《滕王阁序》创作历史背景
《滕王阁序》是唐代文学家王勃于唐高宗上元二年（675 年）创作的千古骈文名篇。其诞生背景可从以下几个层面解析：
一、时代与文学背景
初唐时期，文坛盛行 “龙朔诗风”，追求辞藻华丽但内容空洞。王勃与杨炯、卢照邻、骆宾王并称 “初唐四杰”，他们大力倡导革新，主张文学回归刚健骨气，反对浮靡雕琢。这种文化思潮为《滕王阁序》的诞生奠定了基础 —— 文中既有骈文的工整华美，又融入了对人生境遇的深刻思考，展现了新的文学气象。
二、作者个人经历
王勃出身书香门第，自幼才华横溢，14 岁即被举荐入仕。然而，他仕途坎坷：因写《檄英王鸡》触怒唐高宗被贬，后又因擅杀官奴险遭死罪，其父王福畤受牵连被贬交趾（今越南）。上元二年，王勃南下探望父亲，途经洪州（今南昌）时恰逢滕王阁重修落成，受邀参加都督阎伯屿的宴会，写下此序。此时的王勃经历人生重创，序中 “时运不齐，命途多舛” 的感慨，正是其心境的真实写照。
三、滕王阁的历史渊源
滕王阁由唐太宗之弟滕王李元婴于唐永徽四年（653 年）任洪州都督时所建，初为歌舞宴乐之地。其名源于李元婴的封号 “滕王”，后因王勃此文名扬天下。王勃创作时，滕王阁刚完成重修，阎伯屿设宴意在彰显政绩并为女婿吴子章扬名。王勃席间即兴挥毫，以 “落霞与孤鹜齐飞，秋水共长天一色” 等名句令四座惊叹，成就了文学与建筑的永恒佳话。
四、宴会的戏剧性场景
据记载，阎伯屿事先让女婿准备了序文，假意请宾客作序以展示其才。众人皆知其意，纷纷推辞，唯王勃 “毫不辞让”，提笔即成。当阎伯屿听到 “落霞与孤鹜齐飞” 时，不禁赞叹 “此真天才，当垂不朽矣！”。这段轶事既体现了王勃的率性才华，也反映了初唐文人的豪迈风气。
五、思想与情感内核
序文以 “胜地不常，盛筵难再” 的感慨收尾，既抒发了对人生无常的悲叹，又以 “老当益壮，宁移白首之心？穷且益坚，不坠青云之志” 展现了积极进取的精神。这种儒道思想的交融，既是王勃个人心境的折射，也契合了初唐士人渴望建功立业却又命运多舛的普遍心态。
六、后世影响
《滕王阁序》不仅让滕王阁成为文化地标，更被誉为 “天下第一骈文”。唐高宗后来读到此文，急欲召见王勃，却得知其已溺水身亡。韩愈称其 “读之可以忘忧”，可见其艺术感染力之深。此序至今仍被视为骈文典范，其思想与文采影响了后世无数文人。
Historical Background of Preface to the Tengwang Pavilion
Preface to the Tengwang Pavilion is a masterpiece of parallel prose written by Wang Bo, a Tang Dynasty litterateur, in 675 AD (the 2nd year of the Shangyuan reign of Emperor Gaozong). Its creation can be analyzed from the following aspects:
1. Historical and Literary Context
During the early Tang Dynasty, the literary scene was dominated by the "Longshuo Style," which emphasized ornate rhetoric but lacked depth. Wang Bo, along with Yang Jiong, Lu Zhaolin, and Luo Binwang (collectively known as the "Four Great Poets of Early Tang"), spearheaded a literary reform. They advocated for a return to robust and sincere expression, opposing superficiality and excessive ornamentation. This cultural shift provided the backdrop for Preface to the Tengwang Pavilion, which seamlessly blended the structural elegance of parallel prose with profound reflections on life.
2. The Author's Personal Journey
Born into a scholarly family, Wang Bo displayed exceptional talent from a young age and entered officialdom at 14. However, his career was marked by misfortune: he was exiled after offending Emperor Gaozong with his satirical Ode to the Rooster of the Ying King, and later narrowly escaped execution for manslaughter, which led to his father, Wang Fuzhi, being demoted to Jiaozhi (present-day Vietnam). In 675 AD, while traveling south to visit his father, Wang Bo passed through Hongzhou (now Nanchang) and attended a banquet hosted by Governor Yan Boyu to celebrate the reconstruction of the Tengwang Pavilion. It was here that he composed this masterpiece. The lines "Fate is capricious; life is full of setbacks" in the preface directly reflect his personal tribulations.
3. The Pavilion's Historical Significance
The Tengwang Pavilion was built in 653 AD by Li Yuanying, brother of Emperor Taizong, during his governorship of Hongzhou. Initially a venue for feasts and performances, it was named after Li's title "Prince Teng". By Wang Bo's time, the pavilion had undergone renovations, and Governor Yan intended the banquet to showcase his achievements and his son-in-law's literary prowess. Wang Bo's spontaneous composition, featuring iconic lines like "The setting sun and a lone duck fly side by side; the autumn waters merge with the boundless sky," transformed the pavilion into a cultural symbol.
