虞龢在其《论书表》一开篇,就勾勒了书法发展史的基本脉络,这几乎是古代大多书论家惯用的写作模式。然而,虞龢笔锋一转却第一次明确列出了有史以来最擅长书法的四人,即通常所谓的“书法四贤”:张芝、锺繇和王羲之、王献之父子。此后,这四位书法先贤便成为书法史的标高而为世人景仰和追模。虞龢的原文是这样的: At the beginning of his book, Yu He sketched the basic context of the history of the development of calligraphy, which is almost the usual mode of writing for most ancient book writers. However, for the first time ever, Yu and Bifeng clarify the four people who have the best calligraphy in history, namely the so-called “Four Ways of Calligraphy”: Zhang Zhi, Zhong Kui, Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi. Since then, the four calligraphers became the elevation of the history of calligraphy and admire the world. Yu and the original is like this: