《游万柳堂记》 是清代文学大家刘大櫆创作的一篇游记散文。这篇散文第一段是叙述部分的前导，说明富贵人家修建林园别墅是没有什么意义的。中间两段是记叙，以精练的笔触叙写了三次游览万柳堂的情况。最后一段写万柳堂的变化，进一步引起作者的议论。这篇文章采用了夹叙夹议的写法，层次清楚，主题思想明确。

刘大魁·《游万柳堂记》

昔之人贵极富溢，则往往为别馆以自娱，穷极土木之工而无所爱惜。既成，则不得久居其中，偶一至焉而已，有终身不得至者焉。而人之得久居其中者，力又不足以为之。夫贤公卿勤劳王事，固将不暇于此；而卑庸者类欲以此震耀其乡里之愚。

临朐相国冯公，其在廷时无可訾，亦无可称。而有园在都城之东南隅。其广三十亩，无杂树，随地势之高下，尽植以柳，而榜其堂曰"万柳之堂"。短墙之外，骑行者可望而见其中。径曲而深，因其洼以为池，而累其土以成山；池旁皆兼葭，云水萧疏可爱。

雍正之初，予始至京师，则好游者咸为予言此地之胜。一至，犹稍有亭榭。再至，则向之飞梁架于水上者，今欹卧于水中矣。三至，则凡其所植柳，斩焉无一株之存。

人世富贵之光荣，其与时升降，盖略与此园等。然则士苟有以自得，宜其不外慕乎富贵。彼身在富贵之中者，方殷忧之不暇，又何必朘民之膏以为苑囿也哉！

The Mansion of Willow

Liu Dakui

When people in the past became extremely exalted and rich, they would build garden villas for their pleasure, exhausting all the superb workmanship of the building craft, sparing nothing within their reach. But after the completion of the villas, they could not afford to live there long and came only once in a while. Some were unable to come all their lives. Yet those who had lived long at the place had not the means to build them. As for the good ministers occupied with state affairs, they certainly had no time for them. So it was only the base and mean who wanted them to overwhelm the ignoramuses among their townsmen with such a vanity.

Prime Minister Feng of Linqu, a man who had neither merits nor demerits when he was at court, built a garden mansion at the southeast corner of the capital, with a total area of thirty mu. It was planted, according to the configuration of the ground, with willows unmixed with any other trees, and the mansion was named the Mansion of Willow. The garden could be seen by riding travelers over the parapets. It had twisted and deep lanes as well as a pond laid in a depression and knolls made out of excavated earth. The pond, surrounded with weeds, looked lovely because of the dim reflection of clouds in the water.

Not long after I had come to the capital at the beginning of the Yongzhen period, the frequent excursionists all told me about the scenic splendour of the place. When I first visited it, a few arbours and pavilions still stood there. At the second time, the bridge previously spanning the pond lay slanting in the water, while at the third time, the planted willows were all cut down, without a single survival.

The glory imparted by wealth and honour in one's life is enhanced and eclipsed with time, which is well-nigh the same with this garden. If a gentleman has gained some insight into this fact, he had better now envy it. As for those who are swamped with wealth and honour, they are simply best with ensuring worries. Such being the case, what need is there for them to suck the blood of the people for the sake of building magnificent garden mansions?

（谢百魁 译）

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