2017年翻译考试英语高级口译材料：朱熹·《送郭拱辰序》
世之传神写照者，能稍得其形似，已得称为良工。今郭君拱辰叔瞻，乃能并与其精神意趣而尽得之，斯亦奇矣。
予顷见友人林择之、游诚之称其为人，而招之不至。今岁惠然来自昭武，里中士夫数人欲观其能，或一写而肖，或稍稍损益，卒无不似，而风神气韵，妙得其天致，有可笑者。为予作大小二像，宛然麋鹿之姿，林野之性。持以示人，计虽相闻而不相识者，亦有以知其为余也。
然予方将东游雁荡，窥龙湫，登玉霄，以望蓬莱，西历麻源，经玉笥，据祝融之绝顶，以临洞庭风涛之壮;北出九江，上庐阜，入虎溪，访陶翁之遗迹;然后归而思自休焉。彼当有隐君子者，世人所不得见，而予幸将见之，欲图其形以归。而郭君以岁晚思亲，不能久从予游矣。予于是有遗恨焉。因其告行，书以为赠。
It has always been consideredfirst-class work in portrait painting, even for the most skilful artist, whenthe result is a likeness, more or less exact, of the mere features. Such skillis now possessed by Kuo Kung-ch’en; but what is still more marvelous, hecatches the very expression, and reproduces, as it were, the inmost mid of hismodel.
I had already heard much of himfrom a couple of friends; however, on my sending for him, he did not make hisappearance until this year. Thereupon, a number of the gentlemen of theneighborhood set themselves to test his skill. Sometimes the portrait would beperfect; sometimes perhaps a little less so; but in all cases a marked likenesswas obtained, and in point of expression of individual character the artistshowed powers of a very high order. I myself sat for two portraits, one largeand the other small; and it was quite a joke to see how accurately hereproduced my coarse ugly face and my vulgar rustic turn of mind, so that eventhose who had only heard of, but had never seen me, knew at once for whom theportraits were intended.
I was just then about to start onmy travels—eastwards, to the confines of Shantung; westwards, to the turbidwaters of the Tung-t’ing Lake; northwards, to the quiet home of the oldrecluse, T’ao Yüan-ming—after which I contemplated retirement from public life.And I thought how much I should like to bring back with me portraits of thevarious great and good, but unknown men I might be fortunate enough to meetwith on the way. But Kuo missed his parents at this time of the year, and hecould not venture upon such a long journey, for which I felt very sorry. So atparting, I gave him this document.
