摘於林語堂先生於1937年發表在美國的 The Importance of Living 一書。

"According to a Chinese writer, an ideal Chinese garden should be like: 

Inside the gate there is a footpath and the footpath must be winding.    At the truing of the footpath there is an outdoor screen and the screen must be small.  Behind the screen there is a terrace and the terrace must be level. On the banks of the terrace there are flowers and the flowers must be fresh.  Beyond the flowers there is a wall and the wall must be low.  By the side of the wall there is a pine tree and the pine tree must be old.  At the foot of the pine tree there are rocks and the rocks must be quaint.  Over the rocks there is a pavilion and the pavilion must be simple.  Behind the pavilion there are bamboos and the bamboos must be thin and sparse.  At the end of the bamboos there is a house and the house must be secluded.  By the side of the house there is a road and the road must branch off.  At the point where several roads come together, there is a bridge and the bridge must be tantalizing to cross.  At the end of the bridge there are trees and the trees must be tall.  In the shade of the trees there is grass and the grass must be green.  Above the grass plot there is a ditch and the ditch must be slender.  At the top of the ditch there is a spring and the spring must be gurgle.  Above the spring there is a hill and the hill must be deep.  Below the hill there is a hall and the hall must be square.  At the corner of the hall there is vegetable garden and the vegetable garden must be big.  In the vegetable garden there is a stork and the stork must dance.  The stork announces that there is a guest and guest must not be vulgar.  When the guest arrives there is wine and the wine must not be declined.  During the service of the wine, there is drunkenness and the drunken guest must not want to go home."

他（林語堂是引用他人的話）把中國古人理想的家居環境總結得淋漓盡致，那便是:

門內有徑, 徑欲曲; 徑轉有屏, 屏欲小; 屏進有階, 階欲平; 階畔有花, 花欲鮮; 花外有牆, 牆欲低; 牆內有鬆, 鬆欲古; 鬆下有石, 石欲怪; 石麵有亭, 亭欲樸; 亭後有竹，竹欲疏; 竹盡有室, 室欲幽; 室旁有路, 路欲分; 路合有橋, 橋欲危; 橋邊有樹, 樹欲高; 樹陰有草, 草欲青; 草上有渠, 渠欲細; 渠引有泉, 泉欲瀑; 泉去有山, 山欲深; 山下有屋, 屋欲方; 屋角有圃，圃欲寬; 圃中有鶴, 鶴欲舞; 鶴報有客, 客不俗; 客至有酒, 酒欲不卻;酒行有醉，醉欲不歸。

不知為什麽當客人出現後, 這裏沒有提到茶, 略覺遺憾，也許應該把後麵的幾句改為“....鶴報有客,客欲直; 客至有茶, 茶欲新, 茶後有酒, 酒欲陳；酒行有醉，醉欲不歸。”為妙!

我在網上搜索了一組圖片，供理想家園探尋者圓夢。

門內有徑, 徑欲曲


徑轉有屏, 屏欲小


屏進有階, 階欲平


階畔有花, 花欲鮮


花外有牆, 牆欲低


牆內有鬆, 鬆欲古


鬆下有石, 石欲怪


石麵有亭, 亭欲樸


亭後有竹，竹欲疏


竹盡有室, 室欲幽


室旁有路, 路欲分


路合有橋, 橋欲危


橋邊有樹, 樹欲高


樹陰有草,草欲青


草上有渠, 渠欲細


渠引有泉, 泉欲瀑


泉去有山, 山欲深


山下有屋, 屋欲方


屋角有圃，圃欲寬


圃中有鶴, 鶴欲舞


鶴報有客,客欲直


客至有茶, 茶欲新


茶後有酒, 酒欲陳


酒行有醉


醉欲不歸