Lord Ye’s Love of Dragon 叶公好龙

A story about ‘Lord Ye Loves Dragons’ was recorded in the Miscellany chapter of the book ‘New Prefaces’ by Liu Xiang of Han dynasty. It is used to criticise those high-sounding hypocritical people.

Zi Zhang, a student of Confucius, went to see the Duke of Lu, hoping to get a job in his court. However, Zi Zhang was neglected by the duke for seven days. Felt embarrassed, he asked his servant to pass the following message to the Duke of Lu:

“I heard you have high regards for the talents, and therefore travelled a long distance to visit you. In order to travel here, I have to brave the cold current and sand storm, and walked non-stop for many days. However, you have been ignoring me for seven days. That makes me think your so-called cherishing talent is actually like Lord Ye who loves dragon.

It is said that in ancient time there was a Lord Ye who was so fond of dragons that he had them embroidered on his cloths, carved on his wine bronze vessels, and painted all over his house.

Hearing of this, the dragon in heaven came down to thrust its head through the Lord’s door and put his tail through the window. At this sight, the Lord Ye fled, frightened nearly out of his wits.

This shows that Lord Ye was not truly fond of the dragons. He liked what looked like a dragon, not the real things.

Now I heard you are fond of talents and travelled from far away to see you. But you have neglected me for seven days. You are not actually fond of talents; you like what looks like talents, not the real talents.

It is said in the Book of Poetry: ‘Things you love in your heart, how could you ever forget?’ So, I am sorry, I have to leave now.”

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汉•刘向《新序•杂事》记载的故事是用来讽刺那些位居高位的伪君子。

子张见鲁哀公，七日而哀公不礼。托仆夫而去，曰：

“臣闻君好士，故不远千里之外，犯霜露，冒尘垢，百舍重研，不敢休息以见君。七日而君不礼，君之好士也，有似叶公子高之好龙也。

叶公子高好龙，钩以写龙，凿以写龙，屋室雕文以写龙。

于是天龙闻而下之，窥头于牖，施尾于堂。叶公见之，弃而还走，失其魂魄，五色无主。

是叶公非好龙也，好夫似龙而非龙者也。

今臣闻君好士，故不远千里之外以见君，七日而君不礼，君非好士也，好夫似士而非士者也。

诗曰：‘中心藏之，何日忘之！’敢托而去。”

The Rabbit and Old Chinese Sayings 成语中的兔子

This year is the Chinese year of the rabbit and there are a number of Chinese proverbs and idioms feature references to the rabbit, for example: ‘Foxes grieve over the death of rabbits’, ‘A rabbit’s tail cannot be long’, ‘When cunning hares have all been hunted, fleeing hounds will be cooked as food’, ‘A sly rabbit has three openings to its den’, ‘Waiting for a rabbit to hit upon a tree and be killed in order to catch it’ and etc.

守株待兔

The saying ‘a rabbit’s tail cannot be long’ refers to who resort to treachery cannot get away for it very long and ‘Foxes grieve over the death of rabbits’ reflect a person’s sad feeling for the death or misfortunes of his companions.

The proverb ‘When cunning hares have all been hunted, fleeing hounds will be cooked as food’ was once cited by the wise man Fan Li, an advisor in the state of Yue in the Spring and Autumn Period (722-481 BC). It is used to mean trusted aides are eliminated when they have outlived their usefulness. Fan Li was trying to advice his friend to leave the King who, in his opinion, was a man with whom one can weather difficult times together but not happiness, with whom one can weather danger together but not live peace together. It is therefore important to leave him before he harms you. Click here to read more about Fan Li’s advice.

The proverb ‘A sly rabbit has three openings to its den’ indicates having more hiding places or methods. It is used to suggest the need for backup plans or escape routes in dealing with uncertainties. It comes from a story in ‘Stratagems of the Warring States’ about Feng Xuan who had said: ‘Only with three burrows can a wily hare avoid the risk of death.’ Click here to read the story.

