我们儿时对于少林寺的了解，大部分是通过许多脍炙人口的经典电影。透过荧幕，我们对少林寺的一致印象，就是神秘！那里仿佛代表了中国武术的最高境界，某种程度也是中国功夫必不可少的元素。
Most of our knowledge about Shaolin Temple is from the classic films in our early age, and our impressions about it through the screen are the same, that is mysterious! Shaolin Temple seems represents the highest level of Chinese martial, and to some extent it’s a indispensable element of Chinese Kungfu.
少林功夫的起源，有许多版本。但它的与众不同之处却十分鲜明，那就是禅理。这个隐秘而僻静的寺院，涌现出许多颇具传奇色彩的少林高僧。融合了武术与宗教信仰的少林功夫，就通过一代代的少林武僧传承与发扬，至今依然保持着生机与活力。
There are different versions about the origin of Shaolin Temple. While the most distinguished feature is the Zen ideas of Buddha. The mysterious and quiet temple has produced a lot of legendary eminent monks. Combined with martial and religion, the Shaolin Kunfu has been well spread and developed from generation to generation.
佛教并不总意味着隐居世外、吃斋念佛。在1000多年前，中国的僧侣必须学会在战乱中保护自己。少林功夫讲究的是内外兼修，这种将武术技艺与佛法教义相融合的独特武学，带有极大的神秘性，被视为中国文化的瑰宝。
Buddhism isn’t always about living in seclusion and peaceful meditation. More than 1000 years ago, the Chinese monks had to learn to protect themselves in the war. The Shaolin Kungfu is characterized by refining oneself both internally and externally, which combining the Buddhism with martial techniques and being regarded as cultural inheritance of China.
延飞，13岁就到少林习武。练武的过程十分枯燥、辛苦，但他从来没有想过放弃。中国有一句古话叫：师傅领进门，修行在个人。今天，延飞就要参加一项重要的测试。以三节棍同师父的长棍进行对决。
Yan Fei has started learning martial in Shaolin Temple from the age of 13. The process was extremely hard but he had never thought about giving up. There is a saying goes in China that "the master teaches the trade, but the apprentice's skill is self-made. Today, Yan Fei is going to take an important test, that is to challenge his elder master’s long cudgel with a triple stick.
烈日当头，苦练了多年的功夫，只有在一次次的真实操练中，才能得到印证。回想起初练三节棍时的艰难，如今的延飞一套行云流水的招式下来，胜负已见分晓。最终延飞以绝对优势，通过了这项严苛的测试。
The sun is burning, years’ of practice can only be proved in the battle ground. Dating back to the bitterness when first practiced the three-section cudgel, the result of the test seems obvious. Eventually, he passed the strict test with overwhelming force.
吃得苦中苦，方为人上人。这句俗语在功夫修炼上尤为明显，少林功夫需要弟子们日复一日，即便练到不想练，仍然需要极度专注和投入地练下去。每年，都有很多和延飞一样的功夫爱好者，慕名来到这里学习功夫。不仅极大地丰富了民间文化，更在世界范围内，为大众文化注入了新的活力。
No pains, no gains. This saying is especially to the point in terms of practicing Kungfu which needs to practice day in and day out. There must be times when they are extremely sick and tired but they will keep going. Every year there are numerous people like Yan Fei who come here to learn Kungfu, which not only greatly enrich the folk culture, but also input vigor to the mass culture worldwide.
撰稿：文小样，译者：尚小桦