Reading Wang Anshi's Biography of Meng Changjun
All over the world, it is said that Meng Changjun can get a scholar, and the scholar will return to him, so that he can get rid of tigers and leopards. Ha ha! Meng Changjun's cock crow and the dog thief's male ear (3), are they enough to talk? Otherwise, if you are good at the power of Qi (4) and gain the knowledge of a teacher, you should be able to control the Qin (5) in the south. Why use the power of chickens and dogs? The reason why this gentleman won't come out is that he won't come out.
To annotate ...
(1) from Mr Linchuan anthology. Biography of Meng Changjun refers to Sima Qian's Biography of Historical Records and Meng Changjun. Meng Changjun, surnamed Tian, was the son of Qi during the Warring States Period. It is famous for its large number of customers.
2 pawn gets rid of the Qin dynasty of tiger and leopard by strength: pawn, finally. It refers to men. Qin of Tiger and Leopard, a cruel Qin state like Tiger and Leopard. According to Records of Historical Records and Biography of Meng Changjun, King Zhao of Qin wanted to hire Meng Changjun as his wife, and some people went into exile. King Zhao of Qin went to prison and tried to kill him. Asking Chongji for help, Chongji offered to repay Bai. Meng Changjun only has a white fox skin, which is dedicated to the king of Qin. So Gong pretended to be a dog and entered Qin Gong. They stole the fox and the white fur and gave them to the darling of the king of Qin, who interceded for Meng Changjun. Wang Zhao released Meng Changjun, then regretted it and sent troops after him. Escaped to Hangu Pass, and the Customs Law stipulated that the cock crowed only on and off, so all the cock crowed, escaped from Hangu Pass and returned to Qi State.
The cock crow and the dog thief's public ear: expert, expert, expert. Male, long, leader. Ears, that's all.
4 good qi: it has the strong national strength of qi state. Be good at, have.
⑤ South controls Qin: South is king and conquers Qin. In ancient times, the monarch and the minister met, the emperor sat in the north and south, and the minister appeared on the opposite side. System, uniform.
⑥ Return: Remove defects, and the language is: "Historical Records: Biography of Meng Changjun": "The scholar returned to Meng Changjun for this."
⑦ rely on, rely on
⑧ So: The reason ...
translate
The whole world said that Meng Changjun could win Naxi, so the wise men surrendered to him. (Meng Changjun) Finally, relying on their strength, they escaped the cruelty of Qin like tigers and leopards. Alas! Meng Changjun is just the leader of a group of henchmen. How can he say that he has won the wise man? If this is not the case, (Meng Changjun) has Qi's powerful national strength, and (as long as) he gets a (real) saint, (Qi) should be able to face the south and subdue Qin by relying on national strength. Where is it necessary to rely on the power of his henchmen? Thieves appear at his door, which is why (real) wise men don't come.
Main idea
Reading the Biography of Meng Changjun is the earliest (first) critical essay (a kind of argumentative essay) in China. The main idea of this article is "(Reversing the case) Meng Changjun can't be the top scholar". This is a review. The full text is less than 100 words, but it has become a famous short work in ancient China with its majestic, ups and downs and majestic style.
Make an appreciative comment
1, the turning point is powerful, and the beginning and end are not more than 100 words, which is rigorous and rigorous, but it has been turned four or five times, which is the best in this pen. ("Tang Song Wen Yao Ju" is quoted from "The Language of Construction"); 2, language turn, pen turn, Millennium out of tune. (same as above, quoted by Shen Deqian); This kind of writing is steep and vigorous, and the person who changes in just a few chapters and four layers is really a person who is far away. (same as above, quoted from Li Gang); 4. Wang Anshi's essay "Reading the Biography of Meng Changjun" has only four sentences and eighty words. The exposition is concise, rigorous in structure, concise and magnificent, and it has been praised as a model of "short essays with long breath" by literary critics in previous dynasties. Wang Anshi, who was determined to innovate and reform all his life, emphasized that articles should be conducive to "teaching" and social progress. He once said: "The teaching purpose is the so-called sage's text." He also said: "The so-called writers are just doing something to make up for the world." The essay "Reading the Biography of Meng Changjun" was written for the purpose of "mending the world". Obviously, attacking the traditional view that "Meng Changjun can be a scholar" will naturally make readers realize that, unlike Meng Changjun, without the talent of helping the world and rejuvenating the country, it is impossible to have the false name of "nurturing scholars", but should make concrete contributions to revitalizing the country in a down-to-earth manner. The article Reading the Biography of Meng Changjun has become a "masterpiece in the Millennium" because it is extremely short and long, and because Wang Anshi has a novel and thought-provoking view on how to treat "Meng Changjun can get a scholar", so it has been read and appreciated by literary lovers in past dynasties.
