Stories of Chinese word and term (44-3)

 毛遂 said, “That is true, but I am looking the bag now. If you put me in the bag earlier, I would have stick out from the crowd already.”

Then 赵胜 allowed him as his accompany. All the rest 19 people laughed at him on the road. Finally they arrived the court of 楚. The king of irresolute and hesitant, in that case, 毛遂 held his sword talking to the king adopted every possible means, tough and soft, finally the king accepted the treaty and sending troop to save the kingdom of赵胜. In history, this treaty was a famous treaty named 合纵. It means all the weak state came together to fight against a superpower.

Stories of Chinese word and term (44-2)

The mission of seeking help from kingdom楚 need good talent of diplomacy. 赵胜 want 20 people accompany him to go, but he chose all his dependents only satisfied 19 of them, no more. At that case, a dependent毛遂 recommended himself. 赵胜 asked him, “My friend, how many years have you been here?”

 “Three years” was the answer.

赵胜said, “They said that a talent like an awl in the bag. It will cut through the bag at once to show the talent. You have been here for three years, yet you still keep unknown, so you are not suit the job.”

Stories of Chinese word and term (44-1)

毛遂自荐, 毛遂 Recommending himself. At the time of War-States, there was a tradition that a noble provided for some people for believing that they had some special talent. Historian used to call these people Dependent 食客 (Eating-Fellow). 秦始皇was the first master 君, who unified the China by power. At his time there were seven strong states in China, they were 齐、楚、韩、赵、燕、魏 and秦. 秦始皇was the master of 秦only. As his grandfather that was the old master had started a cruel reform of their state. This state turned to be a militarism super power. Then he started to invade his neighbour states. When his troop arrived the state of 赵. The master of 赵 asked his brother seeking help from state of楚. The brother named 赵胜, who had provided for few thousand Dependent. 

Stories of Chinese word and term (43)

一鸣惊人, a loud warble amazed the world. The story from Kingdom 楚 at the time of war state. After the old king of 楚 died, the prince ascended the throne. During first three years, he did nothing. No one dared to ask him why he kept in silent? Yet one of his chancellor came to his presence bravely and asked him a question. “Your majesty, let me tell you a story that recently a big bird perched on a tree of our kingdom, but after three years, it neither warble, nor fly, can your majesty tell me the reason?”

The new king was holding two girls in both arms, hearing this, he understood and said, “My friend, don’t worry about it, this bird once warble, it will amaze the world. Once fly it will soar up into the sky.”  

It was true later this king turned to be a great king of this kingdom. And this term metaphor some quiet talent.

Stories of Chinese word and term (42)

沧海桑田Seas change into mulberry fields and mulberry fields into seas  In ancient time, there lived two fairies a male and a female. One day they met in a friend’s house. They greeted each other, the male one said, “Ah long time no see.”  The female one said, “Yes, since last time we met, 500 years has past. Seas change into mulberry fields and mulberry fields into seas three times already. ”

Later this term means -- time brings great changes to the world.

Note: The leaves of mulberry is the food of silk worm.

 Pic from: http://mmbiz.qpic.cn/mmbiz/3HamFouOtt8j7DaQqbBpAMJJZicLyDxElkiaUATaG6nibX0icTWOYyDmGzdXmufJbkbKRMjp6lsKr8qSJtSZqdEGibw/0

Stories of Chinese word and term (41-3)

China had a tradition that emphasize civil administration above national defence. A pet phrase is 好铁不打钉，好汉不当兵，good iron is not for nail, good person is not for soldier. For they thought that military officers didn’t know art, philosophy and literature etc. although many of them did. At the time of 晋武帝, he still held this point of view. One day he chose a girl for his concubine named 胡芳. They girl cried for she didn’t want to be his concubine. Many friends told her not to cry or it may enrage the emperor. But 胡芳 said, “I don’t even care about death, why will I care about his majesty?” When the emperor heard this, he afraid 胡芳 commit suicide, so he supply her all the best things only next to the emperors. One day, when he play dice with胡芳, she broke his finger in a dispute. The emperor was angry he said, “You are really a shrew, only a general can have such daughter” (胡芳’s father was a general it means general at that time only knew how to fight.) but 胡芳 said in return, “Your grandfather have fight with a lot of warlords, what they are?” the emperor could say nothing but keep in silent. This term is 晋武伤指.

Stories of Chinese word and term (41-2)

司马炎was a good emperor. He cared about people very much at least during his first years in court. He distributed land among people and provided foods for the old and disable. And many times he did farm work personally. He freed plenty slaves to be peasant. And he summoned many minority to surrender. Under his rule, the population developed very fast. Later he unified all the three kingdoms.