4. The Dramatic Banquet Scene
Legend has it that Governor Yan secretly commissioned his son-in-law to draft a preface beforehand, expecting others to decline out of courtesy. When Wang Bo unexpectedly accepted the challenge, Yan was initially displeased. However, upon hearing the line about the sunset and the duck, he exclaimed, "This is true genius! It will endure for eternity!". This anecdote highlights Wang Bo's audacity and the vibrant intellectual spirit of early Tang scholars.
5. Philosophical and Emotional Core
The preface concludes with the lament "Scenic spots fade; grand banquets end," yet it also asserts, "Growing old, one should remain vigorous; impoverished, one should 坚守 their lofty aspirations". This fusion of Confucian resilience and Taoist wisdom reflects Wang Bo's personal struggles and the shared aspirations of Tang intellectuals—ambitious yet often thwarted by fate.
6. Legacy
Preface to the Tengwang Pavilion not only immortalized the pavilion but also earned the title "The Greatest Parallel Prose of All Time". Emperor Gaozong, upon reading it later, sought to summon Wang Bo, only to learn of his tragic death by drowning. Han Yu, a renowned Tang essayist, praised it as "a work that dispels sorrow," underscoring its enduring artistic appeal. To this day, the preface remains a paragon of parallel prose, influencing generations of writers with its profound insights and resplendent language.
豫章故郡，洪都新府。星分翼轸，地接衡庐。襟三江而带五湖，控蛮荆而引瓯越。物华天宝，龙光射牛斗之墟；人杰地灵，徐孺下陈蕃之榻。雄州雾列，俊采星驰。台隍枕夷夏之交，宾主尽东南之美。都督阎公之雅望，棨戟遥临；宇文新州之懿范，襜帷暂驻。十旬休假，胜友如云；千里逢迎，高朋满座。腾蛟起凤，孟学士之词宗；紫电青霜，王将军之武库。家君作宰，路出名区；童子何知，躬逢胜饯。
It's Yuzhang County but of old, Hongdu perfecture now as told. Above, constellations diverge, Below, mountains in nature merge. The best of things as nature's gift, Sword radiance shoots at brightest stars, but all too swift. The greatest wits from land of soul, Scholars set beds as to esteem each other’s role. Three rivers flow in front, and five lakes lie around, The place controls Chu Kingdom, and connects two ground. A mighty town is capped in mist; The talents shine as stars in list. The city walls and moat, 'tween Yi and Xia, do meet; The host and guests are brilliant men from the southeast. Governor Yan hath e’er achieved a great renown, Escorted from afar to town. Prefect Yuwen hath formed too elegant a style; Ere going to post, he stays awhile. On tenth - day holidays, being proud, Good friends together sit as cloud. One thousand miles so covered, all Distinguished guests do fill the hall. Vibrates as works of Scholar Meng, who glows. Like lighting and clear frost, ye sword Flashes as if, by General Wang, stored. My father being the magistrate, I pass through such a county great. So young and innocent, I bend, With this grand banquet to attend.
时维九月，序属三秋。潦水尽而寒潭清，烟光凝而暮山紫。俨骖騑于上路，访风景于崇阿。临帝子之长洲，得天人之旧馆。层峦耸翠，上出重霄；飞阁流丹，下临无地。鹤汀凫渚，穷岛屿之萦回；桂殿兰宫，即冈峦之体势。披绣闼，俯雕甍，山原旷其盈视，川泽纡其骇瞩。云销雨霁，彩彻区明。落霞与孤鹜齐飞，秋水共长天一色。渔舟唱晚，响穷彭蠡之滨；雁阵惊寒，声断衡阳之浦。
It rings into September's time, A period as in autumn's prime. Flood hath receded, chilly pools so clear in view. Mist is condensed, dusk hills so clad with purple hue. Ye drive neat wagons on pathways in sky To quest fine sceneries from ranges high. Thus ye arrive at ancient kings' Long Shore, And the Prince Teng's pavilion built before. Mountains do stretch to soar in green; O'er Highest Heaven are peaks seen. The eaves in flight aye stream with red; Ne'er can ye see the ground well spread. The shores with cranes and geese must be Where every scene of winding isles ye see. Do match with every rise and fall of hills. Push painted doors in height, Carved ridges down in sight. The hills and plains, so far and wide, fill eyes; The rills and lakes so wind, is our surprise. When clouds and rain do disappear, All rainbows in the sky do then appear. The setting sun and a lone duck fly side by side; The autumn waters and the sky merge in one tide. Fishermen's songs at dusk o'er Pelican Lake arise; The swans' cries, frightened by cold, o'er Hengyang cease.
