God is going to place a heavy responsibility on someone.

Original text:

"Born in sorrow, died in happiness"

Mencius and his disciples [Pre-Qin Dynasty]

Shun was born in Ding Among the acres, Fu Shuao was raised among the building blocks, Jiao Ge was raised among the fish and salt, Guan Yiwu was raised among the scholars, Sun Shuao was raised among the sea, and Baili Xi was raised among the city. Therefore, when Heaven is about to entrust this person with a great responsibility, he must first strain his mind and will, strain his muscles and bones, starve his body and skin, deplete his body, and mess up his actions. Therefore, tempting his heart and forbearance will benefit him beyond his ability. (Siren's first work: This is a person)

People always make mistakes, and then they can change; trapped in the heart, balanced by worries, and then act; marked by color, produced by sound, and then metaphor. If you enter, you will be unable to control the people at home, if you leave, you will be invincible to foreign patients, and the country will be permanently destroyed. Then I know that I was born in sorrow and died in happiness.

Translation:

Shun was promoted from the fields, Fu Yue was promoted from the work of building walls, Jiao Ke was promoted from selling fish and salt, Guan Yiwu was promoted from Sun Shuao was released from the hands of the prison officer and appointed. Sun Shuao was appointed from the seclusion of the seaside. Baili Xi was redeemed from the slave market and appointed.

So when God wants to place a heavy responsibility on someone, he must first make his heart suffer, make his muscles and bones tired, make him suffer from hunger, make his skin become thin, and make him suffer from physical pain. Poverty makes things difficult for him, and in this way shocks his soul, toughens his temperament, and increases the abilities he lacks.

People often make mistakes, and then they can correct them; they are worried and blocked in their hearts, and then they can rise up; they can be understood by people only if they are expressed on their faces and revealed in their speech. If a country does not have ministers who adhere to the law and wise men who can assist the king at home, and there are no neighboring countries to rival it or disasters from foreign countries, it will always be in danger of collapse.

In this way, we will know that being in constant sorrow and disaster can make people survive, and being in constant comfort and happiness can make people die.

Notes:

Shun: Yao's surname and Chonghua's given name. During the reign of Emperor Yao of the Tang Dynasty, he farmed in Mount Li (southeast of Jinan, Shandong, or southeast of Yongji, present-day Shanxi). "The father was stubborn, the mother was loud, the younger brother was proud, and he was able to be harmonious and filial." Emperor Yao sent him to the mountains and rivers, and encountered a storm and thunderstorm. , Shun's behavior was not lost, so he passed on the throne of emperor. The name of the country is Yu, and the history is called Yu Shun. Deeds can be found in "Shangshu·Yao Dian" and "Historical Records·The Chronicles of the Five Emperors", etc.

Fa: rise, here refers to being appointed.

玎 (quǎn) mu: field mu, here means cultivated land. 玎, field canal.

Fu said (fù yuè): During the Yin and Shang Dynasties, it was Xu Mi (a kind of prisoner) and built in Fu Xian (also known as Fu Yan, in the east of Pinglu, Shanxi today). King Wu Ding of Shang Dynasty wanted to prosper the Yin Dynasty. He dreamed of a saint named Suo. Seeing Wu Ding, Wu Ding said: "That's right." He said to him that he was a saint, and he regarded him as a prime minister, and the Yin State was in great power. So he took Fu Xian as his surname and named him Fu Shuo. Deeds can be found in "Historical Records·Yin Benji" and so on.

Ju: to be selected.

Plan construction: When building a wall, put soil between two plywood and pound the soil with a pestle to make it solid. A pestle used for building and pounding soil.

Jiao Ge (gé): A minister of King Zhou of Shang Dynasty, he is also called a wise man together with Wei Zi, Ji Zi and Prince Bigan.

Fish salt: This means fishing and salting on the beach. "Historical Records" says that Yan is between Bojie, where there is plenty of fish and salt; it brings mountains and seas together, where there is plenty of fish and salt.

Guan Yiwu: Guan Zhong was from Yingshang (now Yingshang County, Anhui Province) and his family was poor. He assisted Prince Jiu of Qi State, but Prince Jiu failed to ascend the throne. Prince Xiaobai ascended the throne as Duke Huan of Qi. Duke Huan of Qi knew that he was a virtuous man, released him from prison, made him his prime minister, and respectfully called him Zhongfu. "Historical Records·Biography of Guan Yan": "Guan Zhong was appointed to govern Qi, and Duke Huan of Qi became the hegemon. The nine princes united to control the world, which was Guan Zhong's plan."

