立夏是农历二十四节气中的第7个节气，夏季的第一个节气，表示孟夏时节的正式开始，太阳到达黄经45度时为立夏节气。斗指东南，维为立夏，万物至此皆长大，故名立夏也。

Lixia is the seventh of the lunar twenty-four solar terms, and the first one in the summer season.  When the sun reaches the celestial longitude of 45°, it marks the beginning of lixia, signifying the the beginning of the first period of summer. Lixia begins when the Big Dipper points to the Southeast, and everything starts to grow ever since, which is the reason why it was named as lixia, since the character Xia initially means big or great.

立夏的到来，将带来丰富的降雨，并给人们带来丰获。因此，中国有句农业谚语——“立夏不下雨，犁耙高挂起”。在古代中国，皇帝会在立夏这一天举行特殊的仪式来迎接夏天的到来。天气炎热会导致人们体重下降，进而感到疲惫，这使称重和喝茶成为针对炎热天气的防护方法。

Lixia will bring abundant rain and lead directly to the harvest. Thus an agricultural adage is that "no rain，we will hang up the hoe." In imperial China the emperors would perform a special rite to greet summer on that day. As the hot weather would cause people to lose weight and become exhausted it became the custom to weigh and drink tea as this was considered a guard against the torrid weather.

中国文化译研网为了给大家的夏天带来一丝清凉，准备了几首有关夏日的诗词及其英译文，一起来“清凉一夏”吧。

In order to bring you a cool summer, CCTSS has prepared a few poems about summer with their English translations. Let’s enjoy it!

晓出净慈寺送林子方

[宋]杨万里

毕竟西湖六月中，风光不与四时同。

接天莲叶无穷碧，映日荷花别样红。

The Lakeside Temple at Dawn

The uncommon West Lake in the midst of sixth moon;

Displays a scenery to other months unknown.

Green lotus leaves outspread as far as boundless sky;

Pink lotus blossoms take from sunshine a new dye.

（许渊冲、许明 译）

在描写荷花的古诗词中，以宋代诗人杨万里的两首古诗最为出众，其中之一便是这首七绝《晓出净慈寺送林子方》。诗人通过描写六月西湖的美丽景色，曲折地表达对友人林子方的眷恋之情。尤其是后两句，“觉尺幅之间，气象万千，有吞吐万里之势。”（倪其心、许逸民《宋人绝句选》）许渊冲先生的翻译也十分传神，韵味十足。

杨万里擅长白描，他的另一首荷花经典诗：

小池

[宋]杨万里

泉眼无声惜细流，树阴照水爱晴柔。 

小荷才露尖尖角，早有蜻蜓立上头。

A Little Pond 

The fountain trickles silently fout of its holes.

The trees give a sweet shade over the pond. 

As soon as the lotuses show their buds 

The dragonflies have come there to stand.

（曾冲明译）

望湖楼醉书

[宋]苏轼

黑云翻墨未遮山， 白雨跳珠乱人船。

卷地风来忽吹散， 望湖楼下水如天。 

Written while Drunken in the Lake View Pavilion on the 27th Day of the Lunar Month

Dark clouds like spilt ink over the mountains quiet;

Raindrops like bouncing pearls into the boat run riot.

A sudden rolling gale dispels clouds far and nigh,

Calmed water in the lake becomes one with the sky.

（许渊冲 译）

《六月二十七日望湖楼醉书》是苏轼谪居杭州期间创作的组诗，一共五首，写尽夏日西湖美景。这里的第一首描写的是诗人坐船游览杭州西湖时所见的雨中美景。

西江月·夜行黄沙道中

[宋]辛弃疾

明月别枝惊鹊，清风半夜鸣蝉。

稻花香里说丰年，听取蛙声一片。

七八个星天外，两三点雨山前。

旧时茅店社林边。路转溪桥忽见。

The Moon over the West River

Home-going at Night from the Yellow Sand Bridge 

Startled by magpies leaving the branch in moonlight,

I hear cicadas shrill in the breeze at midnight.

The ricefields’ sweet smell promises a bumper year;

Listen, how frogs’ croaks please the ear! 

Beyond the clouds seven or eight stars twinkle;

Before the hills two or three raindrops sprinkle.

There is an inn beside the village temple. Look!

The winding path leads to the hut beside the brook.

（许渊冲 译）

谪居出佳作。《西江月·夜行黄沙道中》是宋代词人辛弃疾贬官闲居江西时创作的一首吟咏夏夜田园风光的词。明月清风，疏星稀雨，鹊惊蝉鸣，稻花飘香，蛙声一片，从视、听、嗅三觉，抒写夏夜的山村风光，情景交融，堪称佳作。

许渊冲先生的译文也堪称古诗词英译的典范，尤其是“七八个星天外，两三点雨山前”，译为“Beyond the clouds seven or eight stars twinkle,  Before the hills two or three raindrops sparkle”，神形兼具，韵味十足。