He speaks softly and gently.(低聲下氣)

 

He speaks softly and gently.(低聲下氣)

 

In the Southern Song Dynasty of China, there was a famous scholar whose name was (Zhu Xi).

 

He formulated a set of etiquette norms for children's daily life and coping with advancing and retreating.

The book he wrote had a great influence on future generations.

 

There is a passage in this book as follows.

 

If you are a student, you must respect your teacher.

If you are a child, you must be polite to your parents.

 

You should speak softly and gently.

You should avoid loud talking and laughing. You should avoid excessive playfulness with your friends.

 

If your teacher or your parents speak to you, you should be quiet and listen intently.

 

If your teacher or your parents or your friend makes a mistake, don't point out his faults on the spot.

You should keep silent, and after a few days, find a suitable opportunity to discuss the matter with your teacher or your parents or your friends.

 

Remember, we all have our own blind spots, and none of us are perfect.

 

This idiom is used to describe a person who speaks softly and gently.

 

Dear friends, what inspiration or thoughts do you have after listening to this story?

Do you agree with his advice to children? How would you feel if someone directly pointed out your shortcomings?

I hope this story will give you something new to gain.

 

                                                             此圖片來自百度百科

The sky and the earth that amaze me(皇天后土)

 

The sky and the earth that amaze me(皇天后土)

 

In the Jin Dynasty of China, there was a famous official whose name was Li Mi.

He is a very honest official, and he is also a very filial person.

 

When he was 44 years old, the then king wanted to hire him as an important official in the central government.

He wrote a letter to decline the king's offer of invitation.

 

The letter he wrote is considered one of the most moving lyric essays in Chinese history.

Why did he refuse such a high position and salary?

 

The fifth paragraph of the letter reads as follows.

 

I am forty-four years old this year, and my grandmother is ninety-six years old.

My grandmother's life is nearing the end, and the Jin Dynasty can go on for a very, very long time.

 

According to the observations of the ancients, the adult crows in the birds will feed those old crows.

Even birds know gratitude, how could we not?

So I implore you to allow me to keep my grandmother until she dies.

 

I am not making this request because I want to avoid responsibility.

 

My act of caring for my grandmother was years and years and continued.

These actions of mine come from my heart, and everyone in this city and province where I live can see my sincerity.

I don't feel ashamed when I face the heaven and the earth that amaze me.

 

Again I beg you to have mercy on me and to trust my honesty.

Please let me fulfill this little wish to take care of my grandmother until she dies.

 

When she dies, I will agree to your appointment.

At that time, I will do my best to serve the Jin Dynasty, and I will be loyal and responsible to you.

 

I am such a humble person, and I am writing this letter with a very frightened heart. Please grant me this small request.

 

This idiom means the sky and the earth that amaze me. This idiom is usually used when a person takes an oath.

 

Dear friends, what are your feelings or thoughts after listening to this story?

If you were the king, would you agree to his request? Are you responsible for your own heart?

I hope this story will give you something new to gain.

 

                                                 本圖片出處為百度百科

His breathing is very weak(奄奄一息)

 

His breathing is very weak(奄奄一息)

 

In the Jin Dynasty of China, there was a famous official whose name was Li Mi.

 

He is a very honest official, and he is also a very filial person.

When he was 44 years old, the then king wanted to hire him as an important official in the central government.

He wrote a letter to decline the king's offer of invitation.

 

The letter he wrote is considered one of the most moving lyric essays in Chinese history.

Why did he refuse such a high position and salary?

 

The fourth paragraph of the letter reads as follows.

 

When I was young, I served as an important official in the Kingdom of Shuhan, and I am not the type of person who wants to live in seclusion.

I also hope to have the opportunity to realize my ideals and ambitions, and to seek more benefits for more people.

 

After the fall of the Shuhan Kingdom, I returned to my original civilian status.

 

It is a great honor for me to have the opportunity to be valued by you.

But at the moment there is really no way for me to leave my grandmother.

