2011年7月27日星期三

原本篇 第一 Origin Chapter (1)

人受造物主所赋之神魂,视万物最为灵悟,故遇万类悉能记识,而区别以藏之,若库藏之贮财货然。及欲用时,则万类各随机而出,条理井井,绝无混杂。然人知能记忆,而不知所以藏贮、所以区别者从何而致,且翕受果在何处,其敷施之妙,卒莫能语诸人。此则造物主显露密秘,运斡精蕴,人乌得而测之乎?吾西士间尝论其概。兹再次第于左,以求同理。

Of all the abilities given man by the Creator, vision is the most able. So, when encountering the multitudes of types, they can be remembered completely. They can be distinguished and stored as if storing goods in a warehouse. When [one] wishes to access these [memories], the multitudes of types will come out as needed. They will be in perfect order, and will definitely not be mixed up. So . . . man knows he can remember, but doesn't know how things are stored and distinguished, or where the ? is kept. He is not able to communicate the method to other people. Boy, this last line is hard. Here the Creator has revealed the secret, ???, how is man to achieve and guess at it? Western scholars have made efforts to discuss it, and here again I discuss it in an orderly fashion.


Please leave a message if you have any suggestions

What is happening?

《西国记法》was written by the Italian missionary Matteo Ricci in 1595 to pass on his knowledge of the 'memory palace' method of memorization to his hosts in the city of Nanchang, China.

This blog is part of a long-term slow-food appreciation of this text, and will contain both the original text (in simplified Chinese) and a constantly evolving translation into English.

Henry Buchtel