Rousing Games in the Bridal Chambers 闹洞房

Ancient Chinese believed four occurrences were the happiest things in life and they are expressed in a poem: a good rain after a long drought, meeting an old friend in a distant land, the wedding night in a room lit with red candles and the moment that one's name appears on a public billboard as having passed a government examination.

In feudal society, the harvesting of crops, to be always closely related to one's hometown, to get married as a symbol of becoming an adult and to gain a position in the government were the most important things by which a man was judged as being a success.

Among them, the wedding night was the most unforgettable experience and over the years many folk customs have evolved to celebrate of this happy occasion. One of the special customs is called ‘nao dongfang’ (teasing the newlyweds, or rousing games in the bridal chambers) in which relatives and friends of the newlyweds made fun of them in their room on their wedding night, asking the couple to act out the suggestions contained in hints being made to them.

The custom originated during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), and it has continued up to today. It's said that long ago an Immortal found out that a devil had followed the wedding parade of a bride who was being carried in a sedan chair. The devil had then hidden in the couple's room and threatened their lives once all the guests had gone away. The Immortal said that the only way to drive the devil away was with people's laughter. So the couple had to bring a lot of friends into their room after the ‘baitang’ (the formal wedding ceremony) to produce noisy laughter.

The Chinese is not the only race that has a custom of ‘disturbing’ the newlyweds. In the west, chiverie is the wedding night prank to interrupt the wedding couple at night by a crowd clanging pots and pans, ringing bells and horns. Some even play around with the room where they will stay, like spread food all over the bed, put plenty of balloons and hide alarm clock everywhere, they make noise outside the place where the couple spends their first night together, just for fun. In the US, the ‘shivaree’, as it is called, was once very popular and often elaborated into a ritual humiliation of the bride and groom.

An article describes ‘nao dongfang’ in the Qing dynasty as follows:

Soon after the newlyweds have entered the nuptial chamber, all the wedding guests, male and female, follow. To win the smiles of the bride, people wilfully tease her with all kinds of ridicule and jokes. This practice of foolery and frivolity by adults in the nuptial chamber is intended to embarrass the bride and bridesmaid. The guests crack vulgar jokes in bawdy language and make flippant remarks the bride’s appearance. They go so far as to take the rouge and powder off the bride’s face and put it on one another. They do not stop until they have had their fill of wanton fun and foolery.

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中国古代认为人生有四大喜事，宋•洪迈在《容斋四笔》中以《得意失意诗》来说明：‘久旱逢甘雨，他乡遇故知；洞房花烛夜，金榜题名时。’

在封建社会里，谷物丰收、靠近亲友、年长成婚及一官半职，都是一个男人成功的标志。

其中，洞房花烛夜最为难忘，并形成不少风俗来庆祝这个快乐的时辰。一个特别的风俗就是‘闹洞房’；在新婚之夜，亲戚朋友在新娘房内，出题要新婚夫妇照做表演。

这个风俗起源于汉朝（公元前206年至公元220年），延续至今。据说，很久以前，一个神仙发现有一个恶魔跟随新娘轿车队伍，来到新娘房中，等到所有的人都离开后，威胁新娘新郎的生命。神仙说，驱魔的唯一的方法就是人们的笑声。所以这对夫妇在拜堂之后就邀请很多的朋友到他们的房间来发出笑声。

闹新人并不是只是华人才有的风俗。在西方，再新婚夜就有就有‘chiverie’的习俗来干扰新人，以壶及平锅发出声音，摇铃及吹喇叭。有些还在他们的房间里恶作剧，例如把食物在他们的床上散布，四处放气球，藏闹钟；并在洞房外嚷叫，就为了好玩。在美国叫做的‘shivaree’亦曾流行一时，时常成为对新娘新郎的例行羞辱。

一篇文章对闹洞房的描述如下：

‘新妇既入洞房，男妇宾咸入，以欲博新妇之笑，谑浪笑傲，无所不至。……成年者之闹房，其目的则在侮弄新娘及伴房之女，淫词戏语，信口而出，或评新娘头足，或以新娘脂粉涂饰他人之面，任意调笑，兴尽而止。’

Jingwei Fills the Sea 精卫填海

In modern languages the word tragedy is often used loosely to mean a disaster - particularly a seemingly undeserved disaster that strikes unexpectedly powerful people and happy families.