Yet this emperor was also a sex mania he got around ten thousand wives. Although five thousand of them were captured from a former falling kingdom of 吴. Just think about if one night for one wife 10,000/365=27 it would take him 27 years to do it. Yet he was on the throne only 25 years. How to choose a wife for a certain night could be a big question. He invented a method that was allow the sheep of his sheep-cart walking randomly. When the sheep stopped in front the house of a wife that would be the night he slept with.  Soon the wives knew this trick, some smart wives dripped the salt water on top of front grass. The sheep love salt grass and they would stop there to eat. The term is 羊车望幸, waiting sheep-cart for happy.

Pic from: http://huangpuweimin.bokerb.com/keditor/2013_02/image/20140310/20140310005035_99829.jpg 

Stories of Chinese word and term (41-1)

The film of Red Cliff was talking about the history of Three Kingdoms. It lasted about 60 years 220年－280, finally the descendent of 曹操became stronger and stronger and usurped the throne of 汉Dynasty which was linger on with its last breath of life. Yet as this new power was a totalitarianism, (that means all power was held by the central government. The result is that once the leader was hijacked by someone, all the power would be hijacked too. So other emperor was more likely to distribute his power among his sons. But in that case, it could cause battle among them) soon this power was usurped by another family the surname was 司马. After they got the power, they turned to be emperor and named their dynasty as 晋 Dynasty the first emperor of it was 司马炎.

Pic from: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/Jin_Wu_Di.jpg

Stories of Chinese word and term (40)

乘興而來 come here with happy, this story was about王徽之 he had a good friend named 戴逵. The two friends lived several hundred miles apart. One day, after a heavy snow, 王徽之 was preparing to visit his friend. He drove a boat for all day and night. Next day, he approached his friend’s house, but when he disembark, he didn’t knock his friend’s door instead he turned back with the same boat.

His the boatman asked him, “Why you do this?”

He said, “I come here with happiness. Now I have enjoyed all of the happiness already and it has ended. Let’s go. ”  

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 挥泪斩马谡behead 马谡 with tear, this story was from the ‘The Three Kingdoms’  馬謖（190－228）was a famous strategist at his time. He was the favourite general of 诸葛亮. One day 馬謖 was ordered to defend a town called 街亭.  诸葛亮 told him to be stationed under the mountain. But he was a person of self-assertion, he believed to be stationed on the mountain would be better. Later his enemy cut off his water supply and his soldier could not fight in thirsty. He lost the town of街亭.

According the rule he had to be beheaded. But诸葛亮 didn’t want to do it. He killed him with tear.

 Pic from: http://www.e3ol.com/topics/upfiles/2011/201132315354565318.jpg

Stories of Chinese word and term (38)

黄庭换鹅Yellow Court Classic exchange geese.

王羲之 303年--- 361 was a famous calligrapher in Chinese history. One day he passed by a creek and found there were a crowd of geese. He loved them very much and asked people who was the owner of these geese. They told him these geese belong to a Toast temple. Then 王羲之 found the Temple and asked the Toast priest 陆静修, “Can I buy some of the geese from you?”

陆静修 said, “No, anything of the temple is no for sale. But if you can copy 黄庭经Yellow Court Classic for me, I can exchange them for you one character for one goose.”

Hearing this王羲之 was so happy, he spend whole day for the copy. As he got the geese finally, he wrote two characters of Geese Pool on a stone tablet. Later people built a pavilion for it.

Pic from: http://www.qjtrip.com/UpImage/scene/2005111516592676803.jpg

Stories of Chinese word and term (37)

The other time, 刘伶 had a quarrel with a fellow drunk in a pub. He was a short man, the drunk was a tall and strong man. As their argument going to be fierce, the drunk held his collar and wanted to beat him. Quietly刘伶 opened his cloth and showed his chest to the drunk. He said, “Do you see my chest? It looked like a chicken’s. If you put your fist on it, you are degrade yourself, don’t you know?” 

The drunk laughed, “I admired you so much for telling me this.” And he turned back left the pub.

Stories of Chinese word and term (36)

刘伶（234-305）was one of the 竹林七贤Seven Sages among Bamboo Grove. The history book said he was about 1.4 meters tall. At his time, it was hard to be an officer unless you were from a noble family. Especially for those that always had some new idea against the tradition. Unfortunately刘伶 was one of such person. During his 70 years of life, the best thing that he loved was alcohol. One day, in drunk, he felt hot and he stripped off his cloth in his bed. A friend came to see him. As he found him in naked body, the friend said, it was an offence to see friend like that. 刘伶said, “I didn’t offend you. Do you know the sky and earth are my hall, the room in my house is but my trousers and you squeeze into my trousers, so what you want to do? ” (metaphor sex abuse)

Pic from: http://blogcache1.artron.net/201309/10/75096_1378802627PUj0.jpg

Stories of Chinese word and term (34)

六尺巷, Six Feet Lane. In 安徽province 桐城city, today, we can find a small lane the name is Six Feet Lane. It get its reputation because a famous chancellor at 清Dynasty 张英，who was a powerful officer at that time. One day his family sent him a letter telling him that when they built a house, they had a dispute with their neighbour. So the family hope him to help them to win the case. But his family received a simple letter from him:

You wrote to me from home town just for the wall,

Why not get simple solution as give ground three feet.

