Classical Chinese essays by Dong Shi Xiaolian and Handan Xueba

1. Dong Shi Xiaoqian and Handan Xuebu’s Classical Chinese Translation

Dong Shi Xiaoqian

In the Spring and Autumn Period, there was a beautiful woman named Xi Shi in the country of Yue. All lovable. Xi Shi wears light makeup and simple clothes. Wherever she goes, many people pay her "attention" and no one fails to marvel at her beauty.

Xi Shi suffers from heartache. One day, her illness relapsed, and she was seen covering her chest with her hands and frowning, showing a delicate and delicate feminine beauty. When she walked through the countryside, everyone in the village stared at her with wide eyes.

There was an ugly woman named Dong Shi in the countryside. She was average-looking and uncultivated. She usually behaves vulgarly and speaks loudly and grandly, but she dreams of being a beautiful woman all day long. She wears this kind of clothes today and wears her hair like that tomorrow, but no one says she is beautiful.

On this day, she saw that the way Xi Shi was covering her chest and frowning had won the favor of so many people. Therefore, after she returned, she also imitated Xi Shi's appearance, covering her chest with her hands and frowning. head, walking around the village. Unexpectedly, the affectation of this ugly girl made her look even more ugly. As a result, the rich people in the countryside immediately closed the door tightly when they saw the ugly girl's strange appearance; the poor people in the countryside immediately pulled their wives and children away from her when they saw the ugly girl approaching. People were heartbroken when they saw this ugly woman who imitated Xi Shi and walked around the village, as if they had seen the god of plague.

This ugly woman only knew that Xi Shi’s frown was beautiful, but she didn’t know why she was beautiful. She simply imitated her appearance, only to be ridiculed. Everyone must use their strengths and avoid weaknesses to find an image that suits them based on their own characteristics. It is foolish to blindly imitate other people's practices.

Learning to walk in Handan

There was a young man in Shouling of Yan State. Hearing that Handan people walked very well, he rushed to Handan to learn footwork from them. However, not only did he fail to master the unique walking skills of Handan people, but he also forgot his original walking method, so he had to crawl home.

2. Answers from ancient texts about learning to walk in Handan

1. Zhuang Zhou's "Zhuangzi·Qiu Shui": "Qi Zi did not hear about the learning of his husband Shouling Yuzi and practiced it in Handan? He did not gain the power of the country and lost his old practice. 2. In the past, there was a person who was learning to walk in Handan ①, but he did not get the same steps ② and then lost his old steps again ③, so he crawled back to Er ④.——"Han Shu" ①In the past (xī)--once upon a time, in the past. Step--to walk, to walk. Handan (Hán dān)--the capital of Zhao State during the Warring States Period. ②Zeng--here is equivalent to "Nai", meaning the same as "But". Ruo--roughly , probably. ③ Gubu - the original walking gait. ④ Creeping (pú fú) - crawling. Usage [edit this paragraph] More formal; used as predicate, object, clause; derogatory example ·Chapter 101 of Li Luyuan's "Qilu Lamp": "Sheng Xiyuan said: 'Yes~, have you lost your old steps?'" Half-armed Tianhan Shangshu was drunk, and the gold hairpins behind the screen were all beautiful, and they all bowed their heads~. (Qing Dynasty Liang Shaoren's " "Essays of Liangbian Qiuyu'an" Volume 1) Synonyms [edit this paragraph] Parroting, imitating others, forgetting about ancestors, Shouling out of step Antonyms [edit this paragraph] Being unconventional, finding a new way, choosing the good and following the story [edit this paragraph] It is said that in the two Thousands of years ago, there was a young man in the Shouling area of ??Yan State. I don’t know what his last name was, so let’s call him the Shouling boy! This young man from Shouling has no worries about food and clothing, and he can be considered a middle-aged man in terms of appearance. However, he lacks self-confidence and often feels inferior to others for no reason. The clothes belong to others, and the food belongs to others. He is fragrant, and his posture and posture are also elegant. He learns everything he sees, and throws away the same things he learns. Although he tries new tricks, he still can't do one thing well and doesn't know what he should look like. People at home advise him to change. He thought this problem was due to the fact that his family members were too involved. When relatives and neighbors said that he was a bitch and a stick, he would not listen at all. As time went by, he actually doubted whether he should walk like this, and the more he looked at him, the more he felt that he was walking like this. His posture was too stupid and ugly. One day, he met a few people chatting and laughing on the road, and he heard some people say that the walking posture of Handan people was so beautiful. When he heard this, he felt worried and hurriedly walked forward. , wanted to find out. Unexpectedly, when those people saw him, they laughed and walked away. How beautiful is the walking posture of Handan people? He couldn't imagine it. This became his heartache. Finally one day, without telling his family, he ran to the distant Handan to learn to walk. Once he arrived in Handan, he felt that everything was new and dazzling. Seeing children Walking felt lively and beautiful, so he learned to walk; when he saw an old man walking, he felt steady, so he learned to walk; when he saw a woman walking with various swings, he learned to learn. Just like that, after only half a month, he couldn't even walk anymore, and all the travel expenses were spent. I had no choice but to crawl back. The story comes from "Zhuangzi Qiu Shui". The idiom "Learning to Walk in Handan" refers to imitating others mechanically. Not only will you not learn the strengths of others, but you will also lose your own strengths and abilities. Tips [ Edit this paragraph] It should be affirmed to be diligent in learning from others, but you must proceed from your own reality, take the strengths of others, and make up for your own shortcomings. If you are like the Shouling people of Yan State, you blindly despise yourself and blindly worship others. , copying things mechanically and following suit, the result must be that others’ strengths have not been learned, but one’s own strengths have been lost. 3. "Dongshi Xiaoqian" and "Handan Xuebu"