The proverb ‘Waiting for a rabbit to hit upon a tree and be killed in order to catch it’ comes from ‘The Five Vermin’ in ‘The Works of Han Feizi’. It advises that one should not wait for unexpected gains by leaving things to chance and luck, or one should not hope to get rewards without hard work.

Once in the Song Land there was a farmer, in whose field there was a tree. One day a rabbit ran toward the tree, too fast as to hit into the tree, broke its neck and died. From then on, he laid down his tools, doing nothing but wait under the lucky tree, hoping for another rabbit. But no more rabbit came, and the farmer turned out to be the laughing stock of his fellow countrymen.

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今年是华人的兔年，有不少华人的成语和俗语是与兔子有关的，例如：‘兔死狐悲’，‘兔子尾巴长不了’，‘兔死狗烹’，‘狡兔三窟’，‘守株待兔’，等等。

俗语‘兔子尾巴长不了’指的是背信弃义的事是维持不了多久的，而‘兔死狐悲’反映因同类的死亡或悲事而感到悲伤。

成语‘兔死狗烹’曾被春秋时期（公元前722年至481年）越国大臣范蠡引用过，比喻事情成功以后，把出过力的人杀掉。范蠡尝试劝告他的朋友离开越王，认为越王‘可与共患难，而不可共处乐；可与履危，不可与安。’所以应该在不被他杀害之前离开。请点击这里阅读有关故事。

成语‘狡兔三窟’指兔子有多个隐藏处或指多个方法。它用来指明需要后备计划或者脱险通道来应付变化无常的局势。来自《战国策》冯谖的故事：‘狡兔有三窟，仅得免其死耳。’请点击这里阅读这个故事。

成语‘守株待兔’来自《韩非子•五蠹》，劝告我们不要听天由命，以来运气，或期望不劳而获。

宋人有耕田者。田中有株，兔走，触株折颈而死。因释其耒而守株，冀复得兔。兔不可得，而身为宋国笑。

Grinding a Bar of Steel into a Needle 磨杵成针

The tendency with Chinese culture to emphasise hard work may be related to the legends and stories which have inspired people for generations. A well known story on Li Bai says a determined mind can grind a bar of steel into a needle, which obvious emphasises the strong determination to carry out a task. Li Bai, the famous poet lived during the Tang dynasty (618-907), is known to be a poetic genius. However, the famous story obviously points to the theory that Li Bai’s success was really due to his hard work and persistence in carrying out his learning tasks.

It is said that Li Bai was fond of playing when he was young, so he was always absent-minded in classes. One day he would catch little birds on the hill, and another day he would pick dates on the other hill.

One day, he saw an old lady sitting at the riverside when he was crossing the brook. The old lady was grinding an iron pestle without fear of tiredness. On seeing this, Li Bai laughed at her and said: “People who do this job are fools.”

The old lady answered kindly: “I am determined to grind the iron pestle into a needle even if the iron pestle is so thick and hard.” Li Bai took the iron pestle and felt tired after grinding it for a minute. Then he complained: “Oh, how long can I get it done? I quit.” The old lady shook her head and sighed: “The pestle can be grinded into a needle, as long as you keep working hard.”

The old lady’s words were so worthwhile, and Li Bai remembered them by heart. From then on, he spared no pains to study, and became a great poet finally.

The story comes from ‘Categorised Collection of Accurate Stories’ which was written in Ming dynasty by Chen Renxi (1581-1636).

‘Young Li Bai was not good in his studies. One day, he saw an old lady grinding a bar of steel and asked what she was doing. The old lady replied that she was making it into a needle. Li Bai was touched by what she said and from then on, he studied hard and graduated with good results.’

The Chinese phrase ‘grinding a bar of steel into a needle’ is now a famous proverb which is used to mean no matter how difficult or challenging a task is, it can be done as long as there is perseverance.