Do you know the first emperor of China had built the great wall for thousands miles?

Yet where he is?

When the family get this letter, they give away three feet of the land. The neighbour felt a big debt of gratitude to the family, so they gave away three feet of the land too. Then it appeared this six feet lane between these two families.

Pic from: http://bbs.tongcheng.gov.cn/upfile_pic/0910/09101711204658.jpg

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小康社会a moderately prosperous society. This term also came from 礼记The Book of Rites; a book published around 200 BC. It said:

“Later, the great way of life could not prevail. People only cared about their family. Caring their own parents and children, they did anything for self. Kings demised of the crown as normal as rite or tradition. People built walls for cities for their own safety. They set plenty rules between king and subjects, father and son, elder and younger brothers, husband and wife. They designed many institutions to separate land, to honour the wise and brave person. They valuate merit for self. So evil scheming is appeared and war started.  Yet the six saint禹、汤、文、武、成王 and周公 still insisted the right rite for good king or master. People trust their judgement, for they have enough credibility. If they lost credibility, even if they have power, people can dismiss them from office. Such a society is called as < a moderately prosperous society>.”

This term of 小康社会 was the target of current communist party before 2020. The report said, once the Engel coefficient reach 45% could be called < a moderately prosperous society>.

Pic from: http://www.sinaimg.cn/dy/c/2007-10-14/U2008P1T1D14082578F21DT20071014100221.jpg

Stories of Chinese word and term (32)

天下为公，the world community is equally shared by all. This tern came from 礼记The Book of Rites; a book published around 200 BC. It said:

“When the great way of life prevails, the world community is equally shared by all. The worthy and able are chosen as office holders. Mutual confidence is fostered and good neighbourliness cultivated. Therefore people do not regard only their own parents as parents, nor do they treat only their own children as children.

Provision is made for the aged till their death, the adults are given employment, and the young enabled to grow up. Widows and widowers, orphans, the old and childless as well as the sick and disabled are all well taken care of. Men have their proper roles, women their homes. While they hate to see wealth lying about on the ground (waste), they do not necessarily keep it for their own use.

While they hate not to exert their own effort, they do not necessarily devote it for their own ends. Thus evil scheming is repressed, and robbers, thieves and other lawless elements fail to arise. So that outer doors do not have to be shut. This is called <the Age of Great Harmony>”.

This term of天下为公 was highly praised by the former leader of Chinese National Party 孙中山. It described a society before 夏Dynasty (about 2100-1700BC.). It was the dream of Confucian.  

Pic from: http://zt.blogchina.com/2011zt/xinhaigeming/images/tianxiaweigong.jpg

In many Chinatowns one may find this term. 

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近水楼台A waterfront pavilion. The original sentence is近水楼台先得月. A waterfront pavilion gets the moonlight first. (It means the advantage of being in a favoured position.) This term was from a poem of Song Dynasty, the name of author was 苏麟, who was a very able and virtuous officer at that time, but as he always working far from the central government, so he missed many chances of promotion. If he complain this, he might lose his reputation of virtuous. So he wrote a poem to his superior under the name of seeking advice or comments. In his poem he wrote:  近水楼台先得月, 向阳花木易为春. A waterfront pavilion gets the moonlight first, flower and trees that towards the sun enjoy the spring earlier.

The superior understood his meaning in a short time he got his promotion.

Pic from: http://c.share.photo.xuite.net/menging/1cd14df/4610053/220450522_l.jpg

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Besides above terms, there are some others that express the idea of low-key and modest. Such as人怕出名猪怕壮. Fame portends trouble for men just as fattening does for pigs.

抢打出头鸟, the standing out bird get shot.

急流勇退，it is a braveness that when a running water forward, you go backward.  Normally, it means resolutely retire at the height of one's official career. The Chinese like use such terms because the political system unlike the electoral one that need self-promotion to get the vote. So I wonder, even if today the Chinese GDP double the size of America, they may still declare that they are a third world country. 

Stories of Chinese word and term (29)

木秀于林 (风必摧之) an outstanding tree among forest (the hidden meaning is ‘the wind destroy it first’). The original term is that ‘an outstanding tree among forest, the wind destroy it first. Piled out of the shore, the turbulent flow will be. Arrangement of ideas is higher than the people, the public will defame him.’ (Note, some terms are emotional but not scientific for a protrude riverbank normally increase not decay.) The author named 李康, who lived in the time of three kingdoms (the time, when the story of ‘Red Cliff’ happened), these words was from his《運命論》the theory of fate.

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出头椽子(先烂),exposed rafters(the hidden meaning is ‘decay first’). We may see many old houses their rafter decayed first, because they are overhanging of the roof. The metaphor is ‘People in the limelight bear the brunt of attack.’

Pic from: http://static.panoramio.com/photos/large/70538608.jpg