1. The pronoun refers to Xi Shi

The pronoun refers to those, or Xi Shi's

The pronoun refers to Xi Shi's , with Dong Shi

Its, pronoun, Dai Shouling Yuzi

2. She (Dong Shi) only knows that frowning is beautiful, but she doesn’t know why frowning is beautiful

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The remaining sons of Shouling learned their walking posture in Handan

3. Xi Shi was sick and frowned upon him

He did not gain the power of the country and lost his original behavior. Climbing and returning home

4. The same point is that they all write about a person who fails to imitate others and causes himself to suffer losses

The difference: the first one mainly describes the side in the way of writing. The actions of others are used to set off Dong Shi's failure, and the second one is written in a positive way to prove his failure by describing his own behavior of crawling back after his failure. 4. Dong Shi's classical Chinese explanation of Xiao Chong

[Edit this paragraph] Translation

Xi Shi suffers from heartache. One day, her illness relapsed, and she was seen covering her chest with her hands and frowning, showing a delicate and delicate feminine beauty. When she walked through the countryside, everyone in the village stared at her with wide eyes. What a beautiful woman!

There was an ugly woman named Dong Shi in the countryside. She was average-looking and uncultivated. She usually behaves vulgarly and speaks loudly and grandly, but she dreams of being a beautiful woman all day long. She wears this kind of clothes today and wears her hair like that tomorrow, but no one says she is beautiful.

On this day, she saw that the way Xi Shi was covering her chest and frowning had won the favor of so many people. Therefore, after she returned, she also imitated Xi Shi's appearance, covering her chest with her hands and frowning. head, walking around the village. Unexpectedly, the affectation of this ugly girl made her look even more ugly. As a result, the rich people in the countryside immediately closed the door tightly when they saw the ugly girl's strange appearance; the poor people in the countryside immediately pulled their wives and children away from her when they saw the ugly girl approaching.

People were heartbroken when they saw this ugly woman who imitated Xi Shi and walked around the village, as if they had seen the god of plague.

She knows that frowning is beautiful, but she doesn’t know the reason why frowning is beautiful.