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华人文化强调用功读书，可能是受到不少传说与故事的鼓舞。一个出名的有关李白的故事叙述坚强的决心可以把一根铁棒磨成针，显然是强调做事需要的是决心。著名的唐朝（618-907）诗人李白诗个天才诗人。但是，这个有名的故事显然是指向这样的一个学说，就是李白的成功其实是由于他用功与对学习的坚持。

据说，李白小时候特别贪玩，一到上课就走神。今天这山捉小鸟，明天那山去摘枣。下了山过小河，河边坐着老婆婆。老婆婆不怕累，正磨一根铁棒锤。李白看了笑呵呵，说：‘傻子才干这种活呢！ ’

老婆婆慈祥地说：‘不怕铁棒粗又硬，我要磨成绣花针！ ” 李白拿过铁棒锤，没磨几下就喊累，说：“哎呦，什么时候能磨成啊？我不干了！’ 老婆婆摇摇头，叹息道：‘只要功夫深，铁杵磨成针！’

老婆婆的话值千金，李白牢牢记在心。从此读书不怕苦，成了一位大诗人。

这个故事出自明朝陈仁锡（1581-1636）的《潜确类书》卷六十：

‘李白少读书，未成，弃去。道逢老妪磨杵，白问其故。曰：‘欲作针。’白感其言，遂卒业。’

‘磨杵成针’就成为有名的成语，指的是不管事情是多么的困难，只要有毅力，一定会成功。

Defeat is Clear: Songs of Chu on All Sides 四面楚歌

At the end of the Qin Dynasty (221 - 206 BC), the State of Chu and the State of Han fought for control of the country. It is said that ordinary men placed in extraordinary circumstances can accomplish great deeds. Great strategists of old understood this fact, and took care to place their men in these situations to bring the best out of them, and likewise took care to deprive their enemies of this situational advantage whenever they could. At no time is this more important when one is about to vanquish one’s enemy; a job 9o% done is not done, and a slight mishap toward the end could undo all of one’s past victories and successes. Such was the case during the endgame stages of the struggle between Han and Chu around 202 BC.

Han armies had all but secured victory over Chu, trapping Xiang Yu, Chu’s leader, and what was left of his army at Gaixia. A lesser strategist may have been content with simply awaiting the eventual last charge that Chu would make to attempt to break out of its entrapment. However, Zhang Liang,Han’s strategist, knew that Xiang Yu was a fierce warrior, a beast of a man whose battlefield prowess was such that mere mention of his name struck fear into the hearts of men.

Zhang knew that Xiang’s troops, cornered and hungry, could be stirred by their leader’s charisma and determination for one last fight, while his own troops, slightly complacent with victory in plain sight, would be vulnerable in this last battle. Victory for Han was far from certain in Zhang’s mind, and he devised a plan to weaken the wills of Chu’s soldiers.

As Han troops were preparing for their charge, they sang folksongs of Chu, which rang off the mountains on all four sides of the surrounded Chu troops. Zhang had ordered his own troops to sing Chu’s songs in an effort to stir up nostalgia among Xiang’s troops and weaken their will to fight. Xiang himself, on hearing the songs of Chu, realized that his time was running short.

‘Songs of Chu on all sides’ now is a Chinese proverb used to describe and a situation that is desperate beyond hope and a defeat is clear.

Shima Qian described what happened at Gaixia in the ‘Records of Grant Historian’:

Xiang Yu’s army at Gaixia, with only a handful of troops and running out of supplies, was hemmed in by the men of Han and the other states. At night he heard the songs of Chu on all sides around him. ‘Has Han already captured Chu?’ he asked in dismay, ‘They have so many men of Chu with them.’

He rose that night to drink in his tent. With him was the lovely Lady Yu, who followed wherever he went, and Zhui, the swift steed which he always rode. Now Xiang Yu chanted a tragic air, setting words to himself:

My strength can uproot mountains,

My spirit puts the world at my feet;

But the times are against me,

And Zhui can gallop nor more.

When Zhui gallop no more,

What can I do?

Oh, lady, my dear lady,

What is to become of Lady Yu?

He sang this song several times and Lady Yu joined in. Tears rolled down his cheeks, while all his followers wept and bowed their heads in sorrow.

