It is easy to have a good beginning, but it
is difficult to have a good ending. (靡不有初鮮克有終)
During the Warring States Period of China,
the Kingdom of Chu had a famous prime minister whose name was (Huang Xie).
His story is recorded in the history books.
He once represented the Kingdom of Chu as
the ambassador to the Kingdom of Qin.
He heard that the king of the Qin Kingdom
was going to send a powerful army to attack the Chu Kingdom.
He hoped that he could persuade the king of
the Qin Kingdom to reverse the decision to attack the Chu Kingdom.
He said to the king of the Qin Kingdom.
When the development of a thing reaches its
peak, it will start to reverse, and the change of seasons is like this.
The Qin Kingdom has been strengthening its
own national strength since your grandfather, and the current territory of the
Qin Kingdom is the highest in the history of the Qin Kingdom.
Qin Kingdom's army has defeated Han
Kingdom, Zhao Kingdom and Wei Kingdom in the past few years.
Your achievements and abilities surpass
those of your ancestors.
The other six kingdoms that originally
formed a camp to fight against you were shocked by your powerful military and
did not dare to rescue each other.
Your personal reputation can be said to
play to the extreme.
So I present my opinion.
You shouldn't just force the six kingdoms
to submit to you with a great military force now.
Your most important job now should be to
govern these peoples in the territories you have acquired over the years with
justice and kindness.
(The Book of Songs), the earliest Chinese
poetry collection, contains a sentence.
It is easy to have a good beginning, but it
is difficult to have a good ending.
In the Spring and Autumn Period of China,
among the four major families of the Jin Kingdom, have you forgotten the story
of the most powerful Zhi family?
(Refer to our blog:He is too greedy, he
will never be satisfied. (貪慾無厭))
https://chinesewordingconsultant.blogspot.com/2020/12/he-is-too-greedy-he-will-never-be.html
Do you remember the story of the final
demise of the mighty Wu Kingdom in the Spring and Autumn Period of China?
(Refer to our blog: Wu Zixu(伍子胥))
The patriarch of the Zhi family and the
king of the Wu Kingdom also made great achievements, but because of their greed
for immediate interests, they caused their own demise.
You only see that after sending troops to
attack the Kingdom of Chu, you can add more territory, but you have forgotten
that the Kingdom of Chu is a kingdom with the same strength as the Kingdom of
Qin.
You will be locked in a very long war.
And while you attacked the Chu Kingdom, the
other five kingdoms were waiting by the side.
The five kingdoms may attack you at any
time.
Therefore, I put forward my opinion, I
think now is not the best time to attack the Kingdom of Chu.
This idiom means that it is easy to have a
good beginning, but difficult to have a good ending.
Dear friends, what inspiration or thoughts
do you have after listening to this story?
Have you ever set out to do something, but
ended up giving it up? How do you think you can develop the habit of sticking
to your goals?
I hope this story will give you something
new to gain.
靡不有初鮮克有終(It is easy to have a good
beginning, but it is difficult to have a good ending.)
靡不有初鮮克有終(有好的開始是很容易的，但是有好的結局卻很困難。)
中國的戰國時代，楚王國有一個著名的首相，他的名字是(黃歇)。
歷史書上記載了一個他的故事。
他曾經代表楚王國擔任派駐在秦王國的大使。
他聽說秦王國的國王要派遣一支強大的軍隊攻打楚王國。
他希望可以說服秦王國的國王打消攻打楚王國的決定。
他對秦王國的國王說。
一件事情的發展到了頂點就會開始反轉，季節的變化就是這樣。
秦王國從你的祖父開始，就一直強化本身的國力，現在的秦王國的領土面積是秦王國的歷史上的最高峰。
秦王國的軍隊在這幾年來已經戰勝韓王國與趙王國與魏王國。
你的功績與能力超過你的先祖。
原本聯合組成陣營對抗你的其他六個王國，被你們強大的軍力所震攝，彼此不敢互相救援。
你的個人聲望可以說發揮到極點了。
因此我提出我的看法。
你現在不應該只是憑靠強大的軍力迫使這六個王國屈服於你。
你現在最重要的工作應該是用正義與仁慈管理你這幾年所獲取的這些領土上的這些人民。
(詩經)這本中國最早的詩歌合輯中有一句話。
有好的開始是很容易的，但是有好的結局卻很困難。
中國的春秋時代，晉王國的四大家族中，最強大的智家族的故事你忘記了嗎?
(參考我們的部落格He is too
greedy, he will never be satisfied. (貪慾無厭))
https://chinesewordingconsultant.blogspot.com/2020/12/he-is-too-greedy-he-will-never-be.html
中國的春秋時代，強大的吳王國最終滅亡的故事你還記得嗎?
(參考我們的部落格Wu Zixu(伍子胥))
智家族的族長與吳王國的國王也曾經建立了偉大的功績，但由於他們貪圖眼前的利益，結果造成了自已的滅亡。
你現在只看到出兵攻打楚王國後可以增加更多的領土面積，但是你忘記了楚王國是一個實力與秦王國不相上下的王國。
你會陷入一場時間非常長的戰爭。
而在你攻打楚王國的時候，其他五個王國正等待在一旁。
這五個王國隨時有可能對你發動突襲。
因此，我提出我的看法，我認為現在不是攻打楚王國的最好時機。
這句成語的意思是有好的開始是很容易的，但是有好的結局卻很困難。
親愛的朋友，你聽完這個故事有怎樣的啟發或有怎樣的想法呢。
你是否曾經立志要做一件事情，但結果卻是潦草放棄呢?你認為要如何養成堅持完成自已設定的目標的習慣呢?
我期待這故事能讓你產生一些新的收穫。
出處為史記-春申君列傳