I force myself to do things I don't want to
do for food(口腹自役)
During the Jin Dynasty in China, there was
a famous writer named (Tao Yuanming).
His poems and prose have influenced many
famous poets and writers in Chinese history.
He wrote down his life experience and life
perception in a poem and the preface of this poem.
The direct translation of the name of this
poem means I should go back.
The first half of the preface to this poem
is as follows.
My family is very poor, I have several
children, I farm hard every day but I can't support my family.
My family often goes hungry with me. My
family's life is very difficult and financial. We can't afford the necessities
in life. We have no solution to our economic problems.
My relatives suggested that I serve in
government units, which I think is a good suggestion.
But in our time, a person must have a
letter of recommendation from a government official to enter a government unit.
I don't know any important officials, so it
doesn't look like this advice will help me.
Later, a new governor came to our city, who valued a person's ability to work more than his family background. Therefore, I entered a government unit as a low-level official.
I was assigned to an internship in a city
not far from my home. I liked this place very much, so after the internship, I
took the initiative to say that I wanted to stay and work in this place.
But after a few weeks in the city, I
started missing my hometown.
My personality likes to be free, I don't
like to be restrained, I feel bound here.
I miss the poor life in the past. At that
time, although I was often hungry, there was only physical pain.
I am now staying in this place and doing a
job I don't like. Not only is my body suffering, but my soul is also suffering.
I didn't like my life during that time. I
felt that I had sold my soul just to eat.
This idiom means that I force myself to do
things I don't want to do in order to live.
Dear friend, what are your feelings or
thoughts after hearing this story?
Do you like your current job? Are you
satisfied with your current life?
I hope this story can give you some new
harvest.
口腹自役(I force myself to do things I don't
want to do for food)
中國的晉王朝時代，有一個著名的文學家，他的名字叫做(陶淵明)。
他寫的詩與散文影響了中國歷史上許多著名的詩人與文學家。
他在一首詩與這首詩的序中寫下了他的人生經歷與人生感悟。
這首詩的名字直接翻譯的意思是我應該要回去了。
這首詩的序的上半段如下。
我的家境很貧窮，我有好幾個孩子，我每天辛苦的種田但是我無法養活我的一家人。
我的家人常常跟著我餓肚子，我的家人的生活很困苦與拮据，我們買不起生活中的必需品。我們沒有辦法解決經濟上的難題。
我的親戚們建議我到政府單位內服務，我覺得這是一個好的建議。
可是在我們這個時代，一個人必需有政府官員的推薦信才能進入政府單位上班。
我不認識任何一位重要的官員，因此看來這個建議對我沒有幫助。
後來我們這座城市來了一個新的省長，這位省長重視一個人的工作能力勝過這個人的家世背景。也因此我進入政府單位擔任了一個低階官員。
我被派任到離家不遠的一座城市實習，我挺喜歡這個地方，所以實習之後我就主動說我想留在這個地方上班。
但到了這座城市的幾個禮拜後，我就開始想念我的家鄉了。
我的個性是喜歡自由的，我不喜歡受到約束，我在這邊我感覺被綑綁住了。
我懷念起以前的貧窮的生活，那個時候雖然我常餓肚子，但是那只有身體的痛苦。
我現在待在這個地方做著這個我不喜歡的工作，我不只身體痛苦連靈魂都感到苦悶。
我很不喜歡那一段時間的生活，我覺得我自已為了吃飯而出賣了自已的靈魂。
這句成語的意思是我為了生活而迫使我自己做我不想做的事。
親愛的朋友，你聽完這個故事有怎樣的感受或有怎樣的想法呢。
你喜歡你現在的工作嗎?你對你現在的生活感到滿意嗎?
我希望這故事能讓你產生一些新的收穫。
出處為晉-陶淵明-歸去來兮辭並序
https://fanti.dugushici.com/ancient_proses/70573/prose_translations/3296