Shi: prison officer.

Sun Shuao (áo): The surname is Jiang, the first name is Ao, the courtesy name is Sun Shu, and the first name is Ai Lie. In the Spring and Autumn Period, he was the Prime Minister of Chu State. Originally called "I am the humble one of Qi Si", Qi Si was in Gushi, Henan Province today, and the remote place was called Bi.

Sea: seaside.

Baili Xi (xī): also known as Baili Xi. He was originally a doctor of the State of Yu. The Jin State destroyed the Yu State, and Baili Xi was captured to the Jin State together with the king of the Yu State. The Jin State married a daughter to the Qin State, and Baili Xi was treated as a concubine and brought to the Qin State as a dowry. Bailixi fled to Chu State and traveled to Wan (now Nanyang, Henan Province), where he was captured by the people on the border of Chu State. Duke Mu of Qin heard that he was a virtuous man and wanted to redeem him again. He was afraid that the people of Chu would not agree with him, so he sent people to Chu and said, "My concubine Baili Xi is here. Please redeem her with five pieces of sheepskin." The people of Chu agreed. At that time, Baili Xi was over seventy years old. When he arrived in Qin, Duke Mu of Qin personally released him from prison and talked about state affairs for three days. He was very happy. He was awarded the title of "Doctor Wuxi" in state affairs. It is said in history that Qin Mu Gong Baili Xi, Jian Shu, and Yu Yu were in charge, "opened up a thousand miles of land, and then dominated Xirong", becoming one of the "Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period". The deeds can be found in "Historical Records·Qin Benji".

Market: market.

So: So.

Ren: responsibility, burden.

Is: pronoun, this, these.

Also: Particle, used at the end of the first half of a sentence to indicate a pause and explanation in the second half of the sentence.

Must: Definitely.

Bitter: The use of the verb causative means to make... distress.

Heart: will.

Lao: The use of the verb to make... tired.

Hungry: The use of the verb causative, to make... hungry.

Body skin: skin.

Empty: The causative usage of the adjective makes...poor.

Fuzhan: The use of adjectives as verbs to make...confused. To brush, to violate, to be disobedient. Chaos, confusion.

What you do: what you do.

So: used to (come through that way...).

verb: the use of the verb causative, to alarm...

Forbearance: The use of the adjective verb makes... tough.

Zeng Yi: Increase. Zeng means "increase".

Ability: Talent.

Heng: often, always.

To make a mistake.

Then: after this.

Trapped in the heart: There is trouble in the heart.

Weighing in thinking: blocking by thinking. Heng means "horizontal" and obstruction refers to disobedience.

To: rise up, means to make a difference.

Character in color: expressed in the complexion. Sign, sign, sign. Color, face, complexion. Zhao Qi's "Notes on Mencius": "If Qu Yuan was haggard, the fisherman would be surprised when he saw him." "Historical Records: Qu Yuan Jia Yi's Biography": "Qu Yuan came to the riverside, and he was said to be haggard. His appearance was haggard, and his description was haggard. When the fisherman saw it, he He asked: "Why did you come here if you are not a doctor from Sanlu?" Qu Yuan said: "I am alone in the world, and everyone is drunk. I am alone in this."

Voice: Revealed in speech. Zhao Qi's "Notes on Mencius": "If Ning Qi Shang's song, Huan Gong is different from it." Ning Qi was a native of Wei in the Spring and Autumn Period. The family is poor, so he works as a cart puller. When they arrived at Qi, they fed the cattle under the cart. Duke Huan of Qi went out at night to greet the guests. When Ning Qi saw him, he struck the horns of the cattle and sang songs. The song said: "The mountains of Nanshan are filled with gangue and the white rocks are rotten. I never met Yao and Shun in my life. I wear a short piece of cloth and a single coat. I will wear thin oxen from midnight to midnight. When will the long night end?" Duke Huan of Qi called him and spoke to him. He was pleased with it and thought he was a doctor.

Then metaphor: to be understood by people. Metaphor, know, understand.

Enter: The verb is used as an adverbial in China.

Legalists: Officials with laws.

