5月4日

一片陽光
林徽因 ( 1904~1955 )

將午未午時候的陽光，澄黃的一片，由窗欞橫浸到室
內，晶瑩地四處射。我望著太陽那湛明的體質，像要辨別
它那交織絢爛的色澤，追逐它那不著痕跡流動。看它潔淨
地映到書桌上時，我感到桌面上平鋪著一種恬靜，一種精
神上的豪興，情趣上的閒逸；即或所謂「窗明几淨」，
那裡默守著神秘的期待，漾開詩的氣氛。

我們既然無疑的珍惜文化，即尊重盤古到今種種的藝
術──無論是抽象的思想的藝術，或是具體的駕馭天然材
料另創的非天然形象，──則對於藝術所由來的淵源，那
點點人的感覺，人的情感智慧(通稱人的情緒)，又當如
何的珍惜才算合理？

房間內有兩種豪侈的光常叫我的心緒緊張如同花開，
趁著感覺的微風，深淺零亂於冷智的枝葉中間。一種是燭
光，高高的台座，長垂的燭淚，熊熊紅焰當簾幕四下時各
處光影掩映。那種閃爍明艷，雅有古意，明明是畫中景象，
卻含有更多詩的成份。另一種便是這初春晌午的陽光，到
時候有意無意的大片子灑落滿室，那些窗櫺欄板几案筆硯
浴在光靄中，一時全成了靜物圖案；再有紅蕊細枝點綴幾
處，室內更是輕香浮溢，叫人俯仰全觸到一種靈性。

──選自《林徽因文集》

May 4

A Piece of Sunlight
Phyllis Lin (1904 - 1955)
English translation: Miao Guang and Hsin-Yu Huang

The golden sunlight near noontime creeps into the
room through the window lattice, and sparkles in all
directions with translucence. I gaze at the sun's bright
and clear nature, as if I could recognize the dazzling
colors that intertwine with one another, and then pursue
its untraceable motions. As I see it shining crystal clear
on my desk, I feel that laying on it were some kind of
peace, a type of exuberance, and leisurely delight. This
might be what is described as "clear window and clean
table." Guarding this silently is a sense of mystery, and a
rippling poetic atmosphere.

We undoubtedly cherish culture by respecting every
type of art that has existed since the beginning of the
world─be it the abstract artistic creations or the non-
naturalist impressionist that has so smartly dominated
natural materials. Nevertheless, when it comes to the
origin of art, that little bit of human touch, and human
intelligence (or the so-called human emotions), how do
we express reasonable fondness towards such?

There are two kinds of extravagant lights in the
room that often makes me anxious. Just like when a
flower blossoms, it rides on the breeze of sensations and
scatter among the branches and leaves of calmness and
composure. The first type is candlelight, which sits high
on the stand with waxed tears drooping down into the
distance, and the light and shadows of its blazing flame
flickering here and there behind dropped curtains. The
light, bright yet elegant with a sentiment of the past,
though a part of the scene, embodies even greater poetic
senses.

The second type is the afternoon sunshine in early spring which subtly spreads across the entire room. The window lattices, tabletops, brushes and inkslabs would bathe in the hazy light, forming a picture of stillness. Added with a few dabs of red flower buds and thin stems, the room becomes even more delightful and fragrant, to the extent that spirituality is sensed in even the slightest movements. ── from Lin Huiyin Wen Ji (A Collection of Phyllis Lin's Works)