1. Classic ancient four-character idiom story
Diligence is a means to make up for dullness.
During the Tang Dynasty, Bai Juyi was transferred to Suzhou as a secretariat. Suzhou was a state in the southeast of the Tang Dynasty with complicated local affairs.
After Bai Juyi took office, in order to deal with heavy county affairs, he declined all banquets and concentrated on government affairs. He soon became familiar with the local situation and reorganized the government agencies.
You know, Bai Juyi was addicted to alcohol and music when he was in Dongdu, but these pastimes gave way to business in Suzhou.
Because he thinks he is born clumsy and can only make up for it by diligence.
Bai Juyi worked in Suzhou for one year. Although the time is not long, due to his people-friendly policy and lenient punishment, Suzhou people have benefited from frivolous and generous taxes and are deeply loved by Suzhou people.
Therefore, when he left Suzhou by water, the industrious and simple Suzhou people sent him ashore. Presented a grand and touching scene, reluctant to ship for a while.
Diligence can make up for deficiencies, that is to say, the acquired diligence can make up for congenital defects.
2. Classic story of ancient four-character idioms
Imitate others and lose your personality.
According to legend, two thousand years ago, there was a young man in Shouling, Yan State. He was well-fed and medium-looking, but he lacked self-confidence. He often felt that nothing was like others for no reason-his clothes were good, his food was delicious, and he was elegant when he stood and sat. He learns what he sees and loses what he learns. Although he has a new look, he still can't do one thing well. He doesn't know what he should look like. His family advised him to change this problem, which he thought was because his family took care of too much. Relatives and neighbors said he was a bear breaking a stick, but he didn't listen at all. Over time, he doubted whether he should walk like this, and the more he looked at it, the more he felt that his walking posture was too stupid and ugly. One day, he met several people talking and laughing on the road, only to hear someone say that Handan people walk beautifully. Hearing this, he hurried forward to find out. Unexpectedly, the men saw him and walked away with a smile. How beautiful is the walking posture of Handan people? He can't imagine, this has become his heart disease. Finally, one day, he went to Handan, a distant place, to learn to walk without telling his family. When I arrived in Handan, I felt fresh and dazzling everywhere. Seeing children walking, he feels lively, beautiful and academic; Seeing the old man walking, he felt steady and learned; Watch women walk, sway and learn. In this way, after only half a month, he couldn't even walk, and his travel expenses were spent, so he had to climb back. The story comes from Zhuangzi Autumn Water.
The idiom "Handan toddler" means to imitate others mechanically. If you don't learn from the strengths of others, you will lose your own strengths and skills.
3. Classic story of ancient four-character idioms
Mencius' mother moved three times
Mencius was a great thinker in the Warring States Period. Mencius lost his father in his childhood and relied on his mother, Ni Shi, to spin yarn and weave cloth day and night, which provoked the burden of life. Ni is a hardworking and knowledgeable woman. She hopes her son will make progress in his studies and become a talent as soon as possible.
Once, Meng Mu saw Monk fighting with his neighbor's children. Meng Mu thought the environment here was bad, so he moved away.
Another day, Meng Mu saw a big stove in his neighbor's blacksmith's house, and several blacksmiths covered in oil were striking the iron. In the corner of the yard, Monk is making an anvil out of bricks and a hammer out of sticks, imitating the blacksmith's movements, and having a good time! Meng Mu thought the environment here was still bad, so he moved again.
This time she moved her family to a remote place. One day, Mencius saw a funeral procession in mourning and cried and carried the coffin to the cemetery. Several lean boys dug up the grave with hoes and buried the coffin. He thought it was fun, so he imitated their movements, dug up the ground with branches, and seriously buried a twig as a dead man. It was not until Meng Mu found him that he was taken home.
Meng Mu moved for the third time. This time, there is a school next door, and a teacher with a gray beard is teaching a group of students, big and small. The teacher shakes his head and leads the students to learn every day. The slow voice seemed to be singing, and the naughty monk shook his head and began to read. Meng Mu thought that his son liked studying and was very happy, so he sent Mencius to school.