If it weren't for this reason, I would have agreed to your offer right away and would be very happy to head to the capital right away.

 

My grandmother was like the sun about to go down, her breathing was very weak.

Her state of life is so fragile that I worry every day that she will die at any time.

 

I look back on my entire life, and I would have been dead long ago without my grandmother raising me up.

If I left my grandmother now, in a few days, I think she would be gone.

 

Our two lives are so closely related to each other that I cannot leave my grandmother right now.

 

You are a king who attaches great importance to filial piety. All the elderly in our kingdom are valued and cared for by you. I beg you to have mercy on my pain, and I beg you to take back your orders.

 

This idiom means that there is only a weak breath left. Describe a person's life has reached the last moment.

 

Dear friends, what are your feelings or thoughts after listening to this story?

If you could choose, who would you want to spend the last time of your life with? If you could go back in time, who would you most like to spend an afternoon with?

I hope this story will give you something new to gain.

 

                                                      此圖片來自百度百科

A fast falling meteor(急如星火)

 

A fast falling meteor(急如星火)

 

In the Jin Dynasty of China, there was a famous official whose name was Li Mi.

 

He is a very honest official, and he is also a very filial person.

When he was 44 years old, the then king wanted to hire him as an important official in the central government.

He wrote a letter to decline the king's offer of invitation.

 

The letter he wrote is considered one of the most moving lyric essays in Chinese history.

Why did he refuse such a high position and salary?

 

The third paragraph of the letter reads as follows.

 

I did not expect that when I rejected the kindness of the mayor and the provincial governor, I received an edict sent from the capital.

 

I was very shocked because I was such a humble person, but the king hired me to serve in the central government.

 

I have not yet figured out how to refuse, but a new order has arrived, and the king wants me to be the prince's teacher, an extremely important position.

 

Since the king personally ordered this time, the mayor and the governor were both under pressure to complete this task.

 

The two of them came to my house almost every day to see me.

They begged me to agree to the king's appointment as soon as possible.

They thought I was making excuses to evade the king's orders.

They scolded me for deliberately delaying time.

They angrily said my attitude was arrogant.

 

Their attitude is so urgent, like a shooting star falling from the sky.

 

I am very troubled.

In my heart, I want to agree to the appointment of the king, and then immediately go to the capital to take office.

But my grandmother's body is getting weaker and weaker day by day, and her condition is getting worse day by day. I really can't agree to the king's appointment.

 

I again stated my consideration but it was not accepted.

 

I am very embarrassed, I don't know how to get out of this predicament.

 

 

This idiom means a fast falling meteor. This idiom is used to describe something that is very urgent.

 

Dear friends, what are your feelings or thoughts after listening to this story?

What things have you encountered that made you feel very embarrassed? When you encounter this kind of predicament, what is the principle of your decision?

I hope this story will give you something new to gain.

 

                                                             圖片出處為維基百科

Only my shadow accompanies me(形影相弔)

 

Only my shadow accompanies me(形影相弔)

 

In the Jin Dynasty of China, there was a famous official whose name was Li Mi.

 

He is a very honest official, and he is also a very filial person.

When he was 44 years old, the then king wanted to hire him as an important official in the central government.

He wrote a letter to decline the king's offer of invitation.

 

The letter he wrote is considered one of the most moving lyric essays in Chinese history.

Why did he refuse such a high position and salary?

 

The second paragraph of the letter reads as follows.

 

When I became an adult my grandma got sick because of her old age.

She can only lie in bed almost every day, and she relies on my assistance for her daily life.

 

I am very grateful to my grandma for raising me up, so I do my best to take care of her.

 

I don't have close relatives who can help each other, and I don't have the money to hire helpers. These things fell on my shoulders.

 

I face and solve all kinds of difficulties by myself. I'm lonely, and I feel like only my shadow accompanies me every day.

 

My neighbors and friends know that I am a very filial person because of my long-term and careful care for my grandmother.

 

The mayor of the city where I live and the governor of the province where I live both heard about me, and after the two of them verified it, they each nominated me to be a junior official in the central government.