There are two possible outcomes of any tragedy – it is either an unhappy or a happy ending. One of the most widespread assumptions about a good tragedy is that the characters must be subjected constantly to the successive blows of hardship and misfortune and it must have an unhappy ending in order for it to be ‘most tragic’. It is possible for a tragedy to have happy ending for the good after he overcomes numerous difficulties and obstacles. However, some considered such is not a good tragedy.

Tragedy depicts men and women who, dissatisfied with the hand destiny has dealt them, challenge the rules of the game. Sometimes they win, sometimes they lose, but always they demonstrate the power of human spirit to stand against fate or the gods.

Tragedy also pushes the individual to the outer limits of existence where one must live or die by one's convictions. Facing the end of life, a person quickly recognizes life's ultimate values. All the trivial matters which occupy our daily routine suddenly vanish.

The Chinese myth on ‘Jingwei fills the sea’ is widely considered as a symbol of dogged determination and perseverance in the face of seemingly impossible odds.

The Fajiu Hill was two hundred li (a li is 0.5 km) away to the north. There was a lot of mulberry trees grew on it. Among them lived a bird which looked like a crow, but had a colourful head, a white bill and two red claws. Its call sounded like its name: Jingwei.

The bird was said to be Emperor Yandi's youngest daughter, Nuwa.

Nuwa, while playing on the East Sea, had been drowned and never returned. She had turned into Jingwei, and the bird would often carry bits of twigs and stones all the way from the West Mountains to the East Sea to fill it up.

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用现代话来说，悲剧一般指灾害，尤其是看来不应发生却出乎意料地发生在有权力的人的身上或快乐家庭里的灾难。

悲剧只有两种可能的后果，它的收场可以是不愉快的，也可以是愉快的。对于一个‘好’的悲剧来说，普遍的假设是其中的人物应经历连续不断的苦难与不幸事故；同时，为了要达到‘最惨’效果，其结果应该是不愉快的。但是，好人克服了无数困难与障碍之后，也可能会有好的结果。但一些人认为这不是‘好’的悲剧。

悲剧描述人们 – 男的或女的 – 不满命运给予他们的安排而向这些游戏规律挑战。有时候他们赢了，有时候输了，可是他们时时刻刻显示敢于向命运或神灵挑战的人类精神。

悲剧也把人类推向极限，人们必须为了他们的信念而面对生死的选择。面对生命的终结，一个人很快的就认识到生命的最终价值。占据了我们日常生活的琐琐碎碎事务，突然间都变得不重要。

中国神话《精卫填海》（来自《山海经》）被普遍认为是代表了面对看似没有成功的可能性时的坚定决心与坚持。

‘又北二百里，曰发鸠之山，其上多枯木。有鸟焉，其状如乌，文首，白喙，赤足，名曰“精卫”，其鸣自詨。

是炎帝之少女，名曰女娃。

女娃游于东海，溺而不返，故为精卫，常衔西山之木石，以堙于东海。’

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。

Liu Bang: Why am I successful? 刘邦：吾所以有天下者何？

In 202 BC, Liu Bang defeated Xiang Yu and established the Han Dynasty. Liu Bang is historically known as Emperor Gaozu.

However, if you compare the two men personality-wise, Liu Bang was a small man while Xiang Yu was often portrayed as the honourable, magnanimous (even romantic), and courageous leader. It was said that Liu Bang had kicked his two children off a cart so that he can escape. According to what Sima Qian wrote, he grabbed the hat of a Confucian scholar and urinated into it. He was also a big womanizer, cunning and very tricky.

But, one may say that Liu Bang was successful because he had political vision, and knew how to attract, retain, and reward talent. Many people from Xiang Yu's camp went over to Liu Bang's due to this reason. Xiang Yu only rewarded favourites of his.

Although Xiang Yu had courage and was devoted fully to his concubine Yuji, his weak points were that he was soft hearted and often ignored the advice of his chief councillor Fan Zeng. For example during Hongmen banquet, Fan wanted Xiang Yu to do away with Liu Bang by using a sword dance. Xiang Yu took no action despite his chief councillor's urges. Liu Bang came out of the party alive instead. If you switch roles, with Liu being the host and Xiang Yu being the target of the sword dance, most likely Liu Bang would waste no time in ensuring Xiang Yu's death. Xiang Yu's inaction at the banquet showed that he was magnanimous and stupid at the same time!

Shima Qian recorded the following in his ‘Records of the Grant Historian’:

While entertaining his generals and officials at a grand banquet after he took the throne, Liu Bang posed this question, ‘My beloved generals and officials, what do you think that made me defeat the powerful Xiang Yu and become the only emperor of the country?’