[Edit this paragraph] Meaning

It is a metaphor for not understanding someone’s true strengths and copying them mechanically, which will backfire. Also generally refers to mechanical imitators being stupid and ridiculous.

▲Example: Occasionally, Boss A came to Company B at the invitation of Boss B. He accidentally discovered that there was no attendance machine in the door room of Company B, so he asked: "You don't have an attendance machine?" Boss B Said: "Not only does the company not have an attendance machine, it doesn't even have attendance personnel." A asked: "Then how to record the tardiness of employees for assessment?" B answered: "There are still 5 minutes before work. You can go to each department to check Look, is there anyone who hasn't arrived yet?" A asked: "Why?" B replied: "Trust is the best attendance machine. They are all adults and know what to do."

Boss A was very impressed. After returning to the unit, ask someone to remove the attendance machine immediately and cancel the attendance record. But contrary to expectations, the phenomenon of lateness has become more and more serious. Even people who have never been late are becoming late.

[Edit this paragraph] Supplement

Xi Shi, whose original name was Shi Yiguang, was born in Zhuluo Village, Zhuji, Zhejiang during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. Natural beauty. At that time, the State of Yue became a vassal of the State of Wu, and King Gou Jian of Yue lay on his back and tasted his courage in order to revive his country. When the country was in crisis, Xi Shi endured the humiliation and pledged herself to the country. Together with Zheng Dan, King Gou Jian of Yue dedicated her to King Wu Fu Chai. She became the King of Wu's favorite concubine. It acted as a cover and showed the noble thoughts and sentiments of a patriotic woman. Later, the state of Wu was finally destroyed by Gou Jian. Legend has it that after Wu was destroyed, Xi Shi and Fan Li went boating across the five lakes without knowing where they ended up. They have always been remembered by future generations.

Shi Yiguang lived in Zhuluo Village (now Huansha Village in the south of Zhuji City) under Zhuluo Mountain (also known as Luoshan). There are two villages in Zhuluo, the east and west. Yiguang lives in the west village, so it is named Xishi. Her father sells firewood, and her mother washes yarn. Xishi often washes yarn in the stream, so she is also called the girl who washes yarn. Xi Shi was naturally beautiful and endowed with extraordinary talents. According to legend, even her morbid frowning and caressing breasts were imitated by her neighbors, so there is an allusion of "Eastern Shi imitating her frown". In the third year of King Gou Jian of Yue (494 BC), Fu Chai defeated the State of Yue in Fujiao (southwest of today's Wu County, Jiangsu Province). King Gou Jian of Yue retreated to Kuaiji Mountain (now south of Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province). He was besieged by the Wu army and was forced to sue for peace. Gou Jian entered Wu is the pledge. After his release, Gou Jian aimed at the weakness of "King Wu's lewdness and lechery" and devised a plan with Fan Li to "obtain the salary girls Xi Shi and Zheng Dan from Zhuji Luoshan" and prepare to give them to the King of Wu. A palace maid favored by the King of Yue thought: "The real A beautiful woman must have three conditions, one is beauty, the other is good at singing and dancing, and the third is body shape. "Xishi only has the first condition and lacks the other two conditions. So, it took three years to teach singing, dancing, walking, etiquette, etc.

Xi Shi practiced hard, dancing gracefully and charmingly in the melodious music, and then practiced etiquette. A girl with veils became a well-educated palace maid. She has a beautiful body and treats people very well. Then, he made gorgeous palace clothes for her and presented them to the King of Wu. King Wu Fu Chai was so happy that he built the Chunxiao Palace in Gusu and built a large pool with a green dragon boat in it. The sun and Xi Shi played in the water. They also built a pavilion and a funeral pavilion for Xi Shi to perform singing, dancing and banquets. Xi Shi was good at dancing. During the "ringing clog dance", Fu Cha specially built a "ringing clog gallery" for her, using hundreds of large vats covered with wooden boards. The echoes and "clang-clang-clang-clatter" intertwined together made Fu Chai intoxicated, indulged in female sex, ignored the government affairs, and finally headed for the road of national subjugation and death.