 

But I have considered that if I accept this offer, then I will have to go to the capital to work. My grandma is very old and her health is so poor that there is no way to move to the capital with me.

 

So I declined their recommendation at the time.

 

Notes.

 

China has had a very special mechanism for selecting civil servants since the Han Dynasty.

 

The king at that time believed that if a person does not care about his relatives at all but does a lot of public welfare undertakings, his kindness is false.

Filial piety is the most basic and most important item to measure a person's moral level.

 

The king at that time believed that a person may have a very ordinary background, but if the person's work ability and moral level are high, then this person is worthy of trust and hold important positions.

 

It is the responsibility of local officials to discover these two types of talents, because all local officials must recommend candidates who meet these two conditions every year, so that these people have the opportunity to break away from their own class and current situation and enter the central government as officials.

 

(Li Mi) is a very upright person, and he is also a very filial person.

So he became the person recommended by the mayor and the governor.

 

 

The literal meaning of this idiom is that I have only my shadow to accompany me. Used to describe a person who is lonely.

 

Dear friends, what are your feelings or thoughts after listening to this story?

Have you ever met such a person who volunteers to help some poor people, but his family lives in hardship? Which one do you think is more important, a person's moral level or work ability?

I hope this story will give you something new to gain.

 

                                                     此圖片出處為百度百科

I am very lonely and poor and helpless(孤苦零丁)

 

I am very lonely and poor and helpless(孤苦零丁)

 

In the Jin Dynasty of China, there was a famous official whose name was Li Mi.

 

He is a very honest official, and he is also a very filial person.

When he was 44 years old, the then king wanted to hire him as an important official in the central government.

He wrote a letter to decline the king's offer of invitation.

The letter he wrote is considered one of the most moving lyric essays in Chinese history.

 

Why did he refuse such a high position and salary?

 

The first paragraph of the letter reads as follows.

 

I am a very unlucky person, my father died when I was six months old.

Four years after my father died, my mother remarried.

I became an orphan.

 

My grandma was a kind woman.

From when I was four and a half years old, she took the initiative to take care of me.

 

I was in poor health as a child, my growth was stunted, and I didn't learn to walk until I was nine.

 

I have always felt that I was alone, poor and helpless.

This feeling is still there when I grow up.

 

My father has no siblings, and I naturally have no relatives such as cousins.

I got married very late and had children very late.

 

There are very few guests in my house.

We are a family with few blessings.

 

 

This idiom means to describe a person who is lonely, poor and helpless.

 

 

Dear friends, what are your feelings or thoughts after listening to this story?

Do you live in a big family or a small family? Are your father and mother still alive? If so, how long have you not seen them?

I hope this story will give you something new to gain.

 

                                                此圖片出處為百度百科

Peony(國色天香)

 

Peony(國色天香)

 

During the Tang Dynasty in China, there was a famous minister, who was also a relative of the royal family, and his name was (Li Jun).

 

He wrote a book in which he recorded some of the royal stories he had heard.

 

The national flower of the Tang Dynasty was the peony.

Almost everyone in the Tang Dynasty was a poet, from kings to commoners, almost everyone loved to write and read poetry.

 

One spring, the king and his concubine were in the royal garden to admire flowers.

 

When the king saw the blooming peonies, he was very happy.

He ordered a famous painter in the capital to paint for him.

 

While the painter was painting, the king stood beside him and watched him paint.

The king was in such a good mood that he chatted with the painter.

 

The king asked.

The peonies are so beautiful this year.

Who wrote the best poem about peonies you've heard this year?

 

The painter answered.

All the people in the capital have recognized that the poem about peony flowers written by (Li Zhengfeng) is the best poem written this year.

 

The fragrance of this flower is like the smell of heaven, and the fragrance of this flower is quietly attached to my clothes.

 

The color of this flower is like the ruddy face of a girl after drinking, and there is no more beautiful color than this flower in the whole kingdom.

 

Said the king.

These two poems are really well written.

 

The king smiled and said to his concubine.

