The "Foreign Objects" chapter of "Zhuangzi" says: "The reason why the bamboo is in the fish, and when you get the fish, you forget the bamboo. The reason why the hoof is in the rabbit, and when you get the rabbit, you forget the hoof. The speaker is concerned about it, and he is proud of it. Forgot to say something. How can I talk to someone who forgets to say something?

Famous sayings: Tsuen is in the fish, and he forgets the Tsuen when he gets the fish; hoof is in the rabbit, and he forgets the hoof when he gets the rabbit; he cares about it, and he forgets his words when he is satisfied.

Notes

Selected from "Zhuangzi·External Objects".

Tsuen: Tong "猌". Bamboo cage for fishing.

Hoof: A trap for catching rabbits, such as a net rope or the like, which can wrap around the rabbit's feet.

Appreciation

Zhuangzi used analogies when talking about the relationship between the content and form of his works. He said:

"The reason for the Tsuen is the fish, and when the fish is obtained, the Tsuen is forgotten; the reason for the hoof is for the rabbit, and the hoof is forgotten when the rabbit is obtained; the reason why the speaker is concerned, and he is so proud that he forgets to speak."

Meaning: The harpoon is used for catching fish, and you can forget the harpoon when you catch the fish; the hoof is used for catching rabbits, and you can forget the hoof when you catch the rabbit; language is used to express thoughts, and once you understand the thoughts, you can forget them. Language can be forgotten.

Zhuangzi compares language to the hooves of "deyi" (obtaining ideas). They are just tools to help people understand and obtain "ideas". After the purpose is achieved, the tools should be thrown away. Just like you can forget about the trap when you catch a fish, and you can forget about the hoof when you catch a rabbit. If you stick to "words" and don't forget "words", you will not be "satisfied". Only by "forgetting the words" first can one truly be "satisfied", that is, obtain the true meaning of his language expression.

During the Three Kingdoms period, Wei Wangbi's "Book of Changes: Ming Xiang" further explained: "The reason why the speaker understands the image is because he gets the image and forgets the words; when the image is used, he keeps the meaning, and when he is satisfied he forgets the image. "Xiang" refers to the concrete and tangible description in the work of art, and is the same means of obtaining "meaning" as "word".

When "deyi forgets the words" or "deyi forgets the image" when used in poetry criticism and appreciation, there are usually two understandings: first, poetry seeks "the meaning behind the words" and "the purpose beyond the image". "Words" and "images" are means of expressing intention, just like a raft crossing a river. After reaching the other side, one should disembark and leave the raft in order to achieve the "artistic conception". Therefore, forgetting words and giving up images is the correct way to evaluate and appreciate poetry and obtain poetic meaning. 2. “Ide” is the content, “word” and “image” are the form. Form serves content. The perfection of form lies in making people see the content but not the form, and forget about "words" and "images". Therefore, "being so proud that you forget your words" has become a high standard requirement for the formal beauty of poetry.

The above two explanations both show an aesthetic attitude that emphasizes "meaning" over "words", which is in line with the law of literary criticism and appreciation that form serves content.

In "Gift to Wen Qiao" by Guo Pu of the Jin Dynasty, there is a saying: "Words can be forgotten, and exchanges can be made lightly", which means: Only by forgetting the language can you understand the meaning expressed by the language. When making friends, only if the relationship is light can the relationship be long-lasting and strong. . The source is this sentence from "Zhuangzi: Foreign Things".