画语录（选二)
Arts of Painting (excerpted)
[清]石涛
By Shi Tao
太古无法，太朴不散；太朴一散而法立。法于何立？立于一画。—画者，众有之本，万象之根；见用于神，藏用于人，而世人不知。所以一画之法，乃自我立。立一画之法者，盖以无法生有法，以有法贯众法也。
Chapter One: The Great Oneness of Visual Arts Jn the beginning of the world, the great chaos was there before the cosmic order came into being in the process of the dispersion of the cosmic spirit over all. What kind of order was there to become, then? It was the great Oneness, though somehow mystic in nature, being actually the great origin of all things and the general source of all phenomena, to be discovered and utilized by man—but not known to every one alike. Now it is revealed to me, the great order of Oneness, as a general law of visual arts coming into being out of the universe in the making—a dominator of all laws in question.
夫画者，从于心者也。山川人物之秀错，鸟兽草木之性情，池榭楼台之矩度，未能深入其理，曲尽其态，终未得一画之洪规也，行远登高，悉起肤寸。此一画收尽鸿蒙之外，即亿万万[之]笔墨。未有不始于此而终于此，惟听人之握取之耳。
Visual arts, however, call for a wonderful work of human mind. Whatever being in this world, landscapes, human figures, animals, birds, plants, poolsT pavilions and towers, all remain what they are in nature unti] they are comprehended by human understanding and manipulated by human hands—to conceive a piece of art modeled by this great Oneness of visual ms, Just as a long journey starts from the First step and a great height rises from a low position, so the great Oneness of arts is capable of grasping all visible forms in their manifestation with a single stroke to start with until everything in this universe is finally expressed with wonderfuJ brushwork and ink-effect through human efforts.
人能以一画具体而微，意明笔透。腕不虚则画非是，画非是则腕不灵。动之以旋， 润之以转，居之以忙出如截。入如揭。能圆能方，能直能曲，能上能下，左右均齐，凸凹突兀，断截横斜。如水之就下，如火之炎上，自然而不容毫发强也。用无不神而法无不贯也；理无不入而态无不尽也。信手一挥，山川、人物、鸟兽、草木、池榭、楼台, 取形用势，写生揣意，运情摹景，显露隐含，人不见其画之成，菡不违其心之用。
With this great Oneness in mind, man is able to depict all forms of life of nature, at his brush lip directed by his artistic intention. Technically for example, his wrist needs be nimble to effect a cursive stroke; his brush needs move with a tiule spin to draw a tender line, and he needs take his time to enrich a sure and smooth hand. To start quickly as if he cuts something with a knife, to stop nimbly as if he uncovers a boiling kettle.3 Round or squeine, straight or bend, up or down, make every move rightly good as it should be parallel or symmetry, smooth or raugh, vertical or horizontal, whatever stroke it is, be as natural as following a flow downwards or a flame upwards. Everything, as a result, dances with a lively spirit, reasonable as well as natural —all in their right position, overt or covert, but always vivid and Lively, to the heart's content of u true artist But it is hard to imagine how it is created as one is standing before suth a great piece of art freshly accomplished.
盖自太朴散而一画之法立矣。一画之法立而万物著矣，我故曰：“吾道一以赏。”
All in all, we know that the great Oneness of visual arts is based on the great Oneness of the universe, which brings fonh the whole world to an artistic wonder bearing out the great Oneness of painting. And I therefore say, in quoting Confucius: "This is my Tao of constancy."