唐诗之美 The Beauty of Tang Poetry

一千三百yìqiān sānbǎi多duō年nián前qián的de唐朝Tángcháo，是shì中国Zhōngguó诗shī的de黄金huángjīn时代shídài。

The Tang dynasty, more than one thousand three hundred years ago, was the golden age of Chinese poetry.

那nà时候shíhou，几乎jīhū人人rénrén都dōu会huì写xiě诗shī：皇帝huángdì写xiě，士兵shìbīng写xiě，连lián卖mài酒jiǔ的de人rén也yě写xiě。

At that time, almost everyone could write poems: emperors wrote them, soldiers wrote them, and even wine sellers wrote them.

《全唐诗Quán Táng Shī》里li保存bǎocún了le将近jiāngjìn五万wǔwàn首shǒu诗shī，作者zuòzhě超过chāoguò两千liǎngqiān人rén。

The Complete Tang Poems preserves nearly fifty thousand poems, by more than two thousand authors.

唐诗Tángshī的de美měi，首先shǒuxiān在于zàiyú它tā的de声音shēngyīn：每měi首shǒu诗shī都dōu像xiàng一yì首shǒu小小xiǎoxiǎo的de歌gē，读dú出来chūlai特别tèbié好听hǎotīng。

The beauty of Tang poetry lies first of all in its sound: every poem is like a tiny song, and reading it aloud is especially pleasant.

其次qícì，诗人shīrén们men善于shànyú用yòng最zuì简单jiǎndān的de字zì，表达biǎodá最zuì深shēn的de感情gǎnqíng。

Secondly, the poets were good at using the simplest characters to express the deepest feelings.

比如bǐrú想xiǎng家jiā的de时候shíhou，他们tāmen不bù说shuō“我wǒ很hěn难过nánguò”，而是érshì写xiě月亮yuèliang、写xiě秋天qiūtiān的de树叶shùyè。

For example, when they missed home, they did not say "I am sad", but instead wrote about the moon, or about autumn leaves.

今天jīntiān，中国Zhōngguó孩子háizi上学shàngxué后hòu背bèi的de第一dì-yī首shǒu诗shī，往往wǎngwǎng还是háishi唐诗Tángshī。

Today, the first poem Chinese children memorize after starting school is still usually a Tang poem.

在zài手机shǒujī时代shídài，很多hěn duō年轻人niánqīngrén把bǎ唐诗Tángshī做成zuòchéng音乐yīnyuè和hé短视频duǎnshìpín，古老gǔlǎo的de诗shī又yòu活huó了le过来guòlai。

In the smartphone era, many young people turn Tang poems into music and short videos, and the ancient poems have come back to life.

也许yěxǔ这zhè就jiù是shì唐诗Tángshī的de美měi：时间shíjiān一直yìzhí在zài变biàn，人rén的de感情gǎnqíng却què没有méiyǒu变biàn。

Perhaps this is the beauty of Tang poetry: time keeps changing, yet human feelings have not.

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

唐朝Tángcháothe Tang dynasty

全唐诗Quán Táng Shīthe Complete Tang Poems (anthology)

首shǒu(measure word for poems and songs)

背bèito recite from memory

短视频duǎnshìpínshort video

古老gǔlǎoancient; age-old

在于 (to lie in; to consist in)

Points out where the essence or key of something is found: 唐诗的美，首先在于它的声音。

学好外语的关键在于每天练习。 — The key to mastering a foreign language lies in daily practice.

善于 (to be good at)

A more formal way to say someone does something skillfully, usually followed by a verb phrase: 诗人们善于用最简单的字，表达最深的感情。

她善于跟不同的人交流。 — She is good at communicating with different kinds of people.

连…也… (even…)

连 highlights an extreme example, and 也 (or 都) completes it: 连卖酒的人也写。

他忙得连饭也忘了吃。 — He was so busy that he even forgot to eat.

1. According to the text, where does the beauty of Tang poetry lie first of all?

2. How many poems does the Complete Tang Poems preserve?

3. How are the ancient poems coming back to life today?