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秦末，楚汉争霸。据说，人在困境，最大潜力才能被发挥。大策略家都懂得这一点，会尽量把他的人员放在非寻常环境中以达到最好效果，同时确保敌人不会在相同的情况中得到好处。在胜败关键时刻，这就显得更重要了。行百里者半九十，小小差错，就会功亏一篑了。公元前202年楚汉争霸时，就出现了这种情况。

汉军队只要打败楚军就胜利了。他们把楚王项羽所剩军队团团包围在垓下。对一个普通的战略家而言，只需静待楚军突围，就可一举歼灭。

但是，汉策略家张良知道项羽是个勇士，他在战场上的威力，他的名字就足以令人闻而丧胆。张良知道项羽的军队被困缺粮，很容易被他们那具有魅力与决心的领袖激励而奋起最后一战；而汉军却因胜利在望而有点自满，这在最后一战就是致命弱点。在张良在心中，汉军的胜利还不肯定，所以他就拟订了一个软化楚军的计划。

就在汉军准备攻击时，他们开始唱楚国的歌曲，充满了山地，在被团团包围了的楚军的四面。张良下令他的军队唱楚歌来引起楚军思想情怀，削弱他们的战斗力。当项羽听到楚歌是，他知道他的时间不多了。

‘四面楚歌’就成为用来形容绝望的情况，失败以不可避免的一句成语。

西汉史学家司马迁《史记•项羽本纪》记载当时在垓下的情况：

项王军壁垓下，兵少食尽，汉军及诸侯兵围之数重。夜闻汉军四面皆楚歌，项王乃大惊，曰：‘汉皆已得楚乎？是何楚人之多也。’

项王则夜起，饮帐中。有美人名虞，常幸从；骏马名骓，常骑之。于是项王乃悲歌慷慨，自为诗曰：‘力拔山兮气盖世，时不利兮骓不逝。骓不逝兮可奈何！虞兮虞兮奈若何！’

歌数阕，美人和（hè 第四声 附和，应和）之。项王泣数行下。左右皆泣，莫能仰视。

Mark the Boat to Find the Lost Sword 刻舟求剑

The Chinese proverb ‘Mark the Boat to Find the Lost Boat’ is always used to describe a person does not change his strategy even when the circumstances change. The term is used to mock those who are sticklers for adhering to old models. It comes from the following story which dates back to the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC).

“Once upon a time, a man from Chu state, who was crossing the river by boat, dropped his sword to the river. He marked the boat where the sword dropped, and he said, ‘This is where I drop my sword.’

When the boat stopped at the opposite bank, the man undressed himself immediately and dove into the water for his sword from the very place where he had made the mark.

The boat had moved a great distance since he made the mark, and the dropped sword did not move an inch. Isn’t foolish to find the dropped sword by making a mark on a moving boat?”

The central lesson behind this saying is the need to understand what is relevant to the situation, and then do it at the right place and at the right time. If one does not understand the situation, then one may not take action even if it is needed. Alternatively, we may take the wrong action. Sometimes, like the man in the story, we may see the situation correctly at that point, but delay in doing the right thing to tackle the challenge thinking that we can always do it later. But with a change of timing, a right action may become utterly useless.

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成语‘刻舟求剑’一般用来形容一个人死守旧策略不变，虽然情况已经改变，用来嘲笑那些墨守陈规的人。故事发生于春秋时代（公元前770年至476年）（战国•吕不韦《吕氏春秋•察今》）：

“楚人有涉江者，其剑自舟中坠于水，遽契其舟曰：‘是吾剑之所从坠。’

舟止，从其所契者入水求之。

舟已行矣，而剑不行，求剑若此，不亦惑乎？”

这句话的要点是我们应该认清适当情况，在适当时机作适当的事。如果一个人不认清情况，在需要时就可能不会行动。相反地，我们还可能作出错误的行动。正如这个故事里人，有时候我们所做的在某个时刻可能是对的，可是把所要处理的挑战的时机给耽误了，以为可以延后处理，随着时间的改变，一个本来正确的行动可能会变成完全无用。

Putting the Finishing Touch to the Picture of a Dragon 画龙点晴

The Chinese proverb ‘Hualong Dianjing’ (literally painting the dragon and adding the eyes) refers to the finishing touch, or is used to describe how, when writing or speaking, one or two key sentences could enhance the contents.