During the Warring States Period, the son of Qi was Tian and Xue (now south of tengxian, Shandong). He is also known as the "Four Childes of the Warring States" with Zhao's, Chu's Chun and Wei's Xin. At that time, there were thousands of diners in Meng Changjun, full of guests and consultants. However, Wang Anshi disagreed. He believes that "scholars" must be able to help the country and the world, and those who "crow and steal" are simply not worthy of the noble title of "scholars". If he can really get a "scholar", he can also "control Qin in the south" Why did he escape from Qin to Qi with the help of "a cock crow and a dog thief"? The story of a cock crow stealing a dog, which is praised by the world as "Meng Changjun can be the top scholar", is the strong evidence that Meng Changjun can't be the top scholar. Therefore, Meng Changjun is just a "cock crow and dog thief". Wang Anshi's argument technique of attacking the shield with a spear of a son contradicts the traditional view that "Meng Changjun can get a scholar", which irrefutably pushes Meng Changjun into the ranks of "a cock crow and a dog thief", which is refreshing. It's really a few words, the music is wonderful, a few strokes are faint, the momentum is vertical and horizontal, and the political content is rich. Reading Biography of Meng Changjun, as an argumentative essay, requires only four sentences and 88 words to complete the whole process of argumentation, argumentation and conclusion.
"Everyone in the world says that Meng Changjun can get the land, and the scholars will return because of the land, while the soldiers rely on strength to get rid of the Qin of the tiger and leopard." This paper comes straight to the point and puts forward the central question of discussion, that is, can Meng Changjun get The Scholars? "howl! Meng Changjun's unique cock crows the male ear of a dog thief. Is it enough to talk? " For a split, a sudden turning point negates the traditional view that "Meng Changjun can get a scholar" and puts forward the author's evaluation of Meng Changjun, that is, Meng Changjun is just a "cock crow and dog thief", which is really ingenious and powerful. "Otherwise, you are better than gas, and you will get a teacher. You should be able to control Qin in the south, and you should still use the power of chickens and dogs! " As a refutation, refuting "Meng Changjun can get a scholar", refuting Meng Changjun's "relying on his strength to get rid of the Qin of tigers and leopards", sticking to the main idea, refuting Meng Changjun's superficial and one-sided view of getting a scholar with facts, which strongly proves that Meng Changjun can't get a scholar. "The cock barks and the dog barks, and the thief comes out, but the scholar doesn't come." This is a breakthrough, and it is absolutely certain that a real taxi will not be with Meng Changjun. This kind of breaking, such as firmness, strength and warning, cannot be disputed. Focusing on the theme of "Meng Changjun can't get a scholar", the whole article stands, divides, refutes, breaks, twists and turns, is rigorous and natural, complete and unified, strong and steep, and magnificent.
Wang Anshi is very opposed to the flashy style of writing and the overly elaborate use of words, and advocates that "meaning is more than words." He presented Zu Xuanshuyun: "The so-called words are still carved and painted. Sincerity is ingenious and elegant, and need not be smeared; If you apply it, you don't have to be smart and flashy. It is necessary to be application-oriented and to be carved by painting. " Reading Biography of Meng Changjun, the layout is rigorous and natural, the words and sentences are extremely concise and profound, which fully conforms to its principle of "application-oriented".
Meng Changjun fled from Qin to Qi. Biography of Historical Records of Meng Changjun has a detailed and vivid description, which is a tortuous story in history. However, in Reading Biography, Wang Anshi did not quote any plot in the story of fleeing from Qin to Qi, but grasped the most essential content, starting with the idiom "cock crows and dog thieves", saving a lot of pen and ink. This idiom is used three times in this article. For the first time, "Meng Changjun can get a scholar" was broken with "special cock crow and dog thief public ear"; The second time "I still use the power of chicken thief" was used to break "I rely on my strength to get rid of the Qin of tiger and leopard"; The third time, we used the phrase "crowing dogs and thieves come out of their doors" to break the phrase "scholars bring old friends back". The three uses, each in its proper place, have its indispensable and important functions, so reading will not make people feel repetitive and tedious, but cadence, catchy and relish. It can be seen that Wang Anshi's writing is exquisite and perfect. 5. The full text of Wang Anshi's Reading Meng Changjun Biography is less than 100 words, which has been rated as "a thousand-year-old tune" by literary critics in previous dynasties, and is regarded as a model of "short writing and long breath".
As is known to all, Wang Anshi was one of the eight famous poets in Tang and Song Dynasties, and he left many famous poems. However, the famous works of celebrities are not necessarily perfect, so don't be superstitious about them. The Biography of Meng Changjun he read is not a good work. No matter how to praise it as "rigorous structure, concise words and great momentum", no matter how to praise it as "full of twists and turns, rigorous and natural, complete and unified, bold and steep, and extremely imposing", these views are superficial and formal. The essence of the problem is that this overturned article is unstable and untenable. The shortcomings are mainly in two aspects: there is no factual basis for reversing the case and the inference is illogical.