Gao Qi and Wang Ling replied, ‘My Highness, though you treat you subordinates arrogantly and rudely, you know whom to put in what position so that they can do what they are best at. You maintain a clear and explicit system of rewards and punishments so that people work for you willingly. Xiang Yu, on the other hand, appeared to be courteous and polite, but deep in his heart he was conceited and arrogant. He only trusted his kinsmen who, even when they turned out to be useless, were still placed in important positions. Those who were not related to him by blood were never put in important posts, even when they had rare talents. After his men won victories, he never rewarded them nor shared the profits from his land with them. I believe these are the factors brought his doom.’

Liu Bang said, ‘There is truth in what you say. However your answer is not complete. In making a long-term military plan, I am no match for Zhang Liang; in running a country and providing food and payment, I am no match for Xiao He; in commanding the army and fighting on the battlefield, I am no match for Han Xin. But when these three rare talents worked for me, how could I not succeed? Look at Xiang Yu, all he had was Fan Zeng and more often than not, he refused to accept Fan’s suggestions. These are the reasons for his failure.’

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公元前202年，刘邦打败项羽，成立汉朝。历史上，刘邦被称为高祖。

但是，如果我们比较两人的个性，刘邦可说是个小人，而项羽却被形容为一个令人尊敬的、度量大的（甚至是浪漫的）与英勇的领袖。据说刘邦曾经把他的孩子从车上踢下来，自己逃难。据司马迁记载，他也曾经用一个学者的帽来小便。他爱搞女人、狡猾与善于托辞。

不过，我们可以说刘邦之所以成功，因为他有政治眼光，知道如何吸引、收留及奖赏人才。因为这个原因，不少项羽的人改随刘邦。项羽只会奖赏他的宠臣。

虽然项羽有勇气，完全忠于他的爱妾虞姬，他的弱点是他有妇人之仁，时常不接纳他的谋臣范增的谋略。例如，在鸿门宴中，范增要乘着剑舞把刘邦杀掉。虽然范增一直在催促，项羽却不肯行动。刘邦因此逃过死劫。如果换成刘邦乘设宴以剑舞来杀掉项羽，刘邦把项羽除去的可能性是很大的。项羽不肯在宴会中有所行动，显示他有度量，同时也非常愚蠢。

司马迁在《史记》中有以下的记载：

高祖置酒雒阳南宫。高祖曰：‘列侯诸将无敢隐朕，皆言其情。吾所以有天下者何？项氏之所以失天下者何？’

高起、王陵对曰：‘陛下慢而侮人，项羽仁而爱人。然陛下使人攻城略地，所降下者因以予之，与天下同利也。项羽妒贤嫉能，有功者害之，贤者疑之，战胜而不予人功，得地而不予人利，此所以失天下也。’

高祖曰：‘公知其一，未知其二。夫运筹策帷帐之中，决胜於千里之外，吾不如子房。镇国家，抚百姓，给餽饟，不绝粮道，吾不如萧何。连百万之军，战必胜，攻必取，吾不如韩信。此三者，皆人杰也，吾能用之，此吾所以取天下也。项羽有一范增而不能用，此其所以为我擒也。’

The Earth Spirit and Officer Cui 地仙与崔生

Officer Cui committed a mistake and was banished to Guang Dong province. Dong did not bring his wife and concubine along as he thought it would not be safe for them to travel the long journey. Whilst there he was homesick and often felt very lonely. Whenever he thought of his family, he felt sad. Then he came to befriend an old man called Dong. They soon became quite close to each other. One day, they had dinner together. Although it was a beautiful full moon nigh. Cui was not in the mood to drink with his friend. Dong smiled and said, ‘Are you thinking of your wife and concubine? Please trust me, I, your good friend, am making arrangement for your family to join you. I have not told you about it as I am not sure whether it can be done. Perhaps we will know in a month’s time.’

Another half year went by and one day Dong suddenly ordered the servants to cleanup new rooms urgently. Shortly after that, three sedan chairs arrived and out came Cui’s wife, his concubine and a young maid. Cui was overjoyed and asked what had happened. His wife told him that they received a letter from him asking them to follow an official’s family to travel here. She had therefore to hurriedly hand over the family’s houses and farm to Chu’s brother. Cui’s brother would collect the rents on his behalf and send here yearly. He then asked where the maid came from. It was replied that during the journey here, they saw that she was put up for sale as she could not get along with her mistress. His wife bought her over at low cost. Cui was overjoyed with tears and thanked Dong for making his dream came true.

