Golden Millet Dream (黄粱美梦 huang liang mei meng)


In the time of the Tang Dynasty, there was a scholar called Lu Sheng. One year, Lu Sheng went to Xian to take an examination. When he arrived in Handan, he stayed in an inn for the night. In the inn, he met a Taoist monk and they began to talk.

" Lu Sheng said, "My family is poor and I have no one to rely on. I want to take the examination to become an official so I can have a good life."

The monk said: "Young man, you want to do well on the examination so you can become a rich man, right? I have a good idea. Here I have a green china pillow. Rest your head on this and take a nap. If you do that, you can get everything you desire."

Lu Sheng was very glad to hear this, and he carefully set the pillow aside. Now, the innkeeper had just then boiled a pot of porridge, but Lu Sheng couldn't wait for the porridge to be ready. He put his head on the green china pillow and quickly fell asleep.

Lu Sheng dreamed that he passed the examination and became a high official. He married a beautiful wife who bore him five sons who then gave him ten grandsons. All his sons and grandsons also passed the examination and became officials themselves. After being a high official in the city, Lu Sheng went on to become the prime minister. He was very happy with his life.

In his dream he was filled with joy, but suddenly, he felt hungry. The wonderful dream was interrupted. After he woke up, stretched, rubbed his eyes, and looked around, he found himself still sleeping in the inn in Handan. He was still wearing the worn out clothes. The Taoist monk was still sitting beside him. The porridge the innkeeper was making still wasn't ready. The only thing that had changed was that the grumbling in his stomach was louder than it was before.

All of us have dreams for the future. The important thing for us to remember is to study hard and do things carefully. In this way, we can turn our beautiful dreams into reality.


黄粱美梦 (huáng liáng měi mèng)

唐朝的时候,有个姓卢(lú)的读书人,人称卢生.有一年,卢生去西安参加考试.到了邯郸(hán dān)以后,就住进了一家旅店.他在旅店里遇见了一位道士,俩人便聊起天儿来.

卢生说:"我家里很穷,又无依无靠,我想考个官儿做,也好过上好日子,可考了几次一直考不中,希望这次能考好. "

道士说:"年轻人,你不是想考得好一些,过上富人的生活吗?我倒有一个好主意.我这里有一个青瓷(qīng cí)枕头,你枕着它睡一会儿,你就可以得到你想要的一切了."

卢生大喜,于是小心地把青瓷枕头放好.这时候,店主人刚刚煮上一锅小米饭,卢生也等不及饭熟了,赶忙睡下.他把头枕在青瓷枕头上,很快就睡着了.

卢生梦见自已考中了,又当了大官,娶了一个漂亮的媳妇(xí fù),生了五个儿子,后来又有了十个孙子.儿孙们个个都考中了.功成名就,当了高官.这时候已作了大臣(dà chén)的他,过上了非常幸福的生活.

正当他在梦乡中十分高兴的时候,忽然觉得很饿,好梦被打断了.他醒来以后,伸了伸懒腰(shēn lǎn yāo),又揉(róu)了揉双眼,向四周环顾(sì zhōu huán gù),发现自已仍旧(réng jìu)睡在邯郸的旅店里,身上穿的仍旧是那件破旧的衣衫,道士也还坐在自已的身边,就连店主人那锅小米饭也还没有煮熟,只是肚子里"咕咕咕"的叫声更响了.

我们每个人都做过美梦,重要的是我们要好好学习、认真做事,这样才能把美梦变成现实.

朋友们:卢生做梦的地方现在叫做黄粱梦,位于河北省邯郸市,交通十分方便.有兴趣的朋友可以到此一游,试一试卢生枕过的青瓷枕头,也做一个"黄粱美梦"吧.