The proverb was made famous by a story about the famous painter Zhang Sengyou who lived in the Southern and Northern Dynasties Period (420-589).

“Once Zhang Sengyou visited the Jinan temple in Jin Ling (Nanjing) and painted on the wall four dragons, but gave none of them eyes.

He explained, 'With the eyes painted on, the dragons would fly away.'

Nobody believed this, so Zhang took up his brush and added eyes to one of the dragons. No sooner had he finished than the dragon flew into the sky amid a thunderstorm. The other dragons without eyes stayed painted on the wall.”

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成语“画龙点睛”常用来比喻作文或说话时在关键地方加一两句重要的话，使内容变得更加生动有力。

这句成语却因为南北朝时期(420-589)的画家张僧繇的一个历史故事而成名。

唐•张彦远《历代名画记•张僧繇》：

张僧繇于金陵安乐寺，画四龙于壁，不点睛。

每曰：“点之即飞去。”

人以为诞，因点其一。须臾，雷电破壁，一龙乘云上天。未点睛者皆在。

Blow Hot and Cold 朝三暮四

The idiom ‘blow hot and cold’ refers to changing one's mind easily, as in Peter's been blowing hot and cold about taking an overseas holiday. This expression comes from Aesop's fable (c. 570 BC) about a man eating with a satyr (ancient god who roamed the woods and mountains) on a winter day. At first the man blew on his hands to warm them and then blew on his soup to cool it. The satyr thereupon renounced the man's friendship because he blew hot and cold out of the same mouth. The expression was repeated by many writers, most often signifying a person who could not be relied on.

In Chinese, the proverb Zhao San Mu Si (literally means Three at Dawn and Four at Dusk), has the same meaning. The proverb comes from a story told by Lie Zi who lived in the Warring States period (476 – 221 BC).

Once upon a time, in the state of Song, there lived a man who kept monkeys. He was very fond of monkeys and kept a large number of them. He could understand the monkeys and they could also understand him. He reduced the amount of food for his own family in order to satisfy the monkey‘s demands. After a while his family did not have enough to eat, so he wanted to limit the food for the monkeys.

But he was afraid that the monkeys would not submit to him. Before doing that he played a trick on them： “If I give you three chestnuts in the morning and four in the evening, would that be enough?” he asked the monkeys. All the monkeys rose up in a fury. After a while, he said, “If I give you four chestnuts in the morning and three in the evening, would that be enough?” All the monkeys lay on the floor, very happy with this proposal.

Originally this proverb was used to mean a fool can be tricked by changing the appearance but now it has evolved into meaning unreliable person who is inconsistent or changes his mind easily.

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英语成语‘blow hot and cold’（呼热呼冷）指一个人拿不定主意，比如彼得对出国旅行这件事，一直‘呼热呼冷’。这句话出自伊索（大约公元前570年）寓言中关于某人在冬天与萨梯(希腊神话中的出入于山林之神)一起用餐的故事。开始时该人用口吹手指来取暖，然后又用口吹热汤以凉之。萨梯因此与之断交，因为他用相同的口来呼出热气与冷气。这句话为不少作者引用，大多象征一个不能信赖的人。

在中国，成语‘朝三暮四’有相同的意思。这句成语来自战国时代(476 – 221 BC) 的列子所讲的一个故事：

宋有狙公者，爱狙，养之成群，能解狙之意，狙亦得公之心。损其家口，充狙之欲，俄而匮焉。
将限其食，恐众狙之不驯于己也，先誑之曰：“与若茅，朝三暮四，足乎？”众狙皆起而怒。俄而曰：“与若茅，朝四暮三，足乎？”众狙皆伏而喜。

这句成语原本是指容易被外表所骗的呆子，现在演变成指那些不一致或善变的不可信赖的人。

Self-Contradictory: Spear-Shield 自相矛盾：以子之矛，攻子之盾

What happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object?
An example of this contradiction is found in the origin of the Chinese word for contradiction (maodun, literally means ‘Spear-Shield’).