A few months later, Dong said to Cui, ‘The young maid joined us on your wife’s journey here, and she is going through this hardship with us, you may say this is fated. May be you should make her your concubine, so that she will not feel lonely without a family.’

A few years went by. Cui’s pardon was finally announced and he could now return home. Cui was so happy that he could not sleep at night. However, the three ladies appeared to be sad as though they are going to be separated from Cui. Cui consoled them, ‘Are you thinking of how to repay Dong for what he has done to help us? As long as we are alive, we will repay him one day.’ They did not reply, merely packed Cui’s belongings quietly in preparation for his return journey.

On the day of departure, Dong hosted a feast for Cui. He called out the three ladies and said, ‘I think the time has come for me to tell you the whole truth.’ He then bowed to Cui and continued, ‘I am actually an Earth Spirit. We were colleagues during our previous lives. We were both posted out and I died in office away from home. You have gone to great lengths to arrange and escorted my body back home and handed over to my wife. I was immensely grateful to you. I wanted to repay my debt to you but was unable to bring your family here due to the long distance. So I enlisted the help of three fairies in order to cheer you up. I first sent them to your own home to observe and imitate the mannerism of your wife and your concubine and also to learn all the family details so that when they come to impersonate your close companions your suspicion wouldn’t be aroused. As they are three sisters and that is why one of them serves as your maid. All these are actually illusions. Please do not think further, just return home and reunion with your wife and concubine. At home, things will return to normal as though you are living here.’ Cui requested that the three ladies went home with him. Dong told him that that could not be done as the three ladies did not belong to the earthly world. As the three ladies shaked hands to say goodbye with Cui, their tears flowed out freely. Cui then boarded the boat and by the time he turned his head around, all four of them had already disappeared.

At home, his wife told him that since he left, the family had no means to maintain a living and had to depend on the yearly remittances sent by him to pay for household expenses. That is how they survived till now. It was clear that Dong was the one who sent the money.

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以下故事来自《阅微草堂笔记》：

有崔生者，以罪戍广东，恐携孥有意外，乃留其妻妾只身行。到戍后，穷愁抑郁，殊不自聊，且回思少妇登楼，弥增忉怛。偶遇一叟，自云姓董，字无念，言颇契，愍其流落，延为子师，亦甚相得。一夕宾主夜酌，楼高月满，忽动离怀，把酒倚栏，都忘酬酢。叟笑曰：君其有云鬟玉臂之感乎？托在契末，已早为经纪，但至否未可知，故先不奉告，旬月后当有耗耳。

又半载，叟忽戒僮婢扫治别室，意甚匆遽，顷之，则三小肩舆至，妻妾及一婢揭帘出矣。惊喜怪问，皆曰：得君信相迓，嘱随某官眷属至，急不能久待，故草草来，家事托几房几兄代治，约岁得租米，岁岁鬻金寄至矣。问婢何来，曰：即某官之媵，嫡不能容，以贱价就舟中鬻得也。生感激拜叟，至于涕零，从此完聚成家，无复故园之梦。

越数月，叟谓生曰：此婢中途邂逅，患难相从，当亦是有缘，似当共侍巾栉，无独使向隅也。又数载遇赦得归，生喜跃不能寝，而妻妾及婢俱惨惨有离别之色。生慰之曰：尔辈念主人恩耶？倘不死，会有日相报耳。皆不答，惟趣为生治装。

濒行，翁治酒作饯，并呼三女出曰：今日事须明言矣。因拱手对生曰：老夫地仙也，过去生中，与君为同官，殁后君百计营求，归吾妻子，恒耿耿不忘，今君别鹤离鸾，自合为君料理，但山川绵邈，二孱弱女子，何以能来，因摄招花妖先至君家中半年，窥尊室容貌语言，摹拟具似，并刺知家中旧事，便君有证不疑，渠本三姊妹，故多增一婢耳，渠皆幻相，君勿复思，到家相对旧人，仍与此间无异矣。生请与三女俱归，叟曰：鬼神各有地界，可暂出不可久越也。三女握手作别，洒泪沾衣。俯仰间已俱不见，登舟时遥见立岸上，招之不至。

归后，妻子具言家日落，赖君岁岁寄金来，得活至今，盖亦此叟所为也。

Tiger Year Predictions 虎年运程

The Year of Tiger began on 14 February 2010. The year of the Tiger is traditionally associated with massive changes and social upheaval. Therefore, it will bring far reaching changes for everyone. For this year in particular, it is said to be ‘inauspicious’ because, though many countries are already out of recession however there would still be 4 key issues like : natural disasters, financial difficulties, political changes and environmental matters.

