This is a semi-literary text on a plaque in the Lion's Pavilion, Victoria Peak, Hong Kong. Unfortunately I did not photograph the left half of the plaque. From memory it contained a list of names of contributors to the funding (referred to in the text as 諸君子, "all [the] gentlemen"), but no mention of the author.
High-resolution version:
lion-pavilion.jpg (1.6 MB)
The inserted olden-style punctuation is my own.
| Source text | Target text | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 《太平山獅子亭記》 | "Record of [the] Lion's Pavilion, Victoria Peak" | |
| 太平山、古稱鼇峰、南臨大海、北與九龍諸山遥遥相望、岡巒連綿、林木蔚茂、風景絶美。 | Victoria Peak, [in] antiquity referred to [as the] Peak of the Great Sea-Turtle, overlooketh southward [the] great sea, [and] distantly looketh northward at each other with [the] various mountains of Kowloon; [its] ridge hills connected [and] unbroken, [its] forest trees luxuriant [and] flourishing, [and its] scenic views absolutely beautiful. |
|
| 我獅子會、建亭於芬尼徑側、為主亭一、前亭五、如北辰居中、而五星拱之。 | We [the] Lions Club, built [the] Pavilion to [the] side of Findlay Path, being main pavilion one, [and] fore pavilions five, like [the] North Star abiding in [the] centre, with [the] Five Planets going round it. |
|
| 丹楹畫檻、通以月門、悉依古制。 | [With] red-[painted] columns [and] drawing-[decorated] balustrades, through to [the] Moon Gate, all [were] made according unto the olden. |
|
| 春秋佳日、中西人士聨翩蒞止、登斯亭也。 | [On a] goodly spring [or] autumn day, [both] Chinese [and] Western people continuously flock [here to] attend, ascending this Pavilion. |
|
| 可俯瞰維多利亞海港南北两岸、其間朝暉夕陰、晴光雨色、千變萬化、殆如畫圖。 | [They] can look down [and] overlook [the] two banks, southern [and] northern, of Victoria Harbour: between them [the] morning sunshine [and the] even shade, [and the] clear light [and the] rainy hues, [undergo a] thousand changes [and a] myriad tranformations, as [in] paintings [and] drawings. |
|
| 山中復有竒花異草可以觀賞、幽泉怪石可以遊遨。 | Amidst [the] mount there are also odd flowers [and] strange grasses [they] can observe [and] appreciate, [and] secluded springs [and] strange rocks [they] can tour [and] roam. |
|
| 而遠近松風、又如笙竽合奏、耳目所接、無一而不足快、亦遊息之佳所也。 | And [the] far [and] nearby pine-tree wind, [is] also as the shêng [and] the yü playing [in] ensemble; [among] that which the ear [and] the eye receive, not one [thing is] not sufficient [and] pleasing. [It is] also [a] goodly place [for] travel [and] rest. |
|
| 亭之建、倡自一九七三年。 | [The] construction of [the] Pavilion, [was] advocated for since [the] year 1973. | |
| 洪磋景、福伯齡、先後任會長、與諸君子規畫其事、蒙當局撥地興工。 | Hung Tsor‑king, [and] Fook Pak‑ling, served as Club Chairman [one] after [the] other, [and] planned those matters with all [the] gentlemen, [and] received from [the] local authority [an] allocation of land [with which to] begin work. |
|
| 而形制則前會長百强則師、任之不受酬。其建築布置諸費、凡共五十萬元。 | And [of designing the] form [and] structure, [the] former Club Chairman Pak‑keung [the] architect served it not receiving payment. Its various construction [and] furnishing costs, totalled altogether fifty myriad dollars. |
|
| 以一九七六年九月落成、是月三日、由市政局沙利士主席行接收禮。 | In September of [the] year 1976 [was it] completed, [and on the] 3rd day of this month, [the] ceremony of receiving [was] performed by Chairman Sales of [the] Urban Council. |
|
| 吾聞獅子得金精之剛、聲吼如雷、天地皆動。 | I hear [that] the lion getteth [the] strength of [the] essence of metal, [its] sounds [and] roars as thunder: all Heaven [and] Earth [are] moved. |
|
| 今兹之舉、賴諸君子如響斯應、相輔相成、其力不啻雄獅。 | [This] deed here [and] now, dependeth upon all [the] gentlemen [having as quickly] as [an] echo responded, assisting each other [and] fulfilling each other, their efforts no less than the mighty lion's. |
|
| 尤望來遊者、亦步健神旺、顧盼自如、而與獅子同也。 | [I] especially hope [that] the traveller [which] cometh, also [be] robust [in] step [and] vigorous [in] spirit, looking back [and] forward at [his] own [will], and [be the] same as [a] lion. |
|
| 爰書、是以記之。 | [A] prisoner's writing: this to record it. |
|
Conway (2023). "Record of [the] Lion's Pavilion, Victoria Peak". <https://yawnoc.github.io/lit/lion-pavilion> Accessed yyyy-mm-dd.
