炎炎夏日，到一個山清水秀的地方去避暑，是很多市民的期盼。這一期的雙語欄目，我們帶大家去一個走出8位將軍的小山村：來賓市武宣縣東鄉鎮下蓮塘村。“This time, our bilingual column will take you to Xialiantang Village of Wuxuan county of Laibin city. It is a small village where eight generals have been born.”。
山村雖小，但非常有名氣。“This village is very small but very famous.”。2013年，下蓮塘村被列入廣西第二批歷史文化名鎮名村名錄；2014年10月，該村葵花景觀上榜“中國美麗田園”；2015年獲評為“全國特色景觀旅遊名村”。
山清水秀這個詞用在大蓮塘村身上一點也不誇張，大瑤山南麓山脈環繞，擁有瑰麗人文景觀。該村有10多個大小池塘，最大的叫蓮塘湖，寬約40畝。“The village has more than ten big or small ponds. Liantang Lake is the biggest one. It is about 26,666 square meters.”。村裏村外，林木茂盛，老龍眼樹林有近百畝，百年以上的古樹有20餘株。“There are many trees inside and outside the village. The area of longan trees is about 66,666 square meters. Over twenty old trees which are more than one hundred years are planted in the village.”。據報道，2014年下蓮塘村就吸引遊客23萬人次，真不愧廣西四星級鄉村旅遊區的稱號。
下蓮塘村文化底藴豐厚，在清代至民國間就出了8位將軍。“The village has a rich culture background. During the period of Qing dynasty and the Republic of China, eight generals came from this village.”。現在村裏還保存有廣西最完整的清代“將軍第”和民國劉統臣莊園等古莊園羣。“將軍第”位於村北，為清代民居，始建於清嘉慶六年（1801年）。原有房屋245間，現存175間。“Jiang Jun Di, the house of generals, is located in the north of the village. It was the resident house of Qing dynasty and it was built in 1801. There used to be 245 rooms and now there are 175 rooms only.”。青磚、青瓦、三合土、石、木混合結構的“將軍第”，四周用卵石砌成高4米、底寬2.5米的跑馬圍牆。“Around the house, there is a horse racing wall which is made of pebbles with 4 meters high and 2.5 meters wide.”。圍牆四角均築有崗樓，崗樓比圍牆高出一倍多，跑馬牆和崗樓均設有瞭望孔和槍眼，村中房屋具有安營紮寨的特點，在新中國成立前曾稱為蓮塘寨。
村西南為劉炳宇莊園。劉炳宇，民國6年任孫中山的廣西討龍軍司令。“Liu Bingyu's manor is in the southwest of the village. In the sixth year of the Republic of China, Liu Bingyu served as Sun Zhongshan's commander of Guangxi Taolong army.”莊園建於民國初年，是一座典型的中西結合的建築，當地人稱為“洋樓”“古樓”。“The manor was built in the early years of the Republic of China. It is a typical construction of a combination of Chinese and western. The locals call it Foreign House or Ancient House.”其結構奇特，科學性和藝術性較高，對研究清末民初的建築和地方歷史有着重要意義。2004年來賓市人民政府已將其列為市級重點文物保護單位。每年夏天，藍天白雲下，被盛開葵花包圍的莊園備受攝影愛好者和影樓婚紗攝影師追捧。
本報記者 葉禎/文 黃倩華/翻譯