Fu (bì) scholar: a wise man who assists the monarch. Fu, pass "弼", assist.

Out: The verb is used as an adverbial in foreign countries.

Enemy country: A country with comparable strength and sufficient ability to compete.

Foreign invasion: disaster from abroad.

Heng: Often.

Death: perish.

Born from worry: Worry makes people survive and develop.

Die in happiness: Enjoying happiness makes people languish and die.

Creative background:

This article is selected from "Mencius Gaozi Xia". During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, there were wars and disputes. If a country wanted to be invincible, it had to work hard and not be content with the status quo and not make progress. This article is written against this background.

Appreciation:

This short article "Born in Sorrow, Dies in Peace" not only has lofty arguments and outstanding insights, but also teaches things that ordinary people can't. It also has clear arguments and rigorous logic. The persuasiveness of the argument. This article makes good use of parallelism and carries out in-depth arguments layer by layer, forming an overwhelming and compelling momentum, which is also worthy of praise in art.

In this short chapter of less than 200 words, Mencius elaborated on the profound truth of "Be born in sorrow and die in happiness", focusing on the relationship between the objective environment and the fate of individuals and the country.

The article says that if a person wants to achieve great things, he must go through many hardships and hardships. Only by experiencing hardships, going through wind and rain, and seeing the world can he temper his will, grow his talents, and take on big responsibilities. If you grow up in a greenhouse and live comfortably, you will not be able to develop the ability to overcome difficulties and get rid of adversity. You will be helpless in the face of difficulties. When you encounter setbacks and adversity, you will become depressed and despairing, which often leads to death. So he came to the conclusion: "Be born in sorrow and die in happiness."

The article does not put forward any positive views at the beginning, but lists in one breath the examples of six ancient sages, including Yu Shun, Fu Shuo, Jiao Ge, Guan Zhong, Sun Shuao, and Baili Xi, who rose from poverty to fortune. . The common characteristic of these six people is that they all suffered from hardships and experienced ups and downs in life before taking on the "big responsibility". It is precisely because of the extraordinary price they paid that these sages were able to "tempt their hearts and forbearance to benefit from what they could not do" and achieve a magnificent cause. So the following conclusion in turn explains the reasons for the success of these six sages. "Trying one's heart and forbearance has helped one's inability" is a verb sentence. Move the heart, make the heart startle. Tolerance, "Mencius' Justice" explains it as making one's nature (character, temperament) meet the requirements of benevolence. Tolerance means capable; to be capable means to be willful, so forbearance means willfulness. Mencius advocated that human nature is good, and benevolence, justice, etiquette, and wisdom are born in the heart, that is, based on human nature. Let one's nature be one's own, that is, taking benevolence as one's duty. "Having benefited what they could not do" has increased their ability to do things that they could not do otherwise. The setbacks of fate and physical and mental hardships not only did not make them surrender, but instead sharpened their personalities, increased their talents, made them more mature, and eventually became outstanding figures in history. It can be deduced from this that if God wants to place a major mission on a person's shoulders, he must first hone his will, exercise his muscles and bones, and also let him endure the suffering of lack of food, clothing, and poverty. , Only in this way can he adapt to all kinds of hard life and lay a solid foundation for future achievements.

Then, Mencius further pointed out: "People always make mistakes, and then they can change; they are trapped in the heart, balanced by worries, and then act; they are marked by color, produced by sound, and then metaphors." This is written about life. In sorrow.

This is a parallel complex sentence, with "worry" written in the first half of each clause and "生" written in the second half. In the objective world, people cannot live without their faults. If they can correct their faults, they can achieve "life". Being able to change is a state. This state means that people's subjective world has achieved relative freedom in the objective world. Being able to change not only means that a person's moral character meets the requirements of benevolence, justice, propriety, wisdom, and trust, but also means that a person's understanding of the objective world and his creative ability have been improved and brought into play. A "neng" is the embodiment of people's desire, determination and subjective initiative. People's lives are often filled with worries due to the huge contradiction between subjective desires and the objective world, and the contradiction between subjective knowledge, conduct, talents and objective circumstances. Their hearts are full of distress, depression and confusion, and their thoughts are blocked. However, it is precisely in hardships and difficulties that people hone their will, improve their understanding, go beyond self-effort and make a difference. Humans are animals with emotions. The objective world often causes people to have emotions such as joy, anger, sorrow, likes, dislike, and fear, and they are troubled by these emotions. Show it in your face and words, and then gain sympathy and understanding from others. In this struggle with sorrow, I found the way and way of "living" and gained the meaning and value of "living". , gained the confidence and freedom of "birth", which is what it means to be born of sorrow. "Suffering one's mind" and so on mainly refer to material worries, while this layer mainly talks about spiritual worries.

