Jia Yi’s Theory
Su Shi [Song Dynasty]
It is difficult for those who are not talented, so it is really difficult for those who use it by themselves. What a pity! Jia Sheng is the king's assistant, but he cannot use his talents for himself.
If a gentleman takes something far away, he must be patient; if what he takes is big, he must be patient. The wise men of ancient times all had talents that could be used to achieve their goals, but those who were unable to fulfill their duties were not necessarily the fault of the king at that time, or they were self-inflicted.
In a foolish view, Jia Sheng’s theory is as he said. How can three generations be far behind? Winning the king is like Han Wen, it is better not to die. But if there is no Yao or Shun in the world, nothing can be done in the end? Sage Zhongni has tried his best in the world, but even if it is not a country with great injustice, everyone wants to support him reluctantly, so that he can practice his way in a few days. The thorns of generals are first brought by Ran You, and the descendants of Zi Xia are promoted. A gentleman's desire to win his king is due to his diligence. Mencius went to Qi, stayed for three nights, and then went out for the day. He still said: "How often does the king call me?" A gentleman cannot bear to abandon his king, so he is so generous. Gongsun Chou asked: "Master, why don't you hesitate?" Mencius said: "In this world, who else but me? And why should I not hesitate?" A gentleman loves his body in this way. If you do this without using it, then you will know that the world's achievements are both insufficient and promising, and you will have no regrets. If Jia Sheng is born, he cannot use Sheng if he is not in Chinese, and he cannot use Chinese if he is born.
Fu Jianghou personally held the Emperor's Seal and conferred it on Emperor Wen, and sent hundreds of thousands of infantry soldiers to fight against the male and female Liu and Lu. They were both former generals of Emperor Gao. This is how the monarch and his ministers get their share. How can father and son be of the same flesh and blood? Jia Sheng, a young man from Luoyang. It is already difficult to abandon the old and find the new in one day. For those who are born in Jia, they can get their king from above and their ministers from below, such as those of Jiang and Guan. They can be immersed in and have a deep friendship with them so that the emperor will not doubt and the ministers will not be jealous. Years can bring success. While An Youli was talking, he suddenly started "crying"! Watching his passing through Hunan, he paid homage to Qu Yuan, feeling depressed and depressed, but he still had the ambition to achieve great things. Later, he hurt himself and cried, and died young. It is also not good to deal with the poor. If one of my husband's plans doesn't work, how can I know that it will never be used again? I don't know how to wait for it to change silently, and end up hurting myself to this point. Alas! Jia Sheng's ambition was great but his capacity was small. He had more talents but insufficient knowledge.
People in ancient times had great talents, but they must be burdened with legacy. Therefore, if you are not a wise, wise and unconfused master, you will not be able to use it fully. In ancient and modern times, it is said that Fu Jian was the king who was fierce among the grass. He dismissed all his old officials and plotted with them. That's why he's only half as good as the rest of the world! Foolishness and deep sadness are the ambitions of life, so I prepared to discuss it. Also, if the ruler can be like the ministers of Jia Sheng, then he will know that he has good skills. If he fails to use them, he will be sad, depressed and unable to recover. As for those who are born in Jia, they should also be careful about what they say!
Translation
It is not difficult for people to have talents, but it is not easy to put their talents into use. It is a pity that although Jia Yi was able to serve as the emperor's assistant minister, he was unable to use his talents.
If a gentleman wants to achieve long-term goals, he must wait for the opportunity; if he wants to achieve great achievements, he must be able to endure. The virtuous people in ancient times all had the talent to make great achievements, but the reason why some people failed to display their talents may not be the fault of the king at that time, but may also be caused by themselves.
I read Jia Yi’s comments and based on the planning goals he mentioned, how could the achievements of the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties surpass him? When encountering a wise king like Emperor Wen of Han Dynasty, he died of depression because he failed to fulfill his talents. According to this, if there were no sage kings like Yao and Shun in the world, would he be unable to make a difference throughout his life? Confucius was a saint who traveled all over the world. As long as it was not an extremely unethical country, he wanted to try his best to support it, hoping that one day he could implement his political ideas. When he was about to arrive in Chu State, he first sent Ran You to contact him, and then Zixia to contact him. If a gentleman wants to be favored by the king, he must be so eager. When Mencius left the state of Qi, he stayed in day and night for three nights before leaving. He also said, "King Xuan of Qi will probably summon me." A gentleman can't bear to leave his king, because his feelings are so deep. Gongsun Chou asked Mencius: "Sir, why are you unhappy?" Mencius replied: "In today's world (talented people who can govern the country and bring peace to the world), who else is there besides me? Why should I be unhappy?" A gentleman cherishes himself so meticulously. .
Lu Lu and others sent Guan Ying to attack. After Guan Ying led his troops to Xingyang (today's Xingyang, Henan Province), he did not attack the king of Qi, but conspired with Zhou Bo and other