Rising Up upon Hearing the Crow of a Rooster to Practise Sword Playing (闻鸡起舞 wen ji qi wu)


Zu Ti of the Jin Dynasty(265-420)was a big-hearted and farsighted person who, however,was very naughty and did not like to study when he was a small kid.  When he became a young man, he felt acutely that his knowledge was inadequate and that he could not serve his country well if he did not study hard.

So he put all his energies into his study.He read extensively,seriously studied history from which he absorbed rich knowledge,and made good progresss in his studies.    He had been to the capital city Luoyang several times, and all the people who had to the capital city Luoyang several times, and all the people who had come into contact with him said that Zu Ti was a talented person who was capable of assisting the emperor in governing the country.

When he was 24, someone recommended hem to be an official,but he refused the post.  He was still making a sustained effort in his studies.

Later, both Zu Ti and Liu Kun, his close friend since early childhood,were appointed chief clerks responsible for document administration in the Sizhou Prefecture.he and Liu Kun cherished a deep affection for each other.  They not only often shared the same bed in sleeping, but also shared the same lofty ideals; to render meritorious service in rejuvenating the Jin Dynasty and play the part of the pillars of the state.

Once,  Zu Ti heard a cock crow in the wasteland in his dream at midnight.  He kicked Liu Kun a wake,saying to him:  "People say it is inaupicious to hear a cock crow in the wasteland.  I don't think so.What about getting up and practicing sword playing the moment we hear the cock crow form now on?  "Liu Kun agreed readily.  So every day when the cock crow,they got up and practied sword playing,the cold steel of the swords glinting and flashing.  Day by day and year in, year out, they never stopped.

As the saying goes, constant effort yields sure success.

Through long periods of hard study and training,they finally becaome versatile persons versed in both civil and military affairs.  They could write good essays, and were capable of leading troops in fighting victoriously.  Zu Ti was invested with the title the General for Guarding the Western Regions,thus realizing his wish of rendering meritorious service to the country.  Liu Kun became a governor,and at same time was in charge of the military affairs of the three prefectures of Bingzhou,Jizhou and Youzhou.  In discharging his duties, Liu Kun also fully displayed his talent in both polite letters and martial arts.

This story appears in "The Life of Zu Ti" in The History of the Jin Dynasty.From this story people have coined the set phrase" rising up upon hearing the crow of a rooster to practice sword playing' to signify that someone is exerting himself to do something worthwhile.It is also used to signify that a person of noble aspirations exerts himself in time.

wen2     ji1     qi3     wu3
闻     鸡     起     舞

晋代的祖逖是个胸怀坦荡、具有远大抱负的人.可他小时候却是个不爱读书的淘气孩子.进入青年时代,他意识到自己知识的贫乏,深感不读书无以报效国家,于是就发奋读起书来.他广泛阅读书籍,认真学习历史,于是就发奋读起书来.他广泛阅读书籍,认真学习历史,从中汲取了丰富的知识,学问大有长进.他曾几次进出京都洛阳,接触过他的人都说,祖逖是个能辅佐帝王治理国家的人才.祖逖24岁的时候,曾有人推荐他去做官司,他没有答应,仍然不懈地努力读书.

后来,祖逖和幼时的好友刘琨一志担任司州主簿.他与刘琨感情深厚,不仅常常同床而卧,同被而眠,而且还有着共同的远大理想:建功立业,复兴晋国,成为国家的栋梁之才.

一次,半夜里祖逖在睡梦中听到公鸡的鸣叫声,他一脚把刘琨踢醒,对他说:"别人都认为半夜听见鸡叫不吉利,我偏不这样想,咱们干脆以后听见鸡叫就起床练剑如何?"刘琨欣然同意.于是他们每天鸡叫后就起床练剑,剑光飞舞,剑声铿锵.春去冬来,寒来暑往,从不间断.功夫不负有心人,经过长期的刻苦学习和训练,他们终于成为能文能武的全才,既能写得一手好文章,又能带兵打胜仗.祖逖被封为镇西将军,实现了他报效国家的愿望;刘琨做了都督,兼管并、冀、幽三州的军事,也充分发挥了他的文才武略.