However, there is good news as well. New inventions and incredible technological advances have a good chance of occurring. For all of the Chinese horoscope signs, this year is one to be active - seizing opportunities and making the most of our personal and very individual talents. Everything happens quickly and dramatically in a Tiger year – blink and you could miss an important chance of a lifetime!

There seems to be some agreements among the geomancers that businesses involving fire and mental would do well in 2010.

The properties of fire include warm and gives off heat. Fire industries are those related to electrical products, stock markets, restaurants, lightings shops, fast food chains, bakery shops, accounting firms.

The properties of metal include hard and piercing. Metal Industries are those related to banking, machineries and equipments, law, fortunetelling, gold jewellery, robotics, steel, vehicles.

More countries would experience some economic recovery. The world would seem to be more on an agreeable mood than confrontations. China would lead the world in economic recovery and really move ahead. There would be high officials stepping down in China. Taiwan would intensify its tie with China, laying out solid passage to unification of China. Nevertheless, some natural disasters may still exist.

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虎年开始于阳历二月十四日。传统上，虎年都与大变革及社会动乱有关联。所以，它会为每个人带来深远的改变。特别是今年，一般认为‘不吉利’，因为世界还是面对四大难题：自然灾害、金融危机、政治变革与环境问题。

但是，也有好消息。新的发明与惊人的科技的出现的机会很高。所有的中国的星占都显示今年是活跃的一年，很多人都会抓紧机会，尽量利用个人的才华。在虎年里，每一样事情都发生得很快，一眨眼，又就可能失去一生中最难得的机会。

风水师好像一般都认为在2010年，有关‘火’与‘金’的行业会做得不错。

火的属性是温暖与放热。与火有关的行业包括：电子产品、股市、餐饮业、灯火店、快餐连锁店、面包店、会计楼。

金的属性是硬与锋利。与金有关的行业包括：银行、机械设备、法律、算命、金饰、机器人、金属、汽车。

很多国家会经验的经济复苏。世界各国也较倾向协调而不是对抗。中国会领导世界的经济复苏并实质的向前迈进。在中国会有高官下台。台湾会加强与中国的联系，为迈向统一的中国铺平结实道路。但是，会有一些天灾。

Zhuangzi Predicted the Fate of Tigers 庄子预知老虎命运

This is the year of tiger. Tigers are known to be the kings of jungle and yet they are one of the Earth's fastest disappearing species. Why? This is because every part of a dead tiger is valuable (more valuable than a live tiger in the eyes of poachers). A tiger's coat sells for as much as US$20,000 on the black market. An intact tiger forearm can bring in hundreds of US dollars per kilogram. Tiger penis soup sells for US$320 a bowl in Taiwan. (Some people actually believe that tiger penis soup will increase their sexuality.) Tiger bones, claws, eyes and even the whiskers command high prices for use in Eastern potions and elixirs. To fulfil the demand, the world's last tigers are being illegally trapped, poisoned and shot, then smuggled across international boundaries.

So being useful is not something that is good as at times it is better to be useless. Zhuanzi knows it best.

Zhuangzi was walking in the mountains when he saw a huge tree with branches full of luxuriant foliage. A lumberjack had stopped next to it, but wasn't attempting to cut it down. When Zhuangzi asked the lumberjack the reason, he responded, ‘There's nothing useful about that tree.’ Zhuangzi said: ‘This tree is so worthless it's been able to live out its natural lifespan.’

After coming out of the mountains, Zhuangzi stayed overnight in the home of an old friend. His friend was so delighted that he ordered his young servant to slaughter a goose so they could have it for dinner. The young servant politely asked, ‘One of them can cackle, and one of them can't cackle. Please tell me which one I should slaughter?’ The host responded, ‘Kill the one that can't cackle.’

The next day one of his disciples asked Zhuangzi, ‘Yesterday when we were in the mountains and came across that tree, it was able to live out its natural lifespan because it was worthless. Now our host has ordered the goose to be killed because it's worthless. Which is the better position?’

