"Impressions after Observing Books"

This article is selected from "Collected Works of Zhu Wengong" ("Four Bu Series" edition). Zhu Xi (1130-1200), whose courtesy name was Yuanhui, was a native of Wuyuan (now part of Jiangxi Province) and a famous Neo-Confucian in the Southern Song Dynasty.

The half-acre square pond opens up,

The skylight and cloud shadows linger.

Ask the canal how clear it is,

Because there is a source of living water.

Half an acre of Fangtang [Fangtang: a square pond] is opened [Yijiankai: like a mirror being opened. Jian, mirror. In ancient times, mirrors were covered with mirror bags and opened when in use. 〕,

The half-acre square pond is opened like a mirror.

Compare books to half an acre of square pond. The book is rectangular, so it is said to be "half an acre of square pond". "A mirror opens" is used as a metaphor to describe Fangtang as extremely clear.

The skylight and cloud shadows ***wander [Skylight and cloud shadows***wander: The skylight and cloud shadows are reflected in the pond together, shaking constantly. 〕.

The skylight and cloud shadows were reflected in the pond, shaking constantly.

Write about the beautiful scenery reflected in the clear square pond. "Sky light" and "cloud shadow" are metaphors for the content in the book.

Ask Qu [Qu: it refers to the pond. 〕Na〔Na: same as "which", how. 〕Deqing Rusu [Rusu: like this, like this. 〕,

for [for: because. 〕Living water comes from a source.

Ask how the water in that square pond can be so clear, because there is living water flowing continuously from the source.

The first two sentences describe the scene, and the last two sentences discuss it. Each question and answer vividly expresses the poet's deep and unique reading experience, with implicit philosophy.

This is a famous poem that uses scenery as a metaphor. The whole poem uses Fangtang as a metaphor to vividly express a subtle and indescribable feeling of reading. The pond is not a pool of stagnant water, but constantly filled with living water, so it is like a mirror, crystal clear, reflecting the sky and cloud shadows. This situation is quite similar to the situation when the same person solves the problem in reading, gains new knowledge and gains a lot, and improves his understanding. The flow of spiritual energy, clear thinking, fresh and lively spirit and contentment expressed in this poem are exactly the author's personal reading experience as a great scholar. Although the feeling expressed in the poem is only for reading, it has profound meaning and rich connotation, and can be widely understood. Especially the two sentences "Ask the canal how clear it is, because there is living water from the source." The reason why the water is clear is because there is continuous injection of living water from the source. It implies that if people want to have a clear mind, they must study hard and add new knowledge from time to time. Therefore, people often use it as a metaphor to continuously learn new knowledge in order to reach a new realm. People also use these two poems to praise a person's knowledge or artistic achievements, which has its own profound origin. We can also get inspiration from this poem. Only when the mind is always active, with an open and broad mind, can we accept all kinds of different ideas and fresh knowledge, and be broadly tolerant, can we keep thinking and new water flowing. These two lines of poetry have been condensed into the commonly used idiom "source of living water", which is used to metaphor the source and driving force of the development of things.

This is a philosophical poem. After reading, people often feel a sudden enlightenment. The poem uses symbolic techniques to turn this inner feeling into tangible and tangible actions to describe it, allowing readers to appreciate the mystery on their own. The so-called "living water from the source" should refer to the continuous acquisition of new knowledge from books.

"Looking at the Book and Feelings" is a famous poem written by Zhu Xi, a scholar at the University of the Southern Song Dynasty. I will copy it and analyze and appreciate it with everyone. I hope it can inspire and encourage young friends who have no interest in learning, do not read books and newspapers, and only know how to have fun.

Four lines of the original poem: "Half an acre of square pond is open, and the skylight and cloud shadows are lingering. I ask the canal how clear it is? It has a source of living water."

What it actually depicts is a bright and fresh pastoral scene. If you read it several times, you will find yourself loving it more and more! You see, a small pond of half an acre is like an unfolding mirror in Zhu Xi's painting (once opened), it is so peaceful and elegant that people immediately spread the wings of their imagination. The second sentence arouses readers' imagination. This "mirror" reflects the shadows of clouds lingering in the sky. How quiet and lovely the clear water is! The author raises a question in the third sentence, why is the water so clear? He happily asked himself, because the source is always replenished with living water, and it keeps flowing down.

This beautiful picture of natural scenery has already made people feel fresh and bright after reading it. What makes people even more amazed is that when they look at the title, it is the feeling of reading the book. Suddenly the beautiful artistic conception is sublimated, and it is related to reading. Fusion.

It turns out that the great scholar Zhu Xi was praising his understanding of reading, and the joy, clarity, and liveliness he felt in his mind were narrated by the reflection of ponds and cloud shadows. Why is his mind so clear? Because there is always new knowledge in books like living water, constantly replenishing it for him!

A little poem by the great genius Zhu Xi gives us a lot of inspiration. Reading more good books will make your mind always lively, full of ideas, and elegant!

Translation:

The water in the half-acre square pond is as bright and clear as an open mirror. The shadows of the blue sky and white clouds are reflected on the surface of the pond, as if they are walking back and forth leisurely. Move around. How could it be so clear? Because there is a constant stream of living water flowing down from its source.

In fact, in this poem, the poet used a square pond half an acre in size to describe reading