Listen to this articleshí shū zhī dào 识书之道
The Way to Recognize Good Calligraphy
指辨识书法艺术的要诀。南朝王僧虔（426—485）、唐代张怀瓘等人主张，鉴赏书法时以精神气韵为首要标准，其次才是书法的笔墨形式。他们将富有风神骨气的书法看作上品，将崇尚美丽外形、功用目的的书法看作下品。这一观念，代表中国古代书法的主要欣赏标准。
This refers to the way to judge the artistic quality of calligraphy. Wang Sengqian(426-485) of the Southern Dynasty and Zhang Huaiguan (dates unknown) of the Tang Dynasty held that the primary criterion for appreciating calligraphy is whether it features a spiritual liveliness; the concern about the way of how to use the brush and ink is secondary. Both of them valued a calligraphic work’s spiritual verve and structural integrity and despised an excessive obsession with superficial decorum and practical usefulness. This preference represents a major criterion for appreciating ancient Chinese calligraphy.
引例 Citations：
◎深识书者，惟观神彩，不见字形。若精意玄鉴，则物无遗照，何有不通？（张怀瓘《文字论》，见张彦远《法书要录》卷四）
（深通书法的人，主要是观摩作品内在的神采，而不是外在的字形。如果洞察书法的神韵意趣，那么作品中的所有方面都能清晰照见，还有什么不能通达的呢？）
A truly good calligrapher cares mainly about a calligraphic work’s innate charm, not about characters’ external appearances. Provided that a deep insight is gained into the spiritual profundity and liveliness of calligraphic script as a whole, all minor aspects of it will become recognizable as well. (Zhang Huaiguan: On Characters with and without Analyzable Components)
◎智则无涯，法固不定，且以风神骨气者居上，妍美功用者居下。（张怀瓘《书议》，见张彦远《法书要录》卷四）
（智慧没有边际，法度本不固定，书法作品中以富有风韵、神采、骨节、气势等品格的列为上品，而追求外形华丽和功用目的的则列为下品。）
Wisdom has no boundary; rules are by no means fixed. All calligraphic works with an innate appeal, liveliness, structural integrity, and overall impact are excellent, whereas those whose sole aim is to pursue superficial pomp and functional relevance are shoddy works. (Zhang Huaiguan: Comments on Calligraphy)