Zhuangzi laughed and said, ‘All around, I'd say the better position would be somewhere between being of worth and being worthless. Being somewhere between being of worth and being worthless might seem like the best place to be, but it's actually not. That's because one hasn't yet gotten rid of being tied to some idea. But that wouldn't be true if you could mount on the chariot of Dao and virtue and float about on it, without praise, without disapproval; In one moment a dragon, in one moment a snake. Changing in unison with the times; and never consenting to act in one specified way. In one moment above, in one moment below; using harmony as a measuring stick. Floating about with the ancestor of all living things; allowing things to be things, but not making things out of things. Then how would one be tied to anything? This was the method used by Shen Nong and Huang Di. But that's not truly the sentiments of most creatures who pass concepts of human ethics on to humanity: Joining together, then separating; Constructing, then destroying; Appearing to be honest, then back stabbing; Glorifying, then criticizing; Making promises, then backing down; Acting virtuous, then scheming; Deeming unworthy, then deceiving. Is there anything to be certain of? Yes, it's sad. But remember, my disciples, the only place to find a comfortable home is in Dao and virtue.’

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今年是虎年。老虎被称为森林之王，却是在地球上消失最快的物种之一。为什么呢？这是因为死去的老虎的每一个部分都值钱（在猎物者的眼中，比活生生的老虎更有价值）。在黑市中，虎皮可卖美元两万。一个完整的虎臂每公斤可值几百美元。虎鞭在台湾每碗可卖美元三百二十元（一些人真的相信虎鞭可壮阳）。虎骨、爪、眼，甚至虎须都因在东方可用来做药与补品而可卖得高价。为了满足需求，世上所剩下的老虎都被非法捕捉、毒害与射杀，然后偷运过国际国界。

所以有用并不是件好事。有时无用反而好。庄子最明白这一点了。

庄子行於山中，见大木枝叶盛茂，伐木者止其旁而不取也。问其故，曰：“无所可用。”庄子曰：“此木以不材得终其天年。”夫子出於山，舍於故人之家。故人喜，命竖子杀雁而烹之。竖子请曰：“其一能鸣，其一不能鸣，请奚杀？”主人曰：“杀不能鸣者。”

明日，弟子问於庄子曰，“昨日山中之木，以不材得终其天年；今主人之雁，以不材死。先生将何处？”

庄子笑曰：“周将处乎材与不材之间。材与不材之间，似之而非也，故未免乎累。若夫乘道德而浮游则不然，无誉无皆，一龙一蛇，与时俱化，而无肯专为。一上一下，以和为量，浮游乎万物之祖。物物而不物於物，则胡可得而累邪！此神农、黄帝之法则也。若夫万物之情，人伦之传，则不然。合则离，成则毁，廉则挫，尊则议，有为则亏，贤则谋，不肖则欺，胡可得而必乎哉！悲夫！弟子志之，其唯道德之乡乎！”

Literati Disdain Each Other 文人相轻

Cai Pi was the son of the great general and warlord Cao Cao of the Han dynasty (206 BC - 220). Cao Pi succeeded his father as king of Wei upon the latter’s death in 220. At the same time, Cao Pi formally proclaimed the end of the Han and the inauguration of the Wei dynasty, of which he was the first emperor. He retired the last Han emperor with great honours and married the emperor’s two daughters. He then undertook administrative reforms in his domains. Cao Pi’s Wei dynasty never controlled more than the northern part of China and lasted less than 50 years.

Cao Pi's collection of essays ‘Discussing the Norms for Literature’ (Dianlun), established him as a major figure in the history of Chinese literature. He discussed the function of literature, the relationship between the author’s character and his style and basic features of the genres. The most important chapter being ‘A Discourse on Literature’ (Lunwen), in which he explained why men of letters always disdain each other since old times.

Since ancient times, men of letters disdain each other. For example, Ban Gu (d. 92 AD) is more or less on par with Fu Yi in capability and knowledge, but he scorned the latter concerning his literary works. In a letter to his brother Ban Zhao, Ban Gu wrote: ‘Fu Yi (Wuzhong) is just able to compose some small essays, and that was enough to become director of the imperial Lantai 'Orchid Terrace' library, but he does not know when to lay down his writing brush.’

Often people only look at their own strengths without considering that a writer's ability is not exhausted in one literary style. Very few writers are able to master all different literary styles, and that is the reason why most people measure other writers' weaknesses with their own strengths.

