薛福成 - 观巴黎油画记 歌词翻译

On Jiazi day
, leap Xingyue
, in the spring of the 16th year of Guangxu
, I visited the wax museum in Paris. As I saw, all the wax figures had been created in the shape of living people; Each of them had fully vivid figure, demeanor, hair, skintone and height. Many celebrities, from noblemen to craftsmen and from all walks of life, left their own wax figures in. Some of the figures were standing, some were lying, some sitting, some bending over; or laughing, or crying, drinking, gambling. At a sudden glance, everyone was amazed by this lifelikeness. I even could not stop praising the elaborations of the wax making. The interpreter said, "In the west, there is no more magical art than oil painting. Why shan't we go to the oil-painting academy right now to see the painting of a fight in the Franco-Prussian War?"

The huge painting was displayed in a big round building, hung on all sides of the wall and illuminated by the light through the roof. In this building, I looked around, seeing the orderedly and densely distributed castles, mountains, brooks and forests; And the rampaging, crowded men of the two belligerents: Those who were galloping, lying on ground, escaping, chasing, shooting, firing, pulling flags out, and pulling gun carriers, looked interminable. As a big bomb fell, it emitted sparks and permeating smoke; Those gun-beaten sites were filled with ruins, some of which consisted of scorched houses while some of burnt walls. And the broken-limbed soldiers, wounded or killed, bleeding and turning the ground into a lake of blood, lay in different postures, which was so horrifying. Looking upward, the bright moon was slanting with the ornamenting clouds; Beholding the earth, there were carpet-like grassland and immeasurable plain. I almost suspected that I was surrounded by battlefield and forgot I was in fact in a building. Then I reached my hand out to feel and finally realized that it was wall - an oil painting, an artificial work.

I heard that Frenchmen always try to be victorious, but why did they paint such a disappointing scene of their failure? As the interpreter introduced me, "To clarify the lesson of history and bestir the common people to revenge." Therefore it has a profound meaning.

The Franco-Prussian war is already over till now, which has been confirmed and well proved. However, is this painting real or fake? - The fabricated work accords with the real history? Or the real history is corresponding with the fabricated work? These two situations could both exist.

光绪十六年春闰二月甲子，余游巴黎蜡人馆。见所制蜡人，悉仿生人，形体态度，发肤颜色，长短丰瘠，无不毕肖。自王公卿相以至工艺杂流，凡有名者，往往留像于馆。或立或卧，或坐或俯，或笑或哭，或饮或博，骤视之，无不惊为生人者。余亟叹其技之奇妙。译者称：“西人绝技，尤莫逾油画，盍驰往油画院，一观普法交战图乎？”
其法为一大圜室，以巨幅悬之四壁，由屋顶放光明入室。人在室中，极目四望，则见城堡、冈峦、溪涧、树林，森然布列；两军人马杂遝；驰者、伏者、奔者、追者、开枪者、燃炮者、搴大旗者、挽炮车者，络绎相属。每一巨弹堕地，则火光迸裂，烟焰迷漫；其被轰击者，则断壁危楼，或黔其庐，或赭其垣。而军士之折臂断足、血流殷地、偃仰僵仆者，令人目不忍睹。仰视天，则明月斜挂，云霞掩映；俯视地，则绿草如茵，川原无际。几自疑身外即战场，而忘其在一室中者。迨以手扪之，始知其为壁也、画也、皆幻也。
余闻法人好胜，何以自绘败状，令人丧气若此？译者曰：“所以昭炯戒，激众愤、图报复也。”则其意深长矣。
夫普法之战，迄今虽为陈迹，而其事信而有征。然者此画果真邪、幻邪？幻者而同于真邪？真者而同于幻邪？斯二者盖皆有之。