"If you enter, you will be helpless and help the soldiers at home, if you go out, you will be invincible to foreign patients, and the country will perish" writes about dying in peace and happiness. If there are no capable ministers at home who always pay attention to the revision of laws and regulations, and no wise men who dare to directly advise the king to remind the king at every turn; and there are no enemy countries outside that can compete with or pose a threat to one's own country, then in such a relaxed and peaceful country, , the king can indulge in peace and happiness all day long (he does not need either literary skills or martial arts; he does not need civility or martial arts), and the result of peace and happiness is often the destruction of the country. This is "dying in peace and happiness" " meaning.

Sorrow can make people excited, and happiness can relax their fighting spirit; to survive in adversity and to perish in good times is the dialectic of life, and this is the philosophy of life. This is also a famous assertion made by Mencius, another Confucian master after Confucius, that embodies the Confucian thought of working hard and actively making use of the world.

Wealth and happiness can make us live a better life. This is common sense and is also what people pursue. Poverty, lowliness, and sorrow are things that people do not want to accept. But Zhang Zai said that poverty, lowliness, sorrow, and "mediocre people can help you succeed." It is an opportunity to help you succeed. People all hope for smooth sailing and everything goes as they wish, but Mencius said, "Be born in sorrow and die in happiness." People do not want to be poor and lowly, but Zhang Zai said, "This is to help you succeed." The two ideas are consistent, contain profound philosophy, and embody the Chinese people's wisdom in life. It tells us a truth: life is not a broad road. We will always encounter various difficulties and twists. We must continue to experience failures and setbacks and constantly overcome difficulties to move forward. It is this kind of wisdom in life that guides people to regard difficulties and adversity as the driving force to motivate themselves to forge ahead, to consciously temper themselves in difficulties and adversity, to become more and more frustrated, to strive for victory unyieldingly, and to cultivate the Chinese nation to be fearless of hardships and dangers. , the spirit of constant self-improvement. A Chinese history is permeated with this spirit. Although Sima Qian suffered the humiliation of castration, he worked hard to write and completed the immortal masterpiece "Historical Records". In his letter "Report to Ren An" to his friend Ren An, he listed many examples of sages who rose up in adversity, such as King Wen of Zhou who was detained and deduced the "Book of Changes"; Confucius was in trouble and wrote "Spring and Autumn"; Qu Yuan was imprisoned. After being exiled, he wrote "Li Sao"; Zuo Qiuming was blind and wrote "Guoyu"; Sun Tzu was tortured and revised "The Art of War", etc. He said that all of these are the achievements of the forefathers who worked hard in adversity. Sima Qian used this to inspire himself, inherit this spirit, and complete the great cause of writing "Historical Records".

It is particularly important to keep in mind the truth that one is born in sorrow and dies in happiness, and to promote the spirit of conscious tempering; only by consciously enduring hardships and hardships can we shoulder the important task of welcoming the great national rejuvenation.

Mencius was good at using parallelism (and also good at using parallelism and parallelism within a paragraph). He often used a series of neat sentence patterns to explain the same topic from multiple angles and levels, just like a main stream with thousands of valleys. All at once, it formed an unstoppable momentum that surged forward thousands of miles. At the beginning of "Shun Fa", the method of summarizing vertebrae is used. Six successful examples of sages are cited in one breath, forming a group of parallel sentences with similar structures and related meanings, which emphasizes the quantity and illustrates that "born from sorrow" is a common social phenomenon, giving readers a He was deeply impressed; then he used parallel sentences to elaborate on the trials and tests of people before the great responsibilities came from heaven, which reflected the difficulty of the sages' success; and then used parallel sentences to further explain the truth of being born in sorrow and dying in happiness. Parallelism is used almost throughout "Shun Fa". From a semantic point of view, it expresses rich content in concise language; from a tone point of view, it strengthens the momentum and emotional color of the language; from a morphological point of view, it gives people a neat and symmetrical beauty. .