A proverb says, ‘In your own house, even a broken broom is worth a thousand golden coins.’ This is just the fault of not looking at oneself from another standpoint.

Usually, people esteem things from far away, not the things accustomed to them, and they trust what is said without asking if it is really true. Further, most people make worries about something invisible to them and think they to be better than others.

The frame for writing has a common character, while the content of a text is unique. Memoranda and petitions (zou yi) should be elegant, letters and treatises (shu lun) should be logical and ordered, inscriptions and elegies (ming lei) should report the truth, and poems and rhapsodies (shi fu) require beauty. These four types are different to each other, and people that are expert in one of them cannot be expert in another. Only persons with universal abilities are able to master all of them.

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曹丕为汉将军与军阀曹操之子。曹操于220年死后，曹丕承继其父之魏王位。曹丕正式宣布汉朝之终止，成立魏朝，为其开朝皇帝。他体面地让汉皇退位并娶她的两个女儿。他接着在他的领土内实行行政改革。曹丕的魏朝一直只有统治北方，统治少过50年。

曹丕所写文集《典论》使他成为中国文学史里一个重要人物。他讨论文学的功能，作者个性与他的风格的关系，与艺术类型的特征。其中《论文》是最重要的一章，谈到为何自古以来文人相轻。

文人相轻，自古而然。傅毅之于班固，伯仲之间耳，而固小之，与弟超书曰：“武仲以能属文，为兰台令史，下笔不能自休。”

夫人善于自见，而文非一体，鲜能备善，是以各以所长，相轻所短。

理话曰：“家有弊帚，享之千金。”斯不自见之患也。

常人贵远贱近，向声背实，又患闇於自见，谓己为贤。

夫文，本同而末异。盖奏议宜雅，书论宜理，铭诔尚实，诗赋欲丽。此四科不同，故能之者偏也；惟通才能备其体。

Dong Yong’s Wife 董永妻

Filial piety is one of the Chinese traditional virtues. It is said that only when a person respects and loves his parents can he respect the elderly in society, humbly learn from the seniors in the work place, devote himself to the country, and sacrifice his life to defend the country. As such, all kind-hearted and capable emperors in Chinese history promoted filial piety.

Here is a story recorded in Sou Shen Ji (stories of Immortals) about Dong Yong, a son with filial piety and was reward by Heaven. The story later evolved to become a very popular folktale ‘Seven Fairies’.

In the Han dynasty in Qiancheng lived a man by the name of Dong Yong. His mother died when he was a child. While living with his father, they worked hard in fields. Each time they went out, he would put his old father on a small cart and follow it on foot. When his father died, he was so poor that he had no money for his father’s funeral. He was willing to sell himself into slavery for a little money for funeral. Knowing that he was a virtuous man, his master gave him ten thousand coins and allowed him to go home.

Dong was in mourning for three years. When it was over, he decided to return to his master to work as a slave. On his way he met a woman who said to him, ‘I am willing to marry you.’ So they went together to his master.

‘I have given you money, but I do not expect you to be my slave.’ The master said to him.

‘Thanks to your generous help,’ Dong said, ‘I was able to bury my father. Although I am a person with no social status, I know I ought to work for you to repay your kindness.’

Then the master said, ‘What is wife good at?’

‘She can weave,’ Dong answered.

‘If you insist on doing something for me,’ said the master, ‘please ask your wife to weave a hundred rolls of fine silk for me.’

Dong’s wife set to work in master’s house. Ten days later the hundred rolls were ready.

When she came out, she said to Dong, ‘I am a weaver in Heaven. The Emperor of Heaven ordered me to help you pay your debt because he was moved by your filial piety.’ After saying these words she flew into the sky and vanished.

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孝顺是中华美德之一。就是说，一个人如果能尊敬与爱护他的父母，他才会尊敬社会里的长者、在工作场所里虚心向前辈学习、献身国家、与肯为保卫国家而牺牲自己的性命。所以，历史上仁慈与有才能的君主都宣扬孝道。

以下是《搜神记》里记载孝子董永的故事，因其孝而获天协助。这个故事后来演变成为家喻户晓的《七仙女》的故事。

汉董永，千乘人。少偏孤，与父居。肆力田亩，鹿车载自随。父亡，无以葬，乃自卖为奴，以供丧事。主人知其贤，与钱千万，遣之。

永行三年丧毕，欲还主人，供其奴职。道逢一妇人曰：‘愿为子妻。’遂与之俱。

主谓永曰：‘以钱丐君矣。’

