目录
Contents
目录反映出了作者的总体构思。把一篇一篇写好的文章，按一定的逻辑关系，组织在一起构成一本书。这样的逻辑关系一定是作者在写作之初就设计好的。
The content reflects the author's general consideration. A book is composed by putting together one article already written after another according to certain logical relation. And such logical relation should have been designed before the author started writing.
《骈文概论》是关于骈文这一文体的文学史普及书。其中自然免不了讨论文学作品的三个重要特征，作品本身、作者和写作的时间。
A Brief Introduction to Couplet Writing is a popular reader about the literary history on the genre couplet writing. And it is natural and necessary to discuss three important features of a literary work, the work itself, its author and the time of writing.
作为骈文这一文体的简要文学史，书里自然需要按照文体的萌芽、建立、繁盛、衰落、蜕变这一基本过程，对照明确的历史时期，举出重要的作者和作品。
As a brief history of coupleting writing, the book needs to list important writers and works in correspondence to specific historical periods, following the basic process of the burgeoning, establishment, flourishing, decline and transformation of the genre.
重要的作者和作品可以分成两类。一种是以作者为主，作者是大家，优秀作品比较多，需要分类分篇讨论。一种是以作品为主，作者传世的重要作品只有一两部。
There are two types of important writers and works. One type focuses on writer. The writer is a literary master who created many excellent works. So his works need to be discussed one by one by type. The other focuses on work as the author only had one or two important works passed down through time.
再有就是繁盛时期，作者作品比较多，需要分类讨论。
Besides, there are many writers and works in the flourishing time. So those needs to be discussed in different types.
具体到《骈文概论》这本书，除了第一篇总论，其他十六篇正是按照上面的思路编排在一起的。
As to this book, the seventeen articles, except for the first one General Discussion, are organized just right according to the idea above.
第2篇从《诗经》、《楚辞》说骈文的起源，作为萌芽时期，对应中国历史的先秦时期。第3篇讲赋，对中国历史的汉朝，是骈文的建立时期。
The second article talks about the origin of couplet writing centering round The Book of Poetry and Chu Ci. This is the burgeoning period corresponding to the pre-Qin Dynasty period in the Chinese history. The third article discusses ode. It is the period of establishment of couplet writing corresponding to the Han Dynasty.
第4到第7篇，讲魏晋南北朝时期，是骈文的繁盛时期。又按论说、写景、书札，分类讨论。第8、9、10三篇，讨论骈文的4篇杰作，同时说骈文繁盛直至初唐。
The fourth to seventh articles discuss the period of the Wei, Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties. It is the flourishing period of couplet writing. Discussion is made by the types of argumentation, landscape description, and letters and notes. The eighth, ninth and tenth articles discuss four masterpieces of couplet writing and explain that the flourishing of the genre lasted until early Tang Dynasty.
第11、12、13篇讲中唐之后，因为古文兴起，骈文开始衰落。第14、15篇讲骈文自宋代起，文体窄化，变为四六文，实用功能下降。
The eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth articles explain that couplet writing started to decline after the middle of the Tang Dynasty because of the thriving of the ancient-style writing. The 14th and 15th articles show that the genre became narrower from the Song Dynasty. Couplet writing changed into four-and-six couplet writing. And its function in practical use also diminshed.
第16、17篇讲由骈文演化出的两种应试文体。在明清时期，因为主题思想窄化，文学手段固定，词汇僵化，骈文逐渐失去了文学上的活力，不再作为与时代潮流相应的文学创作手段。
The 16th and 17th articles discussed two styles of writing used in royal examination evolved from couplet writing. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, couplet writing gradually lost its dynamism in literature as the range of its theme ideas become smaller, literary devices frozen and the vocabulary inactive. It was not used as a means of literary creation which responded to the time' trends.