遥襟甫畅，逸兴遄飞。爽籁发而清风生，纤歌凝而白云遏。睢园绿竹，气凌彭泽之樽；邺水朱华，光照临川之笔。四美具，二难并。穷睇眄于中天，极娱游于暇日。天高地迥，觉宇宙之无穷；兴尽悲来，识盈虚之有数。望长安于日下，目吴会于云间。地势极而南溟深，天柱高而北辰远。关山难越，谁悲失路之人；萍水相逢，尽是他乡之客。怀帝阍而不见，奉宣室以何年？
My mind unbounds, my joy like wild geese flies. The pipes' clear notes make gentle breezes rise; The singers' soft - drawn notes the white clouds arrest. The bamboo groves of Suiyuan outshine the wine of Tao; The water of Ye with lotus flowers outshines the glow. With music, beauty, food and song, With youth and spring, together all things throng. Look up to the blue sky, far, far away; On holidays our pleasures we'll display. The sky is high, the earth is wide, the universe is boundless; When joy is felt, grief follows, for all things have their times. We look towards Chang'an beneath the sun, And Wu and Kuaiji in the clouds are shown. The southern streams and seas are deep, the North Star's high; Who'll pity those who have lost their way and can't go by? Like floating duckweed, we meet by chance, from other parts we come. We long for the palace gate, but we can't see it; When can we wait on the Emperor in his hall?
时运不齐，命途多舛。冯唐易老，李广难封。屈贾谊于长沙，非无圣主；窜梁鸿于海曲，岂乏明时？所赖君子见机，达人知命。老当益壮，宁移白首之心？穷且益坚，不坠青云之志。酌贪泉而觉爽，处枯辙以犹欢。北海虽赊，扶摇可接；东隅已逝，桑榆非晚。孟尝高洁，空余报国之情；阮籍猖狂，岂效穷途之哭！
Our fates are different, our life - journeys are hard. Feng Tang grew old before he was promoted; Li Guang was not made a duke though he fought well. Jia Yi was degraded to Changsha, not that there was no sage emperor; Liang Hong fled to the seaside, not that there was no good time. We should rely on the wise who know when to act, and the 通达之人 who understand destiny. Old as we are, we should be more ambitious rather than change our mind of old age. Poor as we are, we should be firmer and not fall from our lofty aspirations. Drinking the water of the 贪泉，we still feel fresh; Living in a dried - up rut, we can still be happy. The North Sea is far away, but we can ride the wind to reach it; The morning hours have passed, but it's not too late to catch up in the evening. Meng Chang was noble - minded, but in vain was his patriotic feeling; Ruan Ji was uninhibited, but why should we follow his example and cry on the way where there is no road?
勃，三尺微命，一介书生。无路请缨，等终军之弱冠；有怀投笔，慕宗悫之长风。舍簪笏于百龄，奉晨昏于万里。非谢家之宝树，接孟氏之芳邻。他日趋庭，叨陪鲤对；今兹捧袂，喜托龙门。杨意不逢，抚凌云而自惜；钟期既遇，奏流水而何惭？
I, a poor scholar of humble birth, am but a youth. I have no chance to offer my service as Zhong Jun did at the age of twenty; but I have the ambition to lay down the pen like Ban Chao and admire the high - spirit of Zong Que. I give up my official career and will go a long distance to attend to my parents' needs. I am not a worthy scion like Xie Huiyuan, but I am glad to associate with the good neighbors like Mencius'. Some day I will follow my father's example and receive his instruction; today I am honored to meet you and have the opportunity to enter this noble gathering. If I don't meet a patron like Yang Deyi, I can only cherish my literary works and feel sorry for myself; now that I have met a bosom - friend like Zhong 子期，why should I be ashamed to play the “High - mountain and Flowing - water” music?
胜地不常，盛筵难再；兰亭已矣，梓泽丘虚。临别赠言，幸承恩于伟饯；登高作赋，是所望于群公。敢竭鄙怀，恭疏短引；一言均赋，四韵俱成。请洒潘江，各倾陆海云尔。
The beautiful scenery will not last long, and the grand banquet will not be held again. The Orchid Pavilion gathering is over, and Ziyun Garden has become a ruin. On the eve of my departure, I am fortunate to receive your favor and attend this grand banquet. I hope that all of you, gentlemen, will climb the pavilion and compose poems. I venture to express my humble thoughts and briefly write this preface. Each of us is requested to write a poem, and a four - rhyme poem has been completed. Let us all display our literary talents like Pan Yue and Lu Ji.
滕王高阁临江渚，佩玉鸣鸾罢歌舞。画栋朝飞南浦云，珠帘暮卷西山雨。闲云潭影日悠悠，物换星移几度秋。阁中帝子今何在，槛外长江空自流。
The Prince Teng's Pavilion stands by the riverside, Where the songs and dances with jade pendants' sound have died. In morning clouds from Nanpu float past the painted eaves; At dusk the western hills' rain beats against the beaded screens. The idle clouds and the pool's reflection pass day by day; Things change and stars move, how many autumns have passed away? Where is the prince who built this pavilion now? The Yangtze River outside the railings flows on and on.