Chinese Lessons
Experiencing Chinese
Experiencing Chinese
Chinese family values
During the Warring States Period (475-221 BC), Handan, the capital of the State of Zhao, was famous for people's walking style...
Three at Dawn and Four at Dusk
In the state of Song, there was a man who reared monkeys. He was very fond of monkeys and kept a large number of them. He had a strong bond with the monkeys; he understood them and they understood him. He loved his monkeys so much that he went as far as reducing the amount of food for his own family in order to satisfy the monkeys. There then came a time when his family didn't have enough to eat. He had no choice but to cut down on the monkeys' food. But he was afraid that the monkeys would not submit to him as a result. So, he decided to trick them into accepting less food. He asked them, "If I gave you three chestnuts in the morning and four in the evening, would that be enough?" The monkeys were furious and refused to accept his proposal. A short while later, he asked them, "If I gave you four chestnuts in the morning and three in the evening, would that be enough?" This, the monkeys accepted and rolled around happily on the ground.
Mandarin
[Chinese Idioms And Fables] Stuffing His Ears for the Purpose of Stealing a Bell
Stuffing His Ears for the Purpose of Stealing a Bell Once upon a time, a thief stole a bell and tried to carry it away on his back. But the bell was too big and heavy. So, he decided to break it into pieces with a hammer to make it easier to carry. When he hit the bell, it made a loud noise. Afraid that someone might hear him breaking the bell, and try to steal it from him, he decided to plug his ears. If he couldn't hear anything, nobody else could either. A decision as foolish as this is sometimes compared with burying one's head in the sand.
Reflections on a Quiet Night
Li Bai(Tang)
Before my bed shine bright the silver beams
It seems the autunm frost on the ground so gleams
I gaze upwards toward the moon in the skies
And downwards look when a nostalgia does arise
No More Tricks, Mr. Nan Guo! (Pretending to Play the Yu to Retain His Position in the Orchestra)
In the period of the Warring States (475-221 BC), there was a state called Qi. The king of Qi was so fond of the yu, a wind instrument, that he had a band of more than 300 musicians play for him every afternoon. The king was most satisfied with the band and the harmonies they performed.
The Ancient Prairie--Farewell to My Friend
Bai Juyi (Tang)
The prairie overflows with the grass' s rolling billows,
As the year comes and goes, it withers and grows.
The wild fire can never bum it out of view,
When the vernal breeze arises, it appears anew.
Its balmy odors drifts across the path time-worn,
Its luster of green extends to the town forlorn.
Again as I see my friend along the road depart,
I feel the grass is deep in sorrow as my heart.
A Dinner Invitation
[Chinese Idioms And Fables] Adding feet to a drawing of a snake
"Adding feet to a drawing of a snake" – to ruin the effect of something by adding something superfluous. Adding Feet to a Drawing of a Snake An official in the ancient State of Chu gave a pot of wine to his men to celebrate the Spring Sacrifice ceremony. One of the men said: "We have only one pot of wine, and it's only enough for one. So, let's play for it. The first one to finish drawing a snake in the ground wins the pot of wine."