(4) 余曰：“唐以诗取士，而诗之宗匠必推李杜。卿爱宗何人?”

　　芸发议曰：“杜诗锤炼精纯，李诗潇洒落拓;与其学杜之森严，不如学李之活泼。”

　　"Poetry was used," I said, "as a literary test in the imperial examinations of the T'ang Dynasty, and people acknowledge Li Po and Tu Fu as the master poets. Which of the two do you like better?"

　　"Tu's poems," she said, "are known for their workmanship and artistic refinement, while Li's poems are known for their freedom and naturalness of expression. I prefer the vivacity of Li Po to the severity of Tu Fu."

　　(沈复《浮生六记》，林语堂译)

　　原文中的“余”(我)和“芸”是一对幸福的新婚夫妻。两人议论诗仙李白和诗圣杜甫及其诗风，夫问妇答，其乐融融。林语堂先生根据英语对话的书面表达习惯，在译文中将直接引语拆分到I said和she said的两边，并对句子结构作了调整。