中國傳統文化 第6期:對聯

Duilian or Chinese Couplets

對聯

Duilian (Chinese couplets written on scrolls, etc. or a pair of scrolls containing a poetic couplet), also known as ying lian (pillar couplets) or dui zi (antithetical couplets), is a unique literary genre in China.

對聯，雅稱楹聯，俗稱對子，是中國一種獨特的文學藝術形式。

Generally speaking, duilian can be classified into Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) couplets, wedding couplets, longevity couplets, elegiac couplets, decorative couplets, trade couplets, social couplets, and miscellaneous couplets including facetious or humorous couplets.

對聯的種類分爲春聯、喜聯、壽聯、輓聯、裝飾聯、行業聯、交際聯和雜聯（包括諧 趣聯）等等。

Couplets can be long or short. The shortest one contains one or two characters, and the longest one several hundred characters, which can be seen on ancient Chinese architecture.

對聯句式比較靈活，可長可短，伸縮自如。短的僅一兩個字，長的可達幾百字。在我國古建築中，甚至還有多達數百字的長聯。

The structure of the couplets can be zheng dui (parallel in meaning), fan dui (antithetical in meaning), liushui dui (same meaning expressed in two sentences, e. g. a couplet), and jijv dui (a couplet made of two lines from different poets), etc.

對聯形式多樣，有正對、 反對、流水對、聯珠對、集句對等。

Duilian developed from antithesis or antithetical parallelism of lvshi, or regulated verse, a poem of eight lines, each containing five or seven characters, with a strict tonal pattern and rhyme scheme. Therefore it contains some of the characteristics of this special poetic form.

對聯是由律詩的對偶句發展而來的，它保留着律詩的某些特點。

A couplet must have the following features： one, each line having an equal number of characters, and the same sense groups；

對聯必須具備以下特點:一要字數相等，斷句一致；

two, strictly adhering to the tonal patterns, e. g. level tone versus oblique tone；

二要平仄相合，音調和諧;

three, characters of the same part of speech having to be used, and in the same position, that is, function words versus function words and content words versus content words. In other words, it should be nouns versus nouns, verbs versus verbs,adjectives versus adjectives, numerals versus numerals, adverbs versus adverbs, and that characters of corresponding parts of speech in either line should be in the same position；

三要詞性相對，位置相同，一般稱爲“虛對虛，實對實”，就是名詞對名詞，動詞對動詞,形容詞對形容詞，數量詞對數量詞，副詞對副詞，而且相對的詞必須在相同的位置上；

four, the interconnection of the contents. The meaning of the first line should be interrelated to that of the second, yet the two sentences must not have the same meaning.

四要內容相關，上下銜接，上下聯的含義必須相互銜接，但又不能重複。

As for pasted or hung couplets, it is a tradition to write them vertically and when pasted or hung, the first line should always be on the right and the second on the left, not the other way round.

此外，張掛的對聯，傳統做法還必須直寫豎貼，自右而左，由上而下，不能顛倒。

Another thing, closely related to the couplet, is called heng pi, a horizontal scroll bearing an in-scription, or horizontal plaque, which is in fact the title or theme of the couplet.

與對聯密相關的橫批，可以說是對聯的題目，也是對聯的中心。

A good heng pi adds the finishing touch to the couplet.

好的橫批在對聯中可以起到畫龍點睛的作用。

Whether it is to chant things to express one’s aspirations or describe the scenery to give vent to one’s feelings, the writer is expected to be very good at summarization, and proficient in Chinese so as to produce a couplet in a few characters, which is excellent in both content and language, full of aesthetic beauty, and thought-provoking.

對聯無論是詠物言志，還是寫景抒情，都要求作者有較高的概括力與駕馭文字的本領，纔可能以寥寥數語，做到文情並茂，形神兼備，給人以思想和藝術的感受。

With the cultural exchanges among different countries, duilian or Chinese couplets began to spread to Vietnam, Korea, Japan, and Singapore. And the custom of pasting Spring Festival couplets during the New Year is observed in these countries as well.

隨着各國文化交流的發展，對聯還傳入越南、朝鮮、韓國、日本、新加坡等國。這些國家有的地方至今還保留着貼對聯的風俗。