The beauty Xi Shi held her breasts in her hands and frowned because of the pain in her heart. An ugly girl (later known as Dong Shi) saw her beautiful walking posture, so she imitated her appearance. The result was even more ugly and she was treated as a laughing stock by future generations. This is where the allusion of "Eastern imitation" comes from, which has left a profound inspiration to future generations.

Learning, reference, and imitation must be rational. If you mistake the ugly for the beautiful and the wrong for the right, you will be in trouble. It is not uncommon in real life to see things like "one thing imitates another". The reason for spitting everywhere is because others are spitting; parking in the community randomly is because others parked first; garbage dumping is because one person feels that it is impossible to change this phenomenon; driving violates traffic rules, always thinking that it is not the case Do this alone. In short, there are excuses and explanations for some uncivilized, impolite, immoral and even illegal things, and I believe they are reasonable. In fact, this kind of phenomenon is not tolerated by society, and it will inevitably be treated as a laughing stock, condemned and criticized, just like those who learn from the East and learn from the West.

Therefore, before learning, learning from, and imitating, you must first judge and identify the correctness of something. Should you learn it? Obviously, those that are noble, civilized and legal should be vigorously promoted, while those that are vulgar, backward and illegal should be resolutely resisted. This is the inspiration given to us by "Eastern imitation". 5. What are the idioms with similar and opposite meanings to "Eastern imitation" and "Handan Xuebu"

Choose what is good and make it long, find a new way, be unconventional

1. To imitate a cat and draw a tiger

Pronunciation: zhào māo huà hǔ

Explanation: Metaphor to imitate.

Source: Chapter 11 of "Qilu Deng" written by Li Haiguan in the Qing Dynasty: "This Grand Master is very smart. He is a man who can imitate cats and tigers, and can trick people at the first sight."

2 , copy by rote

Pronunciation: shēng bān yìng tào

Explanation: Mechanically copy other people’s methods, experiences, etc. regardless of the actual situation.

Source: Manan Village's "Yanshan Evening Talk: Eat Vegetable Soup Instead of Mutton": "Someone recited several sacrificial articles and knew them by heart. When it came time for the exam, the topic was about birthday wishes, and he actually copied it by rote. I copied the sacrificial text and made it look wrong. ”

3. Follow every step

Pronunciation: yì bù yì qū

Explanation: The original meaning is, If you walk slowly, I will walk slowly, if you walk fast, I will walk fast, if you run, I will also run. It is a metaphor for imitating or following others due to lack of opinions or in order to please others.

Source: "Zhuangzi·Tian Zifang": "Master steps step by step, Master also rushes, Master gallops also gallops, Master rushes away from the dust, and looks back as if he were behind."

Vernacular interpretation: The teacher walks slowly, and I walk slowly; the teacher walks hastily, and I walk hastily; the teacher runs fast, and I run fast; but when the teacher slips away and runs away, I have no choice but to lag far behind. Got it!

4. Well-dressed and well-dressed

Pronunciation: yī guàn yōu mèng

Explanation: It is a metaphor for pretending to be an ancient person or imitating others. Also refers to acting on stage.

Source: Chapter 40 of "The Biography of Heroic Sons and Daughters" by Wenkang of the Qing Dynasty: "Where do these casual talks start? Could it be that the huge officialdom is really just like meng's clothes and puppets? ? ”

5. Shouling loses pace

Pronunciation: shòu líng shī bù

Explanation: It is a metaphor for failing to imitate, but losing the inherent skills.

Source: "Zhuangzi · Qiu Shui": "You didn't hear that the remaining disciples of Shouling were practicing their studies in Handan? You didn't get the power of the country, and you lost the original practice, so you just crawled back to your ears. ”

Vernacular interpretation: During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, a man named Shouling Yuzi heard that Handan people walked beautifully, so he went to learn how to walk. However, he failed to learn how to walk, but he also forgot how to walk. , the man could no longer walk and had to crawl back.