的诗词，挥洒自如，明快豪放，善于运用新鲜的比喻描写山水景物，善于从常见的事物中揭示深刻的哲理。
　　①潋滟——形容水波相连，荡漾闪光。
　　②方好——正显得美好。
　　③空蒙——形容云雾迷茫，似有若无。
　　④西子——西施，春秋时代越国的美女，姓施，家住浣纱溪村（在今浙江诸暨县）西，所以称为西施。

　　杭州西湖，又叫西子湖，因为它在杭州西面；叫西子湖，则是从这首小诗而来。

　　一天，苏轼和朋友在西湖边上饮酒。开始天气晴朗朗的，不大工夫竟阴了天，下起雨来。这样，饮酒未尽，诗人便饱览了西湖上晴和雨两种截然不同的风光。于是诗人赞叹说：晴天的西湖，水上波光荡漾，闪烁耀眼，正好展示着那美丽的风貌；雨天的西湖，山中云雾朦胧，缥缥渺渺，又显出别一番奇妙景致。我想，最好把西湖比作西子，空蒙山色是她淡雅的妆饰，潋滟水光是她浓艳的粉脂，不管她怎样打扮，总能很好地烘托出天生丽质和迷人的神韵。
　　这首小诗前两句是描写：写晴天的水、雨天的山，从两种地貌、两种天气表现西湖山水风光之美和晴雨多变的特征，写得具体、传神，具有高度的艺术概括性，以致有人评论说，古来多少西湖诗全被这两句扫尽了。后两句是比喻：天地之间，人类最灵；人类之中，西子最美。在前两句描写的基础上，把西湖比做美女西施，说它和西施一样同为天下灵与美的极至，何况又经过或淡妆或浓抹的精心打扮呢！
　　然而，极写西湖之美还不是这个比喻的全部奥妙。历史上有些女子，美名和西子不相上下，诗人何以偏偏要拿西子来和西湖相比呢？这是因为，西子除了她灵秀美丽，她和西湖还有两点独特的契合：一是西子家乡离西湖不远，同属古越之地；二是西子、西湖，头上都有“西”字，叫起来自然天成。由于这种种原因，苏轼这个妙手偶得的比喻，博得了后人的称道，西湖也就被称作西子湖了。

  Su Shi wrote this poem while drinking wine with his friends by the Western Lake.The Lake is located to the west of Hangzhou City,Zhejing Province,hence the name of "the Western Lake".When Su and his friends started drinking on that day,it was clear and sunny.And soon it became cloudy and rain was coming down.So the poet had the opportunity to enjoy two different scenic views of the Lake.Much impressed by what he had seen,the poet wrote in admiration the following lines:

  "These pools,so lovely when their bright.Wavelets are glancing in sunlight.Still,when the hills are dimmed with rain.Their pristine loveliness retain.For symbol of the Western Lake The Western Maid you well may take.Whether adorned with white and rose.Or in unpainted grace she goes."

  Su's vivid description of the scenic views of the Western Lake in different weathers is a perfection of artistic presentation and generalization.One comments that Su's poem is so well written that it has made all other verses about the Western Lake look pale.Of all the beautiful ladies,why did the poet chose the Western Maid?Su did so for two reasons.One,her home was in Wanxisha Village(now in present Zhuji County,Zhejiang Province)which was not far from the Western Lake.Second,the first character of the names of Lake and the Lady was the word"Western",which was a poetic coincidence.In fact,people of later generations warmly endorsed his choice and began to call the Lake by another name of the "Western Maid Lake" or "Xizi Lake"in Chinese.