Why are we told to go to the bathroom and the kitchen?
In ancient China, many people liked to live in quadrangles. There are rooms all around this yard. The best houses are in the north, facing south, warm in the east and cool in summer. Especially in winter, when the sun is on the tropic of Capricorn, the angle of sunlight is very large, and the light can shine directly into the house, which makes people feel very comfortable. So who will live in such a nice house? The highest-ranking person in the family, of course, my Lord. There will be a young master and a young master at home. The boy lives in the east, where the sun rises. I hope boys can fly higher and higher like the sun and grow sturdily. There will be a young master and a young lady. Where do girls live? The girl lives in the west wing. There are masters, young masters and young ladies in that family, and someone has to serve them. The house in the south is dark and humid all the year round, and all the servants in the family live in the house in the south.
China has had five elements since ancient times. They are Jin Mu's fire, water and earth. The five elements correspond to five directions respectively. In daily life, the five elements seek mutual development and avoid mutual restraint. We have a saying in ancient times, fat water does not flow to outsiders. There was no chemical fertilizer in ancient times, and people used natural fertilizer, that is, manure, to cultivate land. Then there is dung in the toilet, that is, when building a toilet, you should live in a place a little east of the north. The north is the water level, and the east is the five-element wood position. The wooden position in the east of aquatic wood means farming, so the toilet is built in the east of the north. Kitchen. It should be built in the east of the south. Similarly, according to the principle that the five elements are mutually reinforcing, the kitchen was built in the east of the south for Nan Mu to make a fire for the five elements. In ancient times, when there was no natural gas or gas to make a fire, wood or other plants were used to make a fire.
People who travel to the south are used to saying that they go to the south (the emperor goes to the south). When they go to the north, they are used to saying that they will go to the north (the north will resist Japan). Since the map came into being, it has been defined as going up north and down south. Slowly, everyone formed a habit. If you want to go to the toilet, you say go to the north of the yard, so you say go to the south of the yard. When they want to go to the kitchen, they say they go to the kitchen.
What did it mean in ancient times?
1. High and low; Up and down. On Mencius' Gao Zi: "Mencius said,' Water and faith are equal?' "Song Fan Zhongyan's Yueyang Tower": "If the spring is quiet, it will be calm and the sky will be clear. "The second time in Travel Notes of Lao Can:" A white flower with water vapor reflects the setting sun, like a pink carpet, making a cushion for the upper and lower mountains. It's really amazing. "
2. refers to heaven and earth. "Chu Ci Tian Wen": "Who passed it on at the beginning of ancient times? Up and down are shapeless, why should we take the exam? " "The Biography of Chen Chong in the Later Han Dynasty": "The virtue of Jin Fang is a hindrance, but it is false." Li Xian's Note: "Up and down, heaven and earth also." On Song Wudi in the History of the South: "The land of Song and Wu is not Qi and Jin, and there is no travel. Once, it' s fierce, and it' s clear inside and outside, up and down. " Lu Xun's History of Graves and People: "There is an ancient saying in China that Pangu opened the earth, and Nu Wa died and left the world, so it is invisible from top to bottom, and people have gone out, and the shadows are dark. What are you doing? " Also refers to the gods and land gods.
3. Refers to the gods and land gods. Zhao Shu Gao: "Sacrifice from top to bottom, from the right time." Kong Chuan: "Be careful to worship heaven and earth for governance." Confucius' Ying Da Shu: "Those who raise heaven and earth should be careful to worship the gods." Su Song's poem "Asking for Rain in Syria": "I am really guilty, disrespecting God, and being punished from top to bottom."
4. It refers to gods and figures. "On Mandarin and Zhou Yu": "Being the king's man, guiding profit and spreading it up and down makes God omnipotent." Zhao Wei's Note: "The gods are above, and the characters are below." Han Sima Xiangru's "Feng Chan Wen": "The concept of Dai Shu is handed over to heaven and man, and it is answered from top to bottom."
5. Does it refer to the level of position, or is it the monarch and ministers, generations, young and old? Yitai: "Up and down, but with the same aspirations." Kong's Ying Da Shu: "On, it is called the king; Next, call the minister. " "Book Zhou Guan": "Zong Bo is in charge of the national ceremony, governing the people of God, and being harmonious but different." Kong Chuan: "Harmony is the most important thing, and it is divided into high and low." "Lu Chunqiu on Wei": "The righteous are the discipline of all things. The place where the monarch and the minister are close to each other begins. " High: "Rise and grow; Next, young. " "Surprise at the First Moment" Volume 31: "You don't know anything, you can't get on or off!" Zhang Tianyi's "Children" I: "A group of little people, I don't know up and down, I don't know good or bad!"
6. The subordinate of the superior is the third. "Book Gong Yu": "The soil is only smeared with mud, and the field is only in the middle, up and down." Kong Chuan: "Tian is the eighth, Fu is the third." "History of Han Geography": "The fields are up and down, and the middle is also endowed." Yan Shigu's note: "Tian is the third, Fu is the fourth." Mo Jing Song in Song Dynasty: "If you can uncover it, you can see it clearly and reveal it clearly, but the quality is only up and down."
7. high and low; Advantages and disadvantages; Win or lose. Shen Ming Defoe's Wild Acquisition, Toys, Calligraphy and Painting: "The second study of calligraphy and painting in Song Dynasty ... when the owner puts forward new ideas, it will be the first." The fifth journey to the west: "The Great Sage came to the cave, clenched his fist and scolded,' Spit out the demon, come out and see grandpa!'" " "
8. The first and second songs. "Dream of Red Mansions" The sixth time and the third time: "You draw this brand, it is inconvenient for you to drink, just ask for a drink from the upper and lower houses."
