The current situation is different from
before(此一時也彼一時也)
In the Han Dynasty of China, there was a
humorous, funny and upright official named (Dongfang Shuo).
He lived from 154 BC to 93 BC.
He was about the same age as the seventh
king of the Han Dynasty (Liu Che), and many stories about the two of them are
recorded in history books.
The Han Dynasty became very powerful under
the leadership of (Liu Che), and there were many very talented people in the
central government at that time.
(Dongfang Shuo) put forward some innovative
proposals to the king. He hoped to gain the attention of the king and hold a
more important position, but the king did not adopt his opinions.
He was a little depressed because of it.
He wrote a short essay in the first person
describing his inner feelings.
The gist of the second paragraph of this
short essay is as follows.
I answer my friend's question.
Your speculation is wrong. The current
situation is different from before. This is the main reason why I have not been
taken seriously.
The era background of China's Warring
States Period is completely different from our current era background. In China
at that time, many princes established their own kingdoms, and these kingdoms
often attacked each other, and each kingdom wanted to conquer and annex other
kingdoms. Therefore, at that time, those strategic advisors could rely on their
own talents to obtain important positions in various kingdoms.
In our current era, local governments in
various places obey the command and orders of the central government, and the
entire territory of the Han Dynasty is stable and peaceful.
In our current era, the level of a person's
ability is no longer the key to determining whether he can hold an important
position, because all the systems are on track, and the operation of the
central government and local governments have established complete norms.
Even if a person is very mediocre, as long
as he is promoted by the king, he can hold a very important position.
Even if a person is very talented, if the
king doesn't value him, he may only stay in this very unimportant position for
the rest of his life.
A person's position depends entirely on the
king's decision. There are so many people in the Han Dynasty, but so few people
can be seen by the king. If those strategic advisors in the Warring States
Period lived in modern times, I think they might only be lowest ranking
official.
I sighed and said to my friend.
Times have changed, and our thoughts and
practices must change accordingly.
This idiom means that the current situation
is different from before.
Dear friend, what kind of inspiration or
thought do you have after hearing this story?
If you could choose, would you want to live
in that era? If you could choose, would you choose to work for a start-up or a
mature enterprise?
I hope this story can give you some new
harvest.
此一時也彼一時也(The current situation is
different from before)
中國的漢王朝有一個幽默又風趣又正直的官員，他的名字是(東方朔)。
他生活的年代是西元前154年到西元前93年。
他與漢王朝的第七任國王(劉徹)的年齡相近，歷史書上記載了很多關於他們兩個人的故事。
漢王朝在(劉徹)的領導下變得非常的強盛，當時的中央政府中有許多非常有才能的人。
(東方朔)向國王提出了一些革新的方案，他希望可以獲得國王的重視，他希望可以擔任更重要的職位，但是國王沒有採納他的意見。
他因此有點鬱悶。
他以第一人稱寫了一篇短文，描繪自已的內心感受。
這篇短文的第二段的大意如下。
我回答我的朋友的提問。
你的推測是錯誤的，現在的情勢與以前不同，這才是導致我沒有被重視的主要原因啊。
中國的戰國時代的時代背景與我們現在的時代背景完全不相同，那個時期的中國，許多諸侯各自成立自己的王國，而這些王國之間經常性的相互攻打，每個王國都想要戰勝並且併吞其他的王國。所以那些戰略顧問在那個時候，可以憑藉自己的才能取得各個王國中的重要職位。
我們現在的這個時代，各個地方的地方政府都聽從中央政府的指揮與命令，漢王朝的全境內都穩定並且和平。
在我們現在的這個時代中，一個人的能力高低已經不是決定他是否可以擔任重要職位的關鍵了，因為所有的制度都已經上軌道，中央政府與地方政府的運作都已經建立了完整的規範。
就算是一個人非常的平庸，但只要他獲得國王的提拔，他就可以擔任非常重要的職位。
就算是一個人非常的有才能，但如果國王不重視他，他就可能一輩子都只能待在這個很不重要的職位上。
一個人的職位高低完全取決於國王的決定，漢王朝中的人們有那麼多，但是國王可以看見的人卻是那麼少，如果戰國時代的那些戰略顧問活在現代，我想他們可能只能當上最低階的官員。
我嘆了一口氣地對我的朋友說。
時代已經改變了，我們的想法與做法也要跟著改變啊。
這句成語的意思是現在的情勢與以前不同。
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。
如果你可以選擇，你想生活在那個時代?如果可以選擇，你會選擇到一家新創企業工作還是一家成熟的大企業工作呢?
我期待這故事能讓你產生一些新的收穫。
出處為漢書-東方朔傳
