These people are like a group of ducks
being driven in the same direction(趨之若鶩)
During the Ming Dynasty in China, there was
a famous general called (Xiao Ruxun).
There is a story about him recorded in the
history books.
In 1572 AD, the Ming dynasty made a peace
treaty with the Mongol kingdom to the north. During the few years when the
border between the two parties was at peace, he was ordered to be stationed at
the border town between China and the Mongol Kingdom.
The main duty of the generals stationed at the
border was to protect the land and people of the Ming Dynasty.
These generals were also responsible for
receiving officials who came to the border from the capital to work or travel.
However, within the central government at
that time, some high-ranking officials would also use their power to arrange
for non-official personnel to travel to border towns.
In addition to being good at fighting and
martial arts, he is also an intellectual who has read many books.
Therefore, these non-officials like to travel
to the border town that he is in charge of.
Although he did not want to receive these
people, he was also afraid that if he did not receive these people, he would
arouse the dissatisfaction of the high-ranking officials in the central
government, so he received these people with a smile.
These people came to the city he ruled like
a group of ducks driven in the same direction.
After he had used up all the money he could
spend on official social expenses, his wife sold her jewellery on several
occasions to supplement these expenses.
The direct translation of this saying is
that these people are like a group of ducks being driven in the same direction.
It is used to describe a group of people
running after something.
Dear friend, what inspirations or thoughts
do you have after listening to this story?
Do you often have to receive people at work
that you don't want to receive? When you see others rushing to do something, do
you blindly join them?
I hope this story gives you some new
insights.
趨之若鶩(These people are like a group of
ducks being driven in the same direction)
中國的明王朝時代，有一個著名的將軍，他的名字叫做(蕭如薰)。
歷史書上記載了一個他的故事。
西元1572年，明王朝與北方的蒙古王國達成和平協議，在這個雙方的邊界恢復和平狀態的幾年中，他奉命派駐在現在中國與蒙古王國交界的邊境城市。
當時駐守邊疆的將軍們，最主要的工作是守衛明王朝的土地與人民。
另外這些將軍還要負責接待那些從首都來到邊疆工作或是出差的文書人員。
但是當時的中央政府內，有一些職位很高的官員也會利用自己的權力，安排一些非公務的人員到邊疆的城市去旅遊。
他除了很會打仗而且武藝很好外，他還是一個念過很多書的知識份子。
所以這些非公務的人員，非常喜歡到他所負責管理的這座邊疆城市旅遊。
他雖然不想接待這些人，但是他也擔心如果不接待這些人，會引起中央政府內那些職位很高的官員的不滿，所以他用微笑地態度去接待這些人。
這些人就像是好像一群被驅趕著朝同一個方向前進的鴨子一樣來到他所管理的這座城市。
他把可以花費的公家的交際費用用光之後，他的妻子有好幾次賣掉自己的首飾來貼補這些花費。
這句成語直接翻譯的意思是這些人就像是好像一群被驅趕著朝同一個方向前進的鴨子一樣。
這句成語被來形容一群人爭相追逐某項事物。
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。
你在工作的時候是否要經常接待一些你不想接待的人呢?當你看到別人爭相做一件事情的時候，你會盲目地加入這些人的行列嗎?
我期待這故事能讓你產生一些新的收穫。
出處為明史-蕭如薰傳
https://zh.wikisource.org/zh-hant/%E6%98%8E%E5%8F%B2/%E5%8D%B7239
