4月7日下午，国家主席习近平在广东省广州市松园同法国总统马克龙举行非正式会晤。

　　循着《高山流水》悠远婉转的琴声，习近平和马克龙来到白云厅，听千年古琴奏千年绝唱，品千年茶韵论千年兴替。

　　在央视报道的这段视频中，琴声悠远婉转，马克龙很感兴趣，询问：(弹奏的)是什么?

　　习主席回答：高山流水，千年古琴奏千年绝唱，高山流水叹知音……

　　马克龙当即转向工作人员：我想把曲子的名字记下来……

　　这样的安排，让马克龙很意外很惊喜。高山流水，深意藏焉。在这首的古琴曲背后，其实蕴藏着一个感人至深的动人故事。

　　伯牙与钟子期

　　古时候楚国有个读书人，名叫做伯牙，酷爱弹琴。他在一位那里体会到乐曲中的自然野趣。他在弹琴时，感受到一幅奇景挂在眼前：云中见飞瀑，雾中流清泉，水花四溅似珍珠，水声回荡如仙乐。他的琴艺达到了炉火纯青的境界，但却始终没能找到一个知音，感到有些孤独。

　　In ancient times in the Kingdom of Chu, there was a scholar called Bo Ya (伯牙 ). He was extraordinarily fond of the zither, being especially noted among the music masters of his time for capturing the wild beauties of Nature. When he played the zither he sensed a scene of grandeur appear before his very eyes: Waterfalls poured from the clouds, and springs sparkled in the mist, sprinkling drops of water like jewels. The sound of the wa­ter was like divine music. Bo Ya’s mastery of the zither reached the acme of perfection. However, as he could find no one who could properly appreciate his playing, he felt somewhat lonely.

　　后来，伯牙到晋国做了大夫。一日，他奉命出使楚国。因遇大风，只好在汉阳江口停留。待风平之后，一轮仲秋之月便从浮云中漫步而出。伯牙站立船头，仰视明月，俯视江面水波，琴兴大发，便开始抚琴。一曲即终，忽从草丛中跳出一个樵夫来，对伯牙的琴艺赞叹不已。

　　Later, Bo Ya took up an official post in the State of Jin. One day he was sent on a mis­sion to Chu. On account of a strong wind, he was forced to halt at the entrance to the Hanyang River. When the tempest passed, a full moon appeared, making its slow way through the clouds. Bo Ya stood at the prow of his boat, gazing up at the moon and then down at the water, when a sudden urge seized him to play his zither. No sooner had he finished a tune than a woodcutter burst from behind the bushes, uttering words of fulsome praise for Bo Ya’s playing.

　　伯牙闻赞，颇为惊异，便问道：“你会听琴?你能识琴之优劣吗?”

　　Surprised, Bo Ya asked him: “You can hear the zither, but can you tell whether it’s be­ing played well or badly?”

　　樵夫笑着说道：“您可否再奏一曲?”伯牙欣然应允，便又调弦抚琴。那琴声时而雄壮高亢，樵夫便点头感叹说：“真的很好，你的琴声让我仿佛看到了巍峨的泰山。”琴声又时而舒畅温和，樵夫又点头感叹说：“太好了，你的琴声使我仿佛看到了潺潺的流水。”

　　The woodcutter smiled, and said, “Could you play another tune for me?” Bo Ya happily complied. He adjusted the strings of the zither, and played a resounding air. The woodcut­ter nodded, with a heartfelt sigh: “Wonderful! Your zither conjured up for me the majestic loftiness of Mount Tai.” Bo Ya played again. This time his zither recreated a world of perfect peace. The woodcutter again nodded, and said with a sigh: “Excellent! Your zither conjured up for me the waters of a gently flowing stream.”

　　伯牙听到樵夫这样说，非常快乐，推琴而起，向他行礼后问道：“这位贤士，请教您高名雅姓?”樵夫还礼，说：“在下姓钟，贱字子期。”伯牙叹曰：“相识满天下，知心能有几人啊。”即命童子焚香燃烛，与子期结为兄弟，并约定来年中秋再在此地相会。

　　Bo Ya was delighted to hear the woodcutter’s comments, put aside his zither, rose, and addressed the man courteously: “Sir, may I ask your name?” The other returned his bow, and replied, “My name is Zhong Ziqi (钟子期 ).” Bo Ya said, with a sigh: “I have ac­quaintances all over the country, but few really understand me.” He then told his servant to light incense and candles, and formed a bond of fraternal friendship with Zhong Ziqi, pledging to meet him again in the same place the following Mid-Autumn Day.

　　第二年中秋时节，伯牙如期而至，谁料想此时已与好友阴阳相隔，子期已离他而去。伯牙在子期的坟前，抚琴而哭，弹了一曲《高山流水》，曲终，以刀断弦，并仰天而叹：“知己不在，我鼓琴还能有谁听呢?”说毕，将琴砸在地上，琴破弦绝 ……

　　In autumn the following year Bo Ya went to pay a call on his friend, only to find to his great chagrin that his soul mate had passed away. In front of Zhong Ziqi’s grave, Bo Ya took up his zither, weeping. He then played the tune Mountains and Streams. At the end of the tune, he took out a knife, and cut the zither’s strings. Raising his face to Heaven, he lamented, “The person who really understood me is gone forever. For whom shall I play my zither now?” With these words, he smashed the zither on the ground. The zither was broken and the strings were severed...

　　从此以后，伯牙与钟子期的故事被世代流传，两人心心相印、互相理解的感情也被比喻为 “知音 ”之情。高山流水则成为知音的代称，让世代人们为之向往与感动。

　　From that time on, the story of Bo Ya and Zhong Ziqi has been passed down from generation to generation. The hearts of the two men responded to each other in perfect understanding, and their affection became “sound perceivers,” a proverbial expression for “empathy.” The words Mountains and Streams have been used to describe closeness and affection between soul mates.

　　——《用英语讲中国故事》基础级

　　伯牙与钟子期

　　人类的情感互联共通，《高山流水》的故事依然在流传。自唐代以后，琴曲《高山流水》分为独立两曲。其中《流水》一曲，在近代得到更多的发展。

　　管平湖先生演奏的《流水》还曾被录入美国太空探测器“旅行者一号”的金唱片，并于1977年8月22日发射到太空，向茫茫宇宙寻找人类的“知音”……

　　此次，在中法两国元首会晤中再次奏响此曲，蕴意深远，值得回味。