When you're sitting at the dresser, you're putting on your makeup and drinking a glass of wine.

These two verses are very suitable to describe you in this situation.

 

 

The original meaning of this idiom refers to the peony flower.

This idiom is often used today to describe a woman who is very beautiful.

 

 

Dear friends, what are your feelings or thoughts after listening to this story?

What is your favorite flower? Do you have any of those plants?

I hope this story will give you something new to gain.

 

                                                          此圖片來自於維基百科

Dongfang Shuo(東方朔/曼倩)

 

Dongfang Shuo(東方朔)(154 BC - 93 BC)

His surname is (Dongfang), his parents gave him the name (Shuo), and his friends called him (Manqian) when he grew up. He was born in Shandong Province, China.

 

東	Means east. It is also one of the Chinese surnames.
方	Square means. Meaning of direction. Orientation meaning. It is also one of the Chinese surnames.
朔	The meaning of the first day of the lunar month. Means early morning.
曼	Extend meaning. Nice meaning. It is also one of the Chinese surnames.
倩	Nice meaning.

 

He was an outstanding statesman and a well-known writer.

 

There is a story about him in the history books.

 

One day, the king of the Han Dynasty was very angry because a commoner had sneaked into his royal garden and killed a deer.

 

The king ordered that the man be killed immediately.

All the ministers expressed their agreement with the king.

 

At this time, Dongfang Shuo came out of the ministers.

 

Everyone's attention was focused on him, he said slowly at this time.

This man's behavior is so bad that one death sentence is not enough, he should have three death sentences.

 

The number one reason why he should be sentenced to death is that he made the king so angry that he lost his mind, he made the king kill a man because of a deer.

 

The second reason why he should be sentenced to death is that he let everyone in the kingdom know that the king thinks a deer is worth more than a human life.

 

The third reason why he should be sentenced to death is that our kingdom is currently under attack from the enemy, and this deer can help us defend against the enemy's attack. He killed this deer, which would greatly reduce the strength of our kingdom.

 

After the king heard him say these few words, the king said to all the ministers after a few minutes of silence.

I take back the order just now, and I forgive this person.

Dear friends, what inspiration or thoughts do you have after listening to this story?

If you were him, how would you advise the king? If you were the king, would you publicly admit that you were wrong?

I hope this story will give you something new to gain.

 

                                                              圖片出處為百度百科

What a person says on his deathbed is usually the most sincere.(人之將死其言也善)

 

What a person says on his deathbed is usually the most sincere.(人之將死其言也善)

 

During the Han Dynasty in China, there was a famous minister whose name was (Dongfang Shuo).

 

He is a very witty and humorous man. He was very knowledgeable, so the king liked him very much.

 

Some ministers thought he was too frivolous, so they didn't like him, but he still insisted on his own attitude towards life.

 

One day, he suddenly said to the king very seriously.

 

There is an ancient poem.

The content of the poem is as follows.

 

Noisy flies stay on those messy fences. A benevolent and kind person should warn himself not to listen to those flattering and provocative words.

The danger of these words is so great that they will throw all nations into chaos.

 

The king smiled at him.

Why are you telling me these words so seriously today. It's not like your usual style.

 

He smiled and did not answer the king.

 

A few days later, the king heard shocking news.

(Dongfang Shuo) passed away.

 

The king was sad, he said to the ministers around him.

 

There is a proverb.

A bird's dying cry is especially mournful; a person's dying words are usually the most sincere.

He must have had a premonition that he was about to die, so he gave me a few words of advice a few days ago.

 

This idiom means that what a person says before his death is usually the most sincere.

 

Dear friends, what inspiration or thoughts do you have after listening to this story?

If you were to die today, who would you most like to talk to? Who gave you the most important advice in your life?

I hope this story will give you something new to gain.

 

                                                          圖片出處為百度百科

He thinks life is a game and he lives it with ease.(玩世不恭)

 

He thinks life is a game and he lives it with ease.(玩世不恭)

 

During the Han Dynasty in China, there was a famous minister whose name was (Dongfang Shuo).