9. From head to toe. The second time in the Scholars: "Guo Tiebi took it in his hand and looked at Pulang up and down." The eleventh time of "The Legend of Heroes of Children": "The shopkeeper listened and looked at An Gongzi up and down."
10. Jude said ancient and modern. Han Shu Zhuan Xu Xia: "The chapters are rich and connected from top to bottom." Wang Xianqian added: "Up and down are also ancient and modern." The Legend of Heroes of Children originated for the first time: "Wan Li has been searching for his children and heroes for nine years and five thousand years, only two."
1 1. Han Wang Chong's On the Balance of Kong Wen: "The words of the sages and sages of the case are inconsistent from top to bottom, and people in the world must know it." Ming Langying's Seven Verses Poems at the Beginning quotes Yang Zhonghongyun: "When writing metrical poems, the starting point should be straight, the bearing point should be tolerant, the turning point should be changed, and the end point should be eternal, running through from top to bottom and corresponding from beginning to end."
12. Still nearby. Used after quantifiers to indicate divisor. The story of Heroes of Children can be traced back to Chapter 38: "An Gongzi is a beautiful boy in his twenties, sitting high and receiving gifts from these nouveau riche. After reading it, everyone is very proud of him. " Lao She's Zhao Ziyue is the first one: "There are thirty guests in the rooftop apartment, although there are only twenty rooms."
13. Still leaning forward. "Zhou Li Chun Guan Bushi": "Fan Bu, distinguish the up, down, left and right yin and yang of turtles, so that turtles can be mutual tokens." Zheng Xuan's Note: "Look up from above and look down from below." Jia's "Gong Yanshu": "The turtle is easy to spirit, and it is low; If you look up, thank you. "
14. You still talk a lot. "Zhou Li Local Officials and People": "According to the age of the country, it is enough." Jia Shu: "Up and down are rich and fierce."
15. Jude's words are consistent, almost. Tang Hanyu and Su Feng's essay: "Li Ao has learned a lot from his servants recently ... Those who are registered are older than Ao, but they also learn from his servants, and their writing style is no worse than Ao." Read the Spring and Autumn Annals: "Besides, Liu Xiang, Xin, Ban Biao and Gu are all as knowledgeable as Tai Shigong. Do you think there are many books now, and Mohism says his books are Confucian? " Lu Xun's On the Difference between Grave and Culture: "If its culture is clear and honest enough to be comparable, it will not be covered."
16. "Zuo Zhuan Ding Gong Four Years": "Chu Sajima said that Zi Chang said:' Zi went up and down along the Han Dynasty, and I learned that Fang Cheng was away to destroy his ship. "Tang Hanyu" Liu Bei ":"All people do what they want, and the strain is the device. With it, there is nothing to rely on, and then it is defeated. "In the Qing Dynasty, Zeng Guofan wrote in the Memorial Hall of Zhao Zhong, the land division of the Xiang Army in Jinling:" Nine generals will divide their forces to defend Liang Dongshan, and send Nan Gui, Zhu Hongzhang and Luo Hongyuan to seize this pass and pursue it.
17. Parents' Gifts in the Six Dynasties, Sui and Tang Dynasties. Song Xiao Shu Yi Guo Chuanyuan Ping: "It's too cold this year, but Jian 'an is good, to respect the upper and lower ears." "Nan Shi Liu Chuan": "It is better to respect for a year than to be in a daze in an official position." Tang Yan's Stone Drum "On Up and Down": "Anyone who talks about up and down still talks about advantages and disadvantages. People in the south of the Yangtze River are closely related to customs. Those who talk to others and write letters back and forth refer to their parents as "up and down", which is not an upper ear. "
18. Honorary title of tolerance after Song and Yuan Dynasties. The third time in Water Margin: "Mr. Dai sat down and saw a bartender come over and ask,' How much do you want to drink? "What kind of meat do you want to go with it?" There is a scene in the ancient and modern novel Song Sigong that depresses the soul: I saw the old man who ordered tea, and he handed out porridge and said,' Everybody sit down less. Song Sigong taught me to buy porridge, and I will come as soon as I arrive.' "Surprise at the Second Moment" Volume 1: "When all the monks saw the abbot bound, they all gathered around and said,' Don't be rude up and down. This temple is a disciple of Shantang Wangfu, and we will not be bullied when we are idle.' "
19. In the old society, can you tell me the name of the elder, that is, "Xia Shang"? Jude said one thing and the next. Tian Han's Peking Opera "The Legend of the White Snake" Scene 9: "Xu:' Excuse me, Master? "dharma:' the old monk fahai.' "
1. Lift it. "Chu Ci Bu Ju": "Will it be like water? Steal my whole body with waves? " Wang Yi's note: "Follow the crowd." Gambao's "Searching for the Gods" Volume 1: "Red pine nuts, the rain teacher of Shennong ... went to Kunlun Mountain and often entered the stone room of the Queen Mother of the West, and went up and down with the wind and rain." Tang Du Fu's poem "Buju": "Countless dragonflies go up and down in pairs."
2. Increase or decrease; Change. "Zhou Li Qiu Guan Master of Ceremony": "Guests from all directions will be promoted from ranks to second class with a firm attitude." Jia Gongyan wrote: "The honorable person is rich in ceremony, and the humble person dies in ceremony." "Qi Yu in Mandarin": "The litigant is forbidden to go up and down and sit on the beam." Zhao Wei's Note: "You can't go up and down, you can't talk." Preface to the biography of heather: "The husband abalone orchid lies in what he has learned, and human nature can be up and down." Tang Hanyu's Biography of Wang Chengfu: "Depending on the price of food in the house, the servants pay for it.