Sushi: Life Is like Inner Challenge, I Was a Pedestrian.
苏轼：人生如逆旅，我亦是行人
When it comes to Song Dynasty, who we can’t ignore is Sushi. Sushi was called Dongpo and came from Meishan, Meizhou, Sichuan Province, who was a famous litterateur, a calligrapher, a gourmet, and a painter. In today's words, he is a real “Slash Youth”.
提到宋朝，我们不可不提的一位大家就是苏轼。苏轼，号东坡居士，出生于四川眉州眉山。他既是著名的文学家，又是书法家、美食家、画家，可谓才华横溢。用今天的话来说，是一位名副其实的“斜杠青年”。
Su Shi's birthday was on December 19, which met a hapless horoscope and appealed a lot of sufferings in his life. Similar situation happened to Han Yu of the Tang Dynasty. However, it is in such a difficult and bumpy fate that Su Shi not only formed his broad-minded and free character, which is highly praised by later generations, but also created many excellent literary works, and invented a variety of food with far-reaching influence. Next, let's take a look at his legendary life!
苏轼的生日在十二月十九日，按他自己的说法，因为星座的原因所以一生饱经祸患，正与唐代的韩愈同命相怜。但是也正是在这样的艰难坎坷的命运之中，苏轼不仅形成了颇为后人的旷达洒脱的性格，也创作出许许多多优秀的文学作品，还发明了影响深远的各种美食，接下来，我们来看看他那传奇的一生吧！
Su Shi was born in a scholarly family with a profound family background, as the descendant of Su Weidao, the minister of the early Tang Dynasty. His father Su Xun began to study at the age of 27, but he was intensely diligent and taught Su Shi and Su Zhe carefully. Later, all three of them got their official titles and were known as the “Three Scholars of Sumen”.
苏轼出生于一个书香门第，家学渊源深厚，是初唐大臣苏味道之后。父亲苏洵二十七岁开始读书，但是十分勤奋用功，对苏轼和苏辙悉心教导。后来三人都考取功名，世称“苏门三学士”。
There was a small episode in Su Shi's imperial examination. In the Song Dynasty, the sealing system had been implemented， which means the personal information of the examinees would be covered with seals, so that the examiners could judge the scores more equitably. When Su Shi took the Strategy and Theory Examination, the examiner was Ouyang Xiu, a famous writer at that time. At first sight, Ouyang Xiu was deeply shocked by his theory, but he speculated that this work was from one of his disciple called Zeng Gong, so he lowered this paper from the first place to the second place to avoid suspicion.
苏轼科举考试时还曾有一个小插曲。宋朝实行弥封制度，考生的个人信息会用封条遮住，从而使考官评判分数时更为公正。苏轼参加策论考试的时候，考官是当时的文坛大家欧阳修。其实欧阳修看见这份策论的第一眼就深深为它所震撼，可是由于担心是自己弟子曾巩所作，为了避嫌而把这份策论从第一名降到第二名。
After the announcement, Su Shi went to pay tribute. At this time, Ouyang Xiu finally found the promising young man and appreciated Su Shi very much. He said, “I should yield to him and make him stand out.” The reputation of Su Shi was gradually spread in the capital, with the recognition and praise of this literary leaders.
放榜之后，苏轼前往拜谢，欧阳修终于发现了这位大有前途的青年，对苏轼极为欣赏，他说：“老夫当退让此人，使之出人头地。”受到文坛领袖的肯定与大力赞扬，苏轼的名气逐渐在京城传播开来。
Su Shi's poems are sincere, sentimental, witty, or angry. He often writes poems with a childlike heart, showig himself completely to the world frankly. Such abundant emotion is the inexhaustible source for him to become a literary giant, but also a appropriate handle for politicians to attack him.
苏轼作诗情感真挚，或感伤，或诙谐，或愤怒，他常常怀揣一颗赤子之心作诗，把心坦诚给世人看。这样充沛的情感是他成为文豪取之不尽用之不竭的源泉，却也同时成为政治家们打击政敌的有力把柄。
In the second year of Yuanfeng, Su Shi went on official business as usual, but did not assume that his official documents were taken advantage of by the New Party to gang up on him. They said that his words clearly implied disloyalty, and then they turned over a large number of poems he had written, looking for sentences that were ironic to the imperial court based on their subjective thoughts. As a result, the court was furious, Su Shi and dozens of people involved were all punished. This is the famous "Wutai Poetry Case" in history.
元丰二年，苏轼照例上书行公事，没承想他的公文被新党利用拿来对付自己。他们说他的言语之间分明暗示着不忠之情，随后又把他曾写过的大量诗作翻出来，字字句句寻找他们认为映射讥讽朝廷的句子。一时间，朝廷震怒，苏轼与受牵连者数十人皆受处罚，这就是历史上著名的“乌台诗案”。
The Wutai Poetry Case was a turning point in Sushi's life. Since then, Sushi has been on the road of relegation. From Huangzhou, Huizhou to Danzhou, he has been farther and farther away from the capital city. Nevertheless, he has gradually matured at the same time. His poetic style has become broad-minded and optimistic. Many famous poems were written in this period. He also comforted himself with delicious food during his relegation trip, creating many delicious foods such as Dongpo meat, Dongpo fish, Dongpo cakes, etc, which comforted his soul and spread for generations, that is why we can enjoy their flavor now.
乌台诗案是苏轼一生的转折点，此后，苏轼一直处于贬谪的路途上，从黄州、惠州到儋州，离都城越来越远，而他也逐渐成熟起来，诗风变得旷达、乐观，许多有名的诗作都作于这一时期。他还在这贬谪之旅中用美食聊以自慰，创造出东坡肉、东坡鱼、东坡饼等许多美食。这些美食抚慰了他的心灵，更流传百代，让我们如今也得以一品其风味。
Author: Peng Qiurong
Date: November 26, 2022
