在古代文人墨客中，张孝祥以其清丽雅致的词风和深邃的思想内涵著称。他的《观月记》是一篇极具代表性的散文作品，不仅展现了作者对自然美景的独特感悟，更蕴含了深刻的人生哲理。以下是对这篇文章的阅读理解和翻译。

原文：

中秋之夜，独坐江岸，仰望明月，心生感慨。月色如水，洒落人间，清辉遍地。余独倚石栏，凝视那轮圆月，心中浮想联翩。古人云：“月是故乡明。”今夜，我虽身处异地，却觉此月与故乡无异。天地之间，唯此月为永恒。忽忆起先贤之言：“月有阴晴圆缺，人有悲欢离合。”人生如斯，岂能尽如人意？然则，观此月之盈亏，亦可悟得世事之常变。愿以此月为鉴，修吾心性，以达坦然自适之境。

阅读理解：

1. 本文开篇描绘了怎样的场景？

- 文章开头描述了作者在中秋之夜独自坐在江边，抬头仰望明月的情景。这是一个静谧而富有诗意的画面，奠定了全文的情感基调。

2. 如何理解“月是故乡明”这句话？

- 这句话表达了人们对故乡深深的眷恋之情。即使身处异地，看到的月亮依然让人怀念家乡的美好记忆。

3. 作者通过观月得到了哪些启示？

- 作者从月亮的盈亏变化中领悟到人生的无常与变迁，并希望以此作为镜子来调整自己的心态，追求内心的平和与满足。

翻译：

On the Mid-Autumn night, I sat alone by the riverside, gazing at the bright moon in the sky and feeling moved by its beauty. The moonlight spread across the earth like water, illuminating everything around me. Leaning on the stone railing, I stared at the full moon overhead, my mind filled with thoughts. As an ancient saying goes: "The moon is brightest in one's hometown." Even though I am far away from home tonight, this moon seems no different from what it was back there. Among all things in heaven and earth, only the moon remains constant through time. Suddenly recalling words spoken by wise men of old: "The moon has phases of waxing and waning; people experience joys and sorrows, partings and reunions." Such is life—how can we expect it to go exactly as we wish? However, contemplating the changes in the moon's shape also teaches us about the impermanence of worldly affairs. May I use this moon as a guidepost to cultivate my character and strive for inner peace and contentment.

以上就是关于《观月记》张孝祥的文章解读以及翻译内容。希望通过这样的分享能够帮助大家更好地理解这篇优美的古文作品。