This term originates from a story in the 3rd century BC philosophical book Han Feizi, which led to the proverb of ‘zixiang maodun’ or ‘self-contradictory’.
A man from the State of Chu was selling his spear and shield. He pointed at his shield and shouted: ‘It is the firmest, soundest, strongest shield in the world; nothing can thrust through it regardless of how sharp it is.'

He then held the spear and said, ‘My spear is the sharpest one in the world, and it can thrust through any object no matter how firm the object is.’

An onlooker asked: ‘How about thrusting your spear through your shield?’

The man was speechless.
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如果不可抗之力与无法撼动之物相碰，什么事会发生呢？
中国词语‘矛盾’就很好的说明了这种情形。

这个词源自公元前3世纪的哲学书《韩非子》里的一个故事，也是成语《自相矛盾》的来源。
楚人有鬻(yù)盾与矛者，誉之曰：‘吾盾之坚，物莫能陷也。’
又誉其矛曰：‘吾矛之利，于物无不陷也。’
或曰：‘以子之矛陷子之盾何如？’
其人弗能应也。

五十步笑百步 The Pot Calls the Kettle Black

King Hui ruled Wei state from 369 BC to 319 BC. He liked to discuss current affairs with Mencius. Wei state is also called the Liang state as it capital was at Great Liang, northwest of Kaifeng, Henan.
King Hui said to Mencius: ‘I have spent a lot of time and effort on governing my country. When the harvest is bad in Henei, east of Yellow River, I evacuate the people to Hedong, east of the Yellow River and move grain of Hedong to Henei. When it is bad in Hedong, I would do the same for them. As far as I could see, none of the rulers of the neighbouring states are as diligent as I. But the number of people in neighbouring states does not decrease and the number of my subjects does not increase. Why is this so?’
Mencius replied, ‘Let me explain this by using an analogy from war, since my lord likes fighting battles. Let’s imagine the fight is vigorous with the battle drums thundering and weapons clashing. At this time some soldiers abandon their armour and run away, dragging the weapons behind them. Some stop after running one hundred steps. Others halt after fifty steps. Those who ran only fifty steps laughed at those who ran a hundred. What do you think?’
‘That is not right. It is just that they didn’t manage to run hundred steps, but they did run away all the same.’
‘My lord, if you understand this, then you should not expect having more subjects than your neighbours.’
What Mencius meant was that King Hui needed to do much more before he can claim to be a better ruler than the kings of neighbouring states. Otherwise, he is just like one that retreats fifty steps laughs at one who does a hundred.
This expression refers to two persons who both have made mistakes, though the mistakes of one may be less serious than the other's. The pot calls the kettle black.
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战国魏惠王于公元前369-前319年在位。他喜欢与孟子谈时事。魏国迁都今河南开封西北之大梁，故又称梁惠王。‘孟子’一书记载：
梁惠王曰：‘寡人之于国也，尽心焉耳矣。河内凶，则移其民于河东，移其粟于河内。河东凶亦然。察邻国之政，无如寡人之用心者。邻国之民不加少，寡人之民不加多，何也？’

孟子对曰：‘王好战，请以战喻。填然鼓之，兵刃既接，弃甲曳兵而走，或百步而后止，或五十步而后止。以五十步笑百步，则何如？’
曰：‘不可。直不百步耳，是亦走也。’
曰：‘王如知此，则无望民之多于邻国也。’
就是说，惠王还要做更多才能说得上比邻国的国君更好。不然，他只是五十步笑百步。

这句话指两个人都做得不好，只是一个错误较少。就是西方人所谓的锅嫌壶黑。