But one day, Monk played truant. Meng Mu was heartbroken when he found out. When Monk came back from playing enough, Meng Mu called him to his side and said, "You play truant and don't study, just like cut cloth, you can't knit;" If you can't weave, you will have no clothes to wear; If you don't study hard, you will never become a talent. " As he spoke, he grabbed the scissors and, with a bang, cut off all the cloth to be woven on the loom.
Monk was stunned. This time, Monk was really shaken. He thought hard for a long time, finally understood the truth, and then concentrated on reading. Because of his genius, he later learned from Confucius' grandson Zi Si and finally became the main representative of Confucianism.
4. Classic story of ancient four-character idioms
To chisel/work persistently
During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the academic field was quite active, and famous scholars came forth in large numbers. At that time, there was a philosopher and educator Xunzi, whose extensive knowledge and profound insights made future generations admire him. He wrote many essays, among which "Encouraging Learning" can be regarded as a masterpiece.
Xunzi proposed in the article "Persuasion" that persistent study can increase people's talents and change people's temperament. In particular, he pointed out that learning should be persistent and not give up halfway.
Xunzi said: "as long as you keep piling up soil, you can eventually pile up into mountains, and the wind and rain will come out;" As long as you keep accumulating a small amount of water, you will definitely form an abyss, and the dragon will hide there; As long as you do more good deeds, you will certainly develop a virtue, so it is not difficult to fully possess the ideological quality of sages.
"The important thing here is that we must never underestimate the accumulation of dribs and drabs. How can people go thousands of miles away if they don't walk step by step? How can a river and a sea be formed without collecting water from a small river? If a swift horse just jumps, it is impossible to exceed ten steps; And the worst horse can walk far if it walks for ten days in a row. The success of the latter lies in never stopping!
"If a person is lazy, he will not engrave it after a few times, and even engrave rotten wood; And if he is eager to get rich and insists on carving, he will certainly be able to carve stones into utensils! In short, if people want to succeed, they must constantly and wholeheartedly struggle! "
These words of Xunzi have become wise sayings, which have been passed down to this day.
5. Classic story of ancient four-character idioms
better late than never
This story comes from the Warring States Policy. During the Warring States Period, there was a minister in the State of Chu named Zhuang Xin. One day, he said to King Xiang of Chu: "When you were in the palace, Zhou Hou was on the left and Xiahou was on the right; When you went out, Yan Lingjun and Shou Jing Jun followed you all the time. You and these four people pay special attention to luxury and pleasure. Regardless of national events, Ying (Chu capital, in the north of jiangling county, Hubei Province) will be in danger! "
Wang Xiang was very dissatisfied and scolded angrily, "Are you crazy? Deliberately saying these insidious words to confuse people? "
Zhuang Xin replied unhurriedly: "I really think things must come to this, and I dare not deliberately say that Chu has any misfortune." If you always cherish this man, Chu will surely perish. Since you don't believe me, please allow me to hide in Zhao and see what will happen. "Zhuangxin lived in Zhao Guocai for five months, and the State of Qin invaded Chu, and Wang Xiang was forced to die in Yangcheng (now northwest of Xixian County, Henan Province). Only then did I feel that Zhuang Xin's words were good, so I quickly sent someone to get Zhuang Xin back and asked him what he could do. Zhuang Xin said sincerely: "I've heard that it's not too late to think of hounds when I see rabbit teeth;" "It's not too late to mend. ……"
This is a very meaningful story. You only know how to have fun, not how to do things. The result must be a tragic failure. The idiom "Better late than never" is based on the above two sentences, which means that if something goes wrong, it's not too late to fix it. For example, a successful person misjudges the development of things, travels light and falls into a state of failure. But he was not discouraged. He thought things over patiently, learned a lesson from this mistake, and thought that it was not too late to "mend after it is late" from scratch!
The meaning of allusions: death: escape, loss; Prison: A pen for animals. It's never too late to mend. Figuratively speaking, finding a way to remedy the problem can prevent further losses.