Students recite the essence 6-9

Author: Jiang Renjie et al. / Country:
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-03-01
Features: There was a man named Cao Shang in the State of Song who was sent as an envoy to the State of Qin. When he left, he received several chariots from the King of Song. The King of Qin liked him and gave him an additional hundred chariots. Upon returning to Song, he met Zhuangzi and said, "Living in a narrow and secluded alley, poverty-stricken and weaving straw and hemp shoes, with a gaunt neck and sallow face—I Cao Shang could never do that; yet I convinced the ruler of a great state with ten thousand chariots at once, and my entourage also had a hundred chariots—that is what I excel at." Zhuangzi replied, "The King of Qin was ill and summoned doctors. Those who could drain abscesses and boils were rewarded with one chariot, and those who licked hemorrhoids were given five chariots. The lower the medical method, the more chariots one received. Did you treat his hemorrhoids, Sir? How did you get so many chariots? You should leave!"
[Note] Cao Shang earned the favor of the King of Qin and was rewarded with a hundred chariots. He not only did not feel ashamed for currying favor with the powerful but instead proudly displayed his actions. Zhuangzi despised those who humbled themselves to flatter the rich and powerful. He said, "The hemorrhoid-licker received five chariots," yet Cao Shang received a hundred, showing that his actions were even more base.
Zhu Zhi Ci (Lyrical Verses)
Liu Yuxi
Willows are green, the river is calm,
I hear the young man singing on the riverbank.
Sun rises in the east, rain falls in the west,
Though it seems not sunny, it is sunny after all.
[Note] The willows are green, the river is calm, and the sound of the young man's singing comes from the riverbank. Look, the sun rises in the east, but rain falls in the west—though it seems not sunny, it is sunny after all.
[Note] Written in the voice of a young woman, it depicts her psychological changes upon hearing the young man's singing. The meaning is ambiguous, with a lively and playful tone.
[Qing] Hongli "Using the Brush in the Heart" – Unit 18
Nan Gu Chu Shi (The Recluse Nan Gu)
The Han Feizi
The King of Qi ordered musicians to play the yu (a reed pipe instrument) with exactly three hundred players. The recluse Nan Gu requested to play for the king, and the king was pleased, providing him with rations like the other hundreds. After the King of Qi died, King Huan ascended the throne and liked to listen to each player individually. The recluse fled.
[Note] This passage is selected from The Han Feizi, Volume 1, Chapter 1.
[Note] The Han Feizi is a representative work of the Legalist school, mostly written by Han Feizi, a philosopher of the late Warring States period.
[Note] The yu is a reed pipe instrument with twenty or thirty reeds.
[Note] A recluse is a person of talent who does not hold office.
[Note] "Pleased" is the same as "delighted."
[Meaning] The King of Qi demanded that the yu be played by exactly three hundred musicians each time. A man named Nan Gu requested to play for the king, who was delighted and provided him with rations like the other hundreds. After the King of Qi's death, King Huan ascended the throne and liked to listen to each player individually. The recluse had no choice but to flee.
[Note] The recluse Nan Gu might have been able to play the yu, but he must have played poorly, otherwise he would not have fled from the solo performance. It is indeed shameful to earn a living without real talent, but the King of Qi never "listened to each player individually" and was completely unaware of everyone's abilities, yet he treated them all equally—how foolish that was!
Asking Liu the Nineteenth
Bai Juyi
Green ants float on fresh wine,
Red clay small stove warms the drink.
Evening air grows cold, snow is coming—
Can you drink a cup with me?
[Note] The newly brewed wine is warming on the red clay stove, fragrant and inviting. In the evening of winter, snow is approaching, and the scene is cold and quiet. Friend, can you come to my home for a drink? Let us open our hearts and share the brotherly bond of friendship!
[Note] Amidst the vivid depiction of daily life, genuine friendship is revealed.
[Qing] Zhao Ziqian "Now the clouds have scattered, snow has melted, flowers are withered, and the moon is dim" – Unit 19
Zheng Ren Zhi Lu (The Man from Zheng Who Bought Shoes)
The Han Feizi
A man from Zheng wanted to buy shoes. He measured his feet first and placed the measurements on his seat. When he arrived at the market, he forgot to take them. After selecting the shoes, he said, "I forgot to bring the measurements." He returned home to get them. By the time he returned, the market was closed, and he could not buy the shoes. Someone asked him, "Why not try them on your feet?" He replied, "I would rather trust the measurements than trust my own feet."
[Note] This passage is selected from The Han Feizi, Volume 2, Chapter 1.
[Meaning] A man from Zheng wanted to buy shoes. He measured his feet first and placed the measurements on his seat. When he arrived at the market, he forgot to take them. After selecting the shoes, he said, "I forgot to bring the measurements." He returned home to get them. By the time he returned, the market was closed, and he could not buy the shoes. Someone asked him, "Why not try them on your feet?" He replied, "I would rather trust the measurements than trust my own feet."