“Does your leader drink wine？” asked he.
they replied, “Only fine wines does he drink.”
“I have some very old wine,” replied Lu Kang, smiling, “and I will give of it to you to bear to your general as a gift. It is the wine I myself brew and drink on ceremonial occasions, and he shall have half in return for today's courtesy.”
they took the wine and left.
“Why do you give him wine？” asked Lu Kang's officers.
“Because he has shown kindness, and I must return courtesy for courtesy.”
When the gift of wine arrived and the bearers told Yang Hu the story of their reception, he laughed.
“So he knows I can drink,” said Yang Hu.
He had the jar opened, and the wine was poured out. One of his generals, Chen Yuan, begged him to drink moderately lest there should be some harm come of it.
“Lu Kang is no poisoner,” replied Yang Hu.
And he drank. the friendly intercourse thus continued, and messengers frequently passed from one camp to the other.
One day the messengers said that Lu Kang was unwell and had been ailing for several days.
“I think he suffers from the same complaint as I,” said Yang Hu. “I have some remedies ready prepared and will send him some.”
the drugs were taken over to the Wu camp.
But the sick man's officers were suspicious and said, “This medicine is surely harmful： It comes from the enemy.”
However, Lu Kang said, “No； old Uncle Yang Hu would not poison a person. Do not doubt.”
He drank the decoction. Next day he was much better.
When his staff came to congratulate him, he said, “If our opponents take their stand upon virtue and we take ours upon violence, they will drag us after them without fighting. See to it that the boundaries be well kept and that we seek not to gain any unfair advantage.”
Showing posts with label chinese lessons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chinese lessons. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
position of strength and sphere of influence
During the Spring and Autumn Period (707 - 476 B.C.), Duke Xian of the State of Jin Wanted to expand his position of strength and sphere of influence. Therefore he would like to send his troops to destroy the State of Guo on the pretest that the State of Guo often encroached on theborders of the State of Jin. But there was a third state, the State of Yu,between the State of Jin and the State of Guo, and the Jin army had to cross the State of Yu before it could reach the State of Guo . "How can my army cross the State of Yu without a hitch?" Duke Xian of the State of Jin asked his ministers.Xun Xi , one of the ministers, said, "The monarch of the State of Yu is short - sighted and covets small advantages. If we give him priceless precious stones and fine horses, it is not unlikely that he will allow our army to pass through his country. " Seeing that Duke Xian of the State of Jin was a little bit grudging, Xun Xi continued to say, "The State of Yu and the State of Guo are neighbor stated as closely related as lips and teeth. The State of Yu cannot exist independently if the state of Guo is destroyed. Your precious stones and fime hores are just left in the care of the monarch of the State of Yu." So Duke Xian of the State of Jin accepted Xun Xi's plan. When the monarch of Yu saw the precious gifts, he was elated,and readily promised to let the Jin army pass through his state. Hearing the news, Gong Zhiqi, one of the ministers as the State of Yu, hastened to admonish the monarch, saying," That won't do.For the State of Yu and the State of Guo are neighbor states as closely related as lips and teeth. Our two small states are interdependent, and can help cach other when problems crop up .If the State of Guo were destroyed, it would be difficult for our State of Yu to continue to exist. As the common saying goes, if the lips are gone ,the teeth will be cold, The teeth can hardly be kept if the lips are gone. So it won't do at all to allow the Jin army pass our state." The monarch of the State of Yu said," The State of Jin is a big state. Now they here specially to present gifts to us with the intention of being on friendly terms with us. Under suchcircumstances, how can we refuse to allow them to pass through our state?" Hearing this, Gong Zhiqi sighed repeatedly. Knowing that the State of Yu would soon be destroyed, Gong Zhiqi left the State of Yu together with his whole family. As expected, the troops of the State of Jin, allowed to pass through the State of Yu, destroyed the State of Guo and on their return trip captured the monarch of the State of Yu who went out personally to meet them, htus destroying the State of Yu as Well. This story appears in the chapter " The Fifth Year of Duke Xi " in Zuo zhuan,the famous commentary by Zuo Qiuming on The Spring and Autumn Annals. The set phrase " if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold " is used to mean that two persons or things share a common lot and that is one fails ,the other is in danger.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Beautiful Smile and Love
The poor are very wonderful people. One evening we went out and we picked up four people from the street. And one of them was in a most terrible condition, and I told the sisters: You take care of the other three. I take care of this one who looked worse.
So I did for her all that my love can do. I put her in bed, and there was such a beautiful smile on her face. She took hold of my hand as she said just the words "thank you" and she died. I could not help but examine my conscience before her and I asked what would I say if I was in her place.
And my answer was very simple. I would have tried to draw a little attention to myself. I would have said I am hungry, that I am dying, I am cold, I am in pain, or something, but she gave me much more-she gave me her grateful love. And she died with a smile on her face.
As did that man whom we picked up from the drain, half eaten with worms, and we brought him to the home. "I have lived like an animal in the street, but I am going to die like an angel, loved and cared for."
And it was so wonderful to see the greatness of that man who could speak like that, who could die like that without blaming anybody, without cursing anybody, without comparing anything.
Like an angel-this is the greatness of our people. And that is why we believe what Jesus had said: I was hungry, I was naked, I was homeless, I was unwanted, unloved, uncared for, and you did it to me.
I believe that we are not real social workers. We may be doing social work in the eyes of the people, but we are really contemplatives in the heart of the world. For we are touching the body of Christ twenty-four hours...
And I think that in our family we don't need bombs and guns, to destroy, to bring peace, just get together, love one another, bring that peace, that joy, that strength of presence of each other in the home. And we will be able to overcome all the evil that is in the world.
And with this prize that I have received as a Prize of Peace, I am going to try to make the home for many people who have no home. Because I believe that love begins at home, and if we can create a home for the poor I think that more and more love will spread.
