山北楼记翻译

夫水之积也不厚，则其负大舟也无力。覆杯水于坳堂之上，则芥为之舟；置杯焉则胶，水浅而舟大也。舟大不能载，深浅矣。

I am often afraid that the accumulation will not be enough, but worry not about being shallower than I am.

This prose expresses the author's reflections on life through metaphors of water, cautioning against being misled by external appearances and advocating for humility and inner richness as measures of one's worth and stature.

宗庙之上，垂杨百余步，环萦回如绳；大观四野，纵横百馀里，郁郁乎苍苍，寂寂乎其阴，潭潭乎水之下，浩浩乎如冯之乡，人莫能穷也。

Here is a translation of "Mountain Villa North of the Capital":

On the grounds of ancestral temples, willows droop for over a hundred steps, their branches winding like cords. The grand view spans hundreds of miles, with verdant greenery and profound shadows. The ponds are deep as the abyss, vast like the expanse of Feng's land, beyond human reach.

彼富且贵，枝叶繁茂；谓之林木，不谓水泉也。泉水浅而枝叶茂，深则枝叶槁，以此观之，枝叶之盛者，水之浅也。

常恐积至不济，而患不及吾浅也。

They are wealthy and prosperous, with luxuriant foliage; they are called trees, not springs. The spring's water is shallow, yet the foliage is lush; when deep, the foliage withers. Thus, abundance of foliage indicates shallow water.

《山北楼记》是中国古代文学史上的一篇著名散文，通常被认为是唐代文学的代表作之一。以下是对《山北楼记》的翻译：

这篇散文通过对水的比喻，抒发了作者对人生处境的感慨和对自己立身处世的思考。它告诫人们要保持谦逊，不要被外表的繁华所迷惑，要以深厚的内涵来衡量自己的价值和境界。

When water is shallow, it cannot support a large boat. If you pour water into a small depression, it becomes a boat for mustard seeds; if you put a cup in it, it becomes a jar. The water is shallow, yet the boat is large. It cannot carry; that's the depth.