From Cao Cao's "Stepping out of Xiamen, the Turtle Lives Longevity"
The full text is as follows:
Although the turtle lives a long life, it still has its time.
Téng (téng) snake rides on the mist and turns into ashes.
Lao Ji (jì) is full of ambitions and aims for thousands of miles.
The martyrs are full of ambition in their old age.
The period of profit and contraction is not only in heaven;
The blessing of nourishing happiness can lead to eternal life.
Fortunately, I sing to express my ambition.
Notes ① Divine Turtle: A legendary long-lived turtle. Shou: longevity. ②Finally: ultimate, end. ③ Soaring Snake: A legendary snake that can fly in the mist. Teng, also used as 螞. ④Ji: A thousand-mile horse. Fufeng: Lying in the stable, describing the appearance of a horse that is old and sick. Stable, stable. ⑤Martyr: A person who values ??righteousness over life and is determined to make great achievements. ⑥The period of profit and contraction: refers to the length of human life. Ying, full, long; shrunk, short. ⑦Keep: maintain. Yi: Pleasant. ⑧Yongnian: longevity. The second sentence means that if one can keep his body and spirit quiet and happy, he can live a long and healthy life.
Translation:
Although the turtle lives a long life, he will die one day. Although the flying snake can ride on the mist, it will inevitably turn into dust. The old horse was leaning on the manger, always thinking about galloping thousands of miles. Even in his twilight years, the staunch warriors still have the same ambition as before. The length of life span does not only depend on God; taking good care of your body is a blessing and can prolong your life. So happy! Express emotions through song.
Appreciation:
1. Content analysis:
During the Han and Wei dynasties, the study of prophecy was quite popular, ranging from the emperors in the palace to the monks, Taoists and common people. They are all seeking magic from gods and the elixir of immortality. Cao Cao, who was fifty-three years old at the time, was not influenced by secular trends and had a clear and thorough understanding of the natural laws of life. "The Turtle Lives Longevity" shows the poet facing the limited life, without the worldly decadence, nor the depression and depression of carpe diem, but with a self-improvement and positive attitude towards life, optimistically expressing his ambition to make achievements. .
The poem "The Turtle Lives Longevity" consists of fourteen lines. Except for the two lines at the end "Fortunately, I sing to chant my ambition" which are Hele's words, it can be divided into three levels according to the poetic meaning. The first level is inspired by the inevitable death of the long-lived turtle and snake, which evokes the emotion of short life and limited life, integrating the profound philosophy of life into rich imagination. The first four sentences: "Although the divine turtle has a long life, it still has its time, and the snake rides on the mist, but eventually becomes ashes." It uses two image metaphors to illustrate the natural law of life and death. The second level carries on the first four sentences and makes a high-spirited turn: "The old man is in a state of despair, his ambition is thousands of miles; the martyr is still ambitious in his old age." Using the metaphor of a thousand-mile horse that is still alive and galloping in his old age, he expresses his heroic spirit of making great contributions and achievements. Next, "The period of growth and contraction is not only in heaven; the blessing of nurturing can lead to eternal life." The four sentences continue "Martyrs are full of ambition in their old age." It shows that although life span is limited, strengthening cultivation can extend life.
The whole poem reflects the author's enterprising and enterprising spirit. The beginning reveals the philosophy of life and death and shows the poet's understanding and wisdom. The middle expresses the poet's vigorous and intense feelings, and shows the poet's life ambition and value orientation. Finally, he returns to philosophical speculation, showing the poet's positive attitude towards life.
Characteristics of artistic expression:
1. Emotion and reason: This lyrical poem is full of profound philosophy, focusing on emotion, blending emotion and reason, containing philosophy in emotion, and expressing sincerity The experience of life dilutes the preaching taste of philosophy, making it easier for people to accept and deeply infected.
2. Combination of philosophy and images: The poet compares the magnificent myths of turtles and soaring snakes, which are not only images, but also magical. The poet contains profound philosophy in the poems with a melancholy and heroic style. It has concrete and vivid artistic appeal.
3. Interlaced cadences and ups and downs, twists and turns: the first four sentences are metaphorized by a tortoise and a snake, and are written clearly and freely, with straightforward meaning; the middle four sentences express one's heart directly, and are written with high-spirited passion. It is unstoppable; below the "period of growth and contraction", the writing style is soothing and peaceful; the whole poem, in the ups and downs of the melody, gives people philosophical enlightenment and aesthetic edification in the harmonious unity of hardness and softness.
4. Rhetorical condensation: The first four sentences use two metaphors with a compound structure. The word "still" is used to connect the front, and the word "finally" is used to connect it. The two turns make the sentence special. Calm and powerful, it strengthens the irresistibility of the mortality of all things.
V. The whole poem has a profound and majestic spirit, a handsome and domineering momentum, clearly showing Cao Cao's extraordinary ambition and unparalleled courage.
About the author: Cao Cao (155-220), Gengzi in the first month of 220, with the courtesy name Mengde, a lucky name, and the diminutive name Ahao, a native of Peiguoqiao (now Bozhou, Anhui), Han nationality. A famous politician in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. , military strategist, writer, calligrapher. The founder of the Cao Wei regime in the Three Kingdoms, he was first the general and prime minister of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and later the king of Wei. After his son Cao Pi became emperor, he was honored as Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty throughout his life. In the name of the general and prime minister, he conquered the four separate regimes and made great contributions to the unification of northern China. At the same time, he cultivated fields in the north and played a great role in the restoration of agricultural production. Cao Cao's poems had an innovative spirit, opened up and prospered Jian'an literature, and left a legacy to future generations. He left behind precious spiritual wealth and was known as the "Jian'an style" in history. Lu Xun rated him as "the founder of reforming articles." One of the five great masters in the last chapter.