He is a very witty and humorous man.

 

Some ministers thought he was too frivolous, so they didn't like him, but he still insisted on his own attitude towards life.

 

He once said to his son.

The Shang Dynasty in China had two famous people with high moral standards. After the collapse of the Shang Dynasty, they went on hunger strike and died. I think the behavior of these two people is too stupid.

 

There is a famous thinker in China whose name is Lao Tzu.

He served as the director of the National Library of the Zhou Dynasty, but he kept a very low-key attitude, so he did not encounter disaster in his life. I think he's a really smart guy.

 

My life pursuit is very simple. As long as I can eat enough every day and then have time to take a leisurely walk, I'll be content.

 

My biggest expense is to buy some good food from the farmers.

I am in a complicated political circle, but my mentality is like a hermit.

 

I do not deliberately highlight my talents, I face my life with a relaxed attitude.

I don't cater to others in particular, and I don't overly insist on my own position to bring myself into harm's way.

 

This idiom is used to describe a person who thinks life is a game, so the person lives life with a relaxed attitude.

 

Dear friends, what inspiration or thoughts do you have after listening to this story?

What is your philosophy of life? What attitude do you use to face your own life?

I hope this story will give you something new to gain.

 

                                                    此圖片出處為百度百科

Pei Xiu (裴休/公美)

 

Pei Xiu (裴休)(791 AD - 864 AD)

His surname is (Pei), his parents named him (Xiu), and his friends call him (Gongmei) when he grows up. He was born in Henan Province, China.

 

裴	Meaning of a very long dress. It is also one of the Chinese surnames.
休	Meaning to rest. Meaning to stop.
公	Fair meaning. Meaning of the public. It is also one of the Chinese surnames.
美	Beautiful meaning.

 

He was a famous prime minister of the Tang Dynasty. He is also a devout Buddhist.

There is a story about him in the history books.

 

The capital of the Tang Dynasty was named Chang'an, and there was a large pond to the south of the capital.

People in the capital enjoy walking and picnicking by this pond during their holidays.

 

One year, the central government announced a new annual personnel order, and he was assigned to be the governor of (Xuanzhou).

 

A few days before taking office, he and a few good friends went for a walk by the pond.

 

He and a few of his friends took a walk along the lake. They sat down by the lake when they were tired, and they chatted happily and loudly.

 

Not far from them, a group of young people were also sitting on the grass by the lakeside drinking and chatting.

One of them, a young man with a very gorgeous dress, suddenly stood up and scolded them loudly.

You are talking too loudly and disturbing us, please be quiet.

 

The young man's behavior annoyed him a little, so he walked over and said to him.

I apologize for disturbing you.

 

After saying this, he asked the young man.

You are very handsome and your clothes are gorgeous, what is your occupation?

 

The young man answered.

I am an official. My position is not high, I am the mayor of Guangde City in Xuanzhou.

 

The young man asked him.

So what is your occupation?

 

He answered.

I am also an official, my position is not high, I am just a governor, the governor of Xuanzhou.

 

As soon as the young man heard this, he was sobered up.

 

He and his friends stood up in panic and apologized to him, and then the group of young people left in a hurry.

 

Dear friends, what inspiration or ideas do you have after listening to this story?

Do you maintain proper manners when talking to strangers? Do you judge someone's identity based on their clothing?

I hope this story will yield something to you.

 

                                               圖片出處為百度百科

This thing exudes old and elegant colors and smells(古色古香)

 

 

In the Song Dynasty of China, there was a well-known connoisseur. His name is (Zhao Xihu).

 

He wrote a book to record his research experience on Chinese guqin, writing brush, ink sticks, rice paper, inkstone and other items.

 

In this book, he also compared the styles and characteristics of many painters and calligraphers.

 

The book also documents his method of identifying whether a painting is genuine or not.

 

He said.

The ancient paintings will be stained with dust due to the age, so the ink color will become more different.