故事出自《晋书·祖逖传》.成语"闻鸡起舞",形容发奋有为,也比喻有志之士,及时振作.

Imitating Another without Success and Losing What Used to Be One's Own Ability (邯郸学步 han dan xue bu)


邯郸学步Imitating Another without Success and Losing What Used to Be One's Own Ability

Tradition has it that more than 2,ooo years ago, there lived a young man in the Shouling area of the State of Yan.  As his name is not known , we just call him Shouling young man for convenience's sake.

He was extremely low in the self confidence. He was at a loss as to how to behave all the time.

His family members advised him to overcome this shortcoming, but he thought they were fond of poking their noses into his business and were unwilling to provide him with tuition fee.  His relatives and neighbours sneered at him,  saying that he would never be able to learn anything.  As the days went by, he even began to doubt whether he should walk the way he did, for he felt more and more that his walking gestures were too clumsy and awkward.

One day,he met some people on the road who were chatting and laughing.  One of themsaid that people in Handan walked most gracefully.  And thatwas just what he was most concerned about, so he hurried towards the man and wanted to make further inquiries.  To his surprise,when these people saw him,  they stalked off laughing.

He could not picture to himself in what way their walking gestures were graceful,  no matter how hard he racked his parents one day.  He went to Handan which was far away to learn how to walk.

As soon as he arrived in Handan, he was dazzled to find that everything was novel.  He learned from the children there how to walk,  because he thought that the children's walking gestures were lively and pleasing to the eye.  He learnd from the old people there how to walk,  because he thought the old people's walking gestures were steady .  He learnd from the women there how to walk,  because he thought the women' swaying walking gestures were beautiful.  That being the case with him ,in less than half a month he even forgot how to walk.  As he had already used up his traveling expenses,he had to crawl back home.

This story come from the article "Autumn Water"in The Works of Xhuang Zi (Zhuang Zi was a famous ancient Chinese philosopher of about 300B.c.).  Later the set phrase "initating another without success and losing what used to be one's own ability" is used to refer to acts of copying others mechanically in disregard of specififc conditions.

Han2     dan1     xue2     bu4
邯     郸     学     步

 

相传在两千年前,燕国寿陵地方有一位少年,不知道姓啥叫啥,就叫他寿陵少年吧!

这位寿陵少年不愁吃不愁穿,论长相也算得上中等人材,可他就是缺乏自信心,经常无缘无故地感到事事不如人,低人一等--衣服是人家的好,饭菜是人家的香,站相坐相也是人家高雅.他见什么学什么,学一样丢一样,虽然花样翻新,却始终不能做好一件事,不知道自己该是什么模样.

家里的人劝他改一改这个毛病,他以为是家里人管得太多.亲戚、邻居们,说他是狗熊掰棒子,他也根本听不进去.日久天长,他竟怀疑自己该不该这样走路,越看越觉得自己走路的姿势太笨,太丑了.

有一天,他在路上碰到几个人说说笑笑,只听得有人说邯郸人走路姿势那叫美.他一听,对上了心病,急忙走上前去,想打听个明白.不料想,那几个人看见他,一阵大笑之后扬长而去.

邯郸人走路的姿势究竟怎样美呢?他怎么也想象不出来.这成了他的心病.终于有一天,他瞒着家人,跑到遥远的邯郸学走路去了.

一到邯郸,他感到处处新鲜,简直令人眼花缭乱.看到小孩走路,他觉得活泼、美,学;看见老人走路,他觉得稳重,学;看到妇女走路,摇摆多姿,学.就这样,不过半月光景,他连走路也不会了,路费也花光了,只好爬着回去了.

故事出自《庄子·秋水》.成语"邯郸学步",比喻生搬硬套,机械地模仿别人,不但学不到别人的长处,反而会把自己的优点和本领也丢掉.