There are tens of thousands of diners in Meng Changjun, all kinds of people, including crowing, stealing and scholars. People like Feng Xiang (huān) and Feng Yi (xuān) are recorded in detail in the Warring States Policy and Historical Records. If you want to overturn the case, you must come up with new materials to refute the records of the above two books, otherwise the case will not be overturned. This is the essence of the problem, so we have to avoid talking about it and turn over the case. We have to take it for granted and comment rashly: "Wow! Is the public ear of Meng Changjun's unique crowing dog thief enough to talk? " Liu Debin didn't criticize this groundless argument, but praised the author for "saving a lot of pen and ink", without quoting Historical Records and grasping the "most essential content".
It is advisable to read history books, not be bound by customary views, and dare to explore problems with skeptical eyes. Wang Anshi's article has only one merit. But if he doesn't reverse his conviction truthfully, it's all wet. Scientific attitude requires seeking truth from facts. This article, Wang Anshi has no scientific spirit at all and is not worth learning.
Of course, the problem of argument cannot be separated from reasoning, but the premise of reasoning must be firm and stable. "Good is a scholar. You should be able to control Qin in the south, and you should still use your strength! " The premise that Texaco should not rely on the strength of chicken thieves is untenable. Therefore, it is completely subjective to say that "the chicken barks and the dog barks, the thief comes out of the door and this person doesn't come". On the other hand, Liu Debin thinks that this judgment is "decisive and powerful, and every word is a warning, which is beyond doubt". Why can't we argue against unreasonable judgments? 6. Wang Anshi, a famous politician and writer in the Northern Song Dynasty, wrote a masterpiece "Reading the Biography of Meng Changjun", which is concise, profound and handed down from generation to generation. In this regard, Comrade Wang criticized in his article that "famous writers are not always correct". He said: "Wang Anshi's article has no scientific spirit at all." His reason is: "There are thousands of diners in Meng Changjun, including chickens thieves and literati, such as Feng Xiang, which are recorded in detail in the Warring States Policy and Historical Records. If you want to reverse the case, you must come up with new materials to refute the records of the above two books. " I dare not take the liberty of "turning over".
A running dog is a thief, not a scholar. I agree with the author Comrade Wang, so I won't go into details. The question is whether "people like Feng Gui" are "scholars". According to the records in the Warring States Policy and Historical Records, Feng Gui (also known as Feng Yi) is indeed a very talented person: he "returned the debt to the people" and made it a "city righteousness", which made him warmly welcomed by the people when he returned to Xue; He managed the "Three Caves" for Meng Changjun, and brought Meng Changjun back into phase, which was "disaster-free for decades"-but that's all. How many achievements has Meng Changjun made in governing the country and protecting the people? As the main counselor of Meng Changjun, how much advice did Feng Gui give to Meng Changjun in governing the country and protecting the people? Apart from "paying debts to the people" objectively reducing the burden on people in the snow, what else is worth writing about? Moreover, "city righteousness" and "three caves" are not for the sake of enriching Qiang Bing, but for consolidating Meng Changjun's position in Qi; As for playing and singing three times, "Is the long back?" Not for the sake of enriching the country and strengthening the people, but for the satisfaction of Feng Gui's own life. -Wang Anshi expelled "Feng Guizhi" from the category of "scholar" and gave it back to "woodpecker" according to what Feng Guizhi did. In Wang Anshi's view, Qian Feng and "chicken calls and dog thieves" are the same kind of people, and the difference between them is only "fifty steps and a hundred steps". When Meng Changjun met Feng Gui's requirements of "eating fish" and "taking the bus", Feng Gui showed off to his friends: "Welcome to Meng Changjun!" -Isn't this the image of a man who pursues fame and fortune?
"Reading Biography" pointed out: "If you are good at Qi, you will get a scholar, and you should be able to control Qin from the south." It can be seen that Wang Anshi's "scholar" is not only a person who "died for his bosom friend", but also a far-sighted person who serves the country and the people. In Wang Anshi's mind, those who can contribute to the country and benefit the people are considered "scholars", but those who benefit themselves or someone are not. This can be seen from his "Answering Sima Suggestions". He said: "Take the former king's administration to promote the advantages and eliminate the disadvantages, not to make a living;" Managing money for the world is not for profit. ""If you really blame me for being in office for a long time and failing to help the people and anoint them with oil, then someone will know the crime. " It can be seen that Wang Anshi's so-called "scholar" is a person who can benefit the country and the people like him. In Wang Anshi's view, people who simply advise on the personal safety and honor of masters, such as Feng Xiang and others, cannot be included in the scholastic circle. Therefore, he doesn't have to "take out new materials to refute" the historical facts recorded in The Warring States Policy and Historical Records. He logically denies Meng Changjun's claim that he is good at cultivating scholars.
In a word, reading Biography of Meng Changjun is a masterpiece. Its precise argumentation, typical argumentation and incisive exposition are "enough for future generations" and are worth learning. This article also leads to a famous idiom: the chicken calls the dog to steal.