 

Another way of distinguishing, ancient paintings will emit a unique smell because of the age.

 

Ancient paintings have a quaint color and mood. If it is a fake, the color of the paper will be more yellow, and the color of the ink will be brighter.

 

This idiom is usually used to describe some ancient and elegant paintings and calligraphy, or antique utensils, buildings, works of art, etc.

 

Dear friends, what are your feelings or thoughts after listening to this story?

Do you collect antiques? What is your favorite painting? Why do you like this painting the most?

I hope this story will give you something new to gain.

 

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　此圖片來自百度百科

I am very grateful to him(感激涕零)

I am very grateful to him(感激涕零)

 

During the Tang Dynasty in China, there was a famous writer, he was also a famous poet, his name was (Liu Yuxi).

 

The era he lived in was the end of the Tang Dynasty, when the power of each local government became more and more powerful, and the central government's control over each local government became less and less.

 

In AD 814, a warlord named (Wu Yuanji) launched a rebellion.

 

The central government sent troops to encircle him, and it took four years to finally defeat him.

 

He wrote three poems documenting the victory of the war.

 

This idiom comes from one of the poems.

 

This morning I heard the sound of a rooster crowing.

On the city wall, there was no rapid drumbeat like in the past.

The whole city is very peaceful.

 

I was walking on the road, and I saw several old people chatting on the side of the road.

They recalled the years of war, and they cherished the peace at this moment.

They shed tears and snot in gratitude.

 

I saw the army of the central government enter and take over the city one after another. These government troops are strictly disciplined and they do not disturb the daily life of all the people.

 

The old men stopped crying, and they stepped forward to meet and welcome the government troops.

 

At that moment, I seemed to go back to the past, back to the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty a few decades ago, the era of peace.

 

 

The literal meaning of this idiom is that a person is so grateful for the actions of another person that the person cried until tears and snot came out.

This idiom is used to describe being very grateful.

 

Dear friends, what are your feelings or thoughts after listening to this story?

Do you know how many places in the world are fighting at the moment? Do you cherish the peaceful life now?

I hope this story will give you something new to gain.

 

                                                            圖片出處為百度百科

He was in trouble because he had a very good treasure. (懷璧其罪)

 

He was in trouble because he had a very good treasure. (懷璧其罪)

 

During the Spring and Autumn Period in China, one day, the king of the Yu Kingdom called his younger brother into the palace.

 

He said to his brother.

I heard that you recently got a great treasure, a sacrificial vessel made of very fine jade.

 

Can you give me this jade?

 

Said his brother.

I don't want to give it to you because this jade is too precious.

 

There was a displeased look on his face.

The encounter ended in an unhappy atmosphere.

 

After his younger brother came home that night, his younger brother said to himself.

There is an ancient proverb.

A good man has done nothing wrong, but because he has a great treasure, he has caused others to covet, so he has suffered a scourge.

 

This treasure will make my brother hate me and make me suffer scourge. Isn't my life more precious than this jade. I'd better give him this jade.

 

The next day, he took the jade to the palace and gave it to the king.

The king happily accepted it.

 

A month later, the king of the Yu Kingdom called his younger brother into the palace again.

 

He said to his brother.

I heard you have another great treasure, a very sharp sword.

 

Can you give me this sword?

 

said his brother.

I don't want to give it to you because this sword is too precious.

 

There was a displeased look on his face.

The encounter ended in an unhappy atmosphere.

 

After his younger brother came home that night, his younger brother said to himself.

My brother is so greedy, his lust has no end.

If I continue to satisfy his demands, he will one day take my life.

 

A few days later, his younger brother staged a successful coup and his older brother was expelled from the Yu Kingdom.

He took his brother's place. He became the king of Yu Kingdom.

 

 

This idiom means that he has a great treasure, he is coveted by others, so he suffers from evil.

 

Dear friends, what inspiration or thoughts do you have after listening to this story?

Have you had a similar experience? Are you a greedy person?

I hope this story will give you something new to gain.

 

                                                             此圖片來自於百度百科