children's games
Su Shi [Song Dynasty]
Everyone wants to be smart when adopting a son, and I have been delayed by being smart all my life.
I only hope that this child is honest and honest, and there is no disaster and no difficulty in reaching the public.
Vernacular translation:
Everyone wants their children to be smart, but what are the benefits of being smart? I am jealous because I am smart, and I have been delayed all my life.
I only hope that my children will be silly and dull, free from misfortune and happiness, and become officials if they can.
Comment on words and phrases:
Adopted son: Give birth to children. "Book of Rites University": "Those who have not learned, adopt children, and then marry."
Stupid and rude: ignorant and slow to respond. Stupid is stupid, stupid; Lu is slow and stupid.
Communist Youth League: refers to senior officials. Yue's "Emperor Ji of Han Zhao Ji": "In the first year of Yuan Dynasty, it was in February in spring. In the Taiye Pool of Zhangjian Palace in Huang Hu, the Communist Youth League went to life. "
Appreciation of works:
On the surface, this poem is about children's education. It seems absurd, but it is ironic, because in Su Shi's view, officials and prime ministers at that time were people who only protected power and had no ability to govern the country. "Tale of the East Capital: Tale of the Gods": "Yuanfeng was ugly in the summer and April of five years and was more bureaucratic. Wang Jue is the left servant and assistant minister of Shangshu, Cai is the right servant and assistant minister of Zhongshu, Zhang Dun is the assistant minister of Zhongshu, Zhang Xuan is the assistant minister of Zhongshu, Pu Zongmeng is the assistant minister of Shangshu Zuocheng, and Wang Anli is the assistant minister of Shangshu Youcheng. " It can be seen that the ministers in charge of slaughter in Yuanfeng period were all mediocre people, and Dongpo inevitably made a voice of injustice. Lin Yutang's biography of Su Dongpo said in a chapter of The Road to Self-Retreat: "The political rules of the East and the West are exactly the same, and those who climb to the top must be mediocre people." Exactly. Because you are a big official, you'd better not take any responsibility, you don't have to be sure about things, you shouldn't be negative and vague, and your words contain gangsters, which is unfavorable. Be especially careful when you are an official, don't offend people casually, and give others more small favors. However, Su Dongpo is not such a person. He couldn't abide by the rules of the success of big officials, so he was ruthlessly hit and displaced. That's why he sent out the grievance of "I only wish my children were stupid and honest, and there was no harm to the public."
In addition, Su Dongpo, a man of great talent and virtue, is knowledgeable and can't help but know that there was a precedent of playing dumb and protecting his body in history: in the Spring and Autumn Period, there was a doctor named Ning Wuzi, who experienced the changes of two generations of countries, from Wei Wengong to Wei Chenggong, and became a veteran of the two dynasties without any difficulty. Confucius once told a story: "Ningwu Zibang knows that it has a way, and it is stupid without a way." Its knowledge can be obtained, but its stupidity. "It means:" Ning my son, when the country is the way; When the country has no choice, he will play dumb. His cleverness can be achieved by others, but his stupidity cannot be achieved by others. "Su Dongpo wants his son to be stupid, which is a life strategy designed for his son, that is, to learn from Ning Wuzi's stupidity, that is, Lao Tzu's' wisdom is not stupid'. This is difficult for ordinary people to do. Su Dongpo knew that he was easy to become the target of public criticism because he was too prominent, so he asked his son to hide his sharpness and learn to play dumb.
Su Shi is a great writer with excellent poetry and prose, and his works pay attention to concise words and meanings, so is this poem. A word "hope" wrote down everyone's expectations for children; A word "wrong" tells the story of a person's life. After several twists and turns in the poem, the feelings are all in it: the world wants children to be smart, but I want children to be stupid and turn around; Smart people should have been smooth sailing, but I missed my life because I was smart, and so was the second turning point; Foolish people should do nothing, but they can "get many people without disaster" and turn three times. Su Shi's complaints are all in these turning points.
Creative background:
In the third year of Yuanfeng in Song Shenzong (A.D. 1080), Su Shi was demoted to Huangzhou because of Wutai Poetry Case, and served as the deputy envoy of Yong Lian for five years. Su Shi first lived in Dinghuiyuan, Huangzhou, and later moved to Lingaoge, but he was also content to be demoted to a retreat, eating vegetables with monks, bathing in village temples in his spare time, fishing and collecting herbs in valleys and enjoying himself. Sometimes with a leaf boat, set on the river, cruising between mountains and rivers, mixed with fishing fire and firewood, often pushed down by drunken drunkards, and even scolded, but enjoying themselves, gradually unknown. Su Shi's life in Huangzhou is probably most proud of getting along with Chaoyun, Dongpo's concubine, who came back in September in the seventh year of Xining (1074) and won Dongpo's favor. In the sixth year of Yuanfeng (1083), on September 27th, Chao Yun gave birth to a son, nicknamed Gan Er, who was brilliant. Su Shi happily wrote the poem "Washing Children's Play".
About the author:
Su Shi, (1037 65438+10.8-165438+August 24, 0),No. Zizhan, He Zhong, a famous Taoist of tin cans, Dongpo Jushi,No. Su Dongpo, Su Xian, Han nationality, Meishan, Meizhou (Sichuan Su Shi was a literary leader in the mid-Northern Song Dynasty, and made great achievements in poetry, ci, writing, calligraphy and painting. Vertical and horizontal text; Poetry has a wide range of themes, fresh and healthy, uses exaggerated metaphors and has a unique style. Also known as "Su Huang" with Huang Tingjian. Ci is an uninhibited school, and Xin Qiji is the representative of the uninhibited school, also known as "Su Xin"; Prose writing is rich and unrestrained, and he is also called "Ou Su" with Ouyang Xiu, and is one of the "Eight Masters in Tang and Song Dynasties". Su Shi's good book, one of Song Sijia; He is good at literati painting, especially ink bamboo, strange stones and dead wood. Together with Han Yu, Liu Zongyuan and Ouyang Xiu, they are also called "the four great writers of the ages". His works include Seven Chapters of Dongpo, Dongpo Yi Zhuan, Dongpo Yuefu, Xiaoxiang Bamboo Stone Atlas, Ancient Wood and Strange Stone Atlas, etc.