永曰：‘蒙君之惠，父丧收藏，永虽小人。必欲服勤致力，以报厚德。’

主曰：‘妇人何能？’

永曰：‘能织。’

主曰：‘必尔者，但令君妇为我织缣百匹。’

于是永妻为主人家织，十日而百匹具焉。

女出门，谓永曰：‘我，天之织女也。缘君至孝，天帝令我助君偿债耳。’语毕，凌空而去，不知所在。

2010: Year of Metal Tiger 庚寅金虎2010年

The Chinese New Year celebration – known also as the Spring Festival – begins this year on February 14 (New Year’s Day) and culminates on February 28 (the 15th day of the first lunar month) with the Lantern Festival. According to Chinese astrology, this year is the year of the Metal Tiger. There are twelve animals in the Chinese zodiac and five elements, which means that the last Metal Tiger year was sixty years ago, in 1950.

There are therefore two important concepts associated with the Chinese calendar – the animals in the Chinese zodiac, the metal in the five elements (wuxing).

The Tiger is one of the most beautiful creatures on the planet, and is feared and revered in equal measure. It features in many Asian cultures as a manifestation of courage, power, passion and royalty. The Tiger is therefore a natural born leader and symbolizes power, passion and daring. Words associated with tiger are, among others, courageous, active, self-assured, optimistic, passionate, independent, rebellious, dynamic, and unpredictable, quick tempered but considerate, affectionate but careless.

Tigers are fond of competitions. They simply cannot pass up a challenge. They may appear cool and are unpredictable, and it would be unwise to underestimate their reactions.

The qualities associated with Metal are unyieldingness, rigidity, persistence, strength and determination. The Metal person is controlling, ambitious, forceful and set in their ways as metal is very strong; and they are self-reliant and prefer to handle their problems alone. The Metal person is also materialistic, business oriented and good at organization and stability. However the Metal person can also appreciate luxury and enjoy the good things in life. Just as metal can conduct electricity, the Metal person has strong impulses and generative powers and can bring about changes and transformations for those who come into contact with them. Metal is believed to govern the lungs, nose and skin. The negative emotion associated with Metal is grief, while the positive emotion is courage.

People who are born in the year of Tiger with the element of Metal are very quiet people. However, their innermost beings are the opposite. This makes them quite complicated but interesting in the meanwhile. Metal Tiger people hates naggers, they like to think things alone and calmly. However they are passionate about life. Metal Tiger people draws clear lines between work and private life. They never "bring works home". They can be very considerate to their partners. A Metal Tiger person enjoys power, but they know they have to work hard for it. Therefore, most of the people born in the Metal Tiger years can be successful in the later years.

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今年华人新年，或称春节，由2月14日（年初一）至庆祝高潮于2月28日（农历一月十五）的灯节。根据华人天文学，今年是金虎年。华人生肖中有十二动物，与五行；就是说，上一次的金虎年是在60年前，也就是1950年。
这里有两个重要的华人日历概念，华人生肖中的动物及五行。
老虎是世界上最美丽的生物，被人畏惧与敬重。在亚洲文化中，被认为是勇气、权力、热情及忠诚的象征。所以老虎是天生的领袖，象征权力、热情与果敢。与老虎相连的字词包括：勇敢、活跃、有把握、乐观、热情、独立、叛逆、活力、不可预测，暴躁而体贴，深情而粗心。
老虎喜爱竞争。他们就是不能放过挑战。它们看起来冷静与不可预测，所以不能低估它们的反应。
金元素的属性是倔强、僵直、坚持、有体力与决心。属金的人犹如金属般坚强，好控制、雄心勃勃与强而有力，同时墨守成规。他们自立，喜欢单独处理事务。但是，属金的人也很享受奢侈与人生中美好的东西。犹如金可传电，属金的人有冲力与感染力，可改变与他们有接触的人。一般相信金统管肺、鼻与皮肤。在精神上，属金的负面是多愁善感，它的正面情绪是有勇气。

出生于金虎年的人城府很深。但是，他们的内心却是相反的。这就令他们显得相当复杂与有趣。属金虎的人讨厌别人喋喋不休，喜欢单独冷静的思考。但是，他们对人生充满热情。他们从不把工作带回家。他们对他们的伙伴相当体贴。属金的人很享受权力，但是他们知道他们要很努力去争取权力。因此，出生于金虎年的人在他们的人生的后期会很成功。