And we will be able through this understanding love to bring peace be the good news to the poor. The poor in our own family first, in our country and in the world.
To be able to do this, our Sisters, our lives have to be wove with prayer. They have to be woven with Christ to be able to understand, to be able to share. Because to be woven with Christ is to be able to understand, to be able to share. Because today there is so much suffering...
When I pick up a person from the street, hungry, I give him a plate of rice, a piece of bread, I have satisfied. I have removed that hunger.
But a person who is shut out, who feels unwanted, unloved, terrified, the person who has been thrown out from society-that poverty is so full of hurt and so unbearable... And so let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love, and once we begin to love each other naturally we want to do something.
Note: Chinese-Online (http://www.chinesepal.cn) is a place to Learn Chinese, and to find free Chinese Tutors to teach Chinese Lessons ,a place to learn mandarin! The fees is in the page(http://www.chinesepal.cn/class_type.html).The Site map of our site to learn Chinese language is the link(http://www.chinesepal.cn/sitemap.html).You can find something what you want to Learn Chinese Online! If you have interested Learn Mandarin Chinese Online ! Please click the link to study Chinese Language! Your Chinese Translation will begin to here! you can find Chinese characters, Chinese writing , Chinese dictionary and so on!
So I did for her all that my love can do. I put her in bed, and there was such a beautiful smile on her face. She took hold of my hand as she said just the words "thank you" and she died. I could not help but examine my conscience before her and I asked what would I say if I was in her place.
And my answer was very simple. I would have tried to draw a little attention to myself. I would have said I am hungry, that I am dying, I am cold, I am in pain, or something, but she gave me much more-she gave me her grateful love. And she died with a smile on her face.
As did that man whom we picked up from the drain, half eaten with worms, and we brought him to the home. "I have lived like an animal in the street, but I am going to die like an angel, loved and cared for."
And it was so wonderful to see the greatness of that man who could speak like that, who could die like that without blaming anybody, without cursing anybody, without comparing anything.
Like an angel-this is the greatness of our people. And that is why we believe what Jesus had said: I was hungry, I was naked, I was homeless, I was unwanted, unloved, uncared for, and you did it to me.
I believe that we are not real social workers. We may be doing social work in the eyes of the people, but we are really contemplatives in the heart of the world. For we are touching the body of Christ twenty-four hours...
And I think that in our family we don't need bombs and guns, to destroy, to bring peace, just get together, love one another, bring that peace, that joy, that strength of presence of each other in the home. And we will be able to overcome all the evil that is in the world.
And with this prize that I have received as a Prize of Peace, I am going to try to make the home for many people who have no home. Because I believe that love begins at home, and if we can create a home for the poor I think that more and more love will spread.
And we will be able through this understanding love to bring peace be the good news to the poor. The poor in our own family first, in our country and in the world.
To be able to do this, our Sisters, our lives have to be wove with prayer. They have to be woven with Christ to be able to understand, to be able to share. Because to be woven with Christ is to be able to understand, to be able to share. Because today there is so much suffering...
When I pick up a person from the street, hungry, I give him a plate of rice, a piece of bread, I have satisfied. I have removed that hunger.
But a person who is shut out, who feels unwanted, unloved, terrified, the person who has been thrown out from society-that poverty is so full of hurt and so unbearable... And so let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love, and once we begin to love each other naturally we want to do something.
Note: Chinese-Online (http://www.chinesepal.cn) is a place to Learn Chinese, and to find free Chinese Tutors to teach Chinese Lessons ,a place to learn mandarin! The fees is in the page(http://www.chinesepal.cn/class_type.html).The Site map of our site to learn Chinese language is the link(http://www.chinesepal.cn/sitemap.html).You can find something what you want to Learn Chinese Online! If you have interested Learn Mandarin Chinese Online ! Please click the link to study Chinese Language! Your Chinese Translation will begin to here! you can find Chinese characters, Chinese writing , Chinese dictionary and so on!
Mr. Jiang has used up his literary talent-At one's wit's end
During the period of Southern and Northern Dynasties (420-589), there was a man of letters named Jiang Yan, whose father died young. Little Jiang Yan was strenuous and diligent, capable of writing beautiful poems and essays at his early age. He, who was thought highly of by those men of letters of that time, was called Mr. Jiang.
However, at fame and high position prevent him from go on making progress. His articles and poems written later were not a match to his earlier ones. People said that he was at his wit's end.
Note: Chinese-Online (http://www.chinesepal.cn) is a place to Learn Chinese, and to find free Chinese Tutors to teach Chinese Lessons ,a place to learn mandarin! The fees is in the page(http://www.chinesepal.cn/class_type.html).The Site map of our site to learn Chinese language is the link(http://www.chinesepal.cn/sitemap.html).You can find something what you want to Learn Chinese Online! If you have interested Learn Mandarin Chinese Online ! Please click the link to study Chinese Language! Your Chinese Translation will begin to here! you can find Chinese characters, Chinese writing , Chinese dictionary and so on!
However, at fame and high position prevent him from go on making progress. His articles and poems written later were not a match to his earlier ones. People said that he was at his wit's end.
Note: Chinese-Online (http://www.chinesepal.cn) is a place to Learn Chinese, and to find free Chinese Tutors to teach Chinese Lessons ,a place to learn mandarin! The fees is in the page(http://www.chinesepal.cn/class_type.html).The Site map of our site to learn Chinese language is the link(http://www.chinesepal.cn/sitemap.html).You can find something what you want to Learn Chinese Online! If you have interested Learn Mandarin Chinese Online ! Please click the link to study Chinese Language! Your Chinese Translation will begin to here! you can find Chinese characters, Chinese writing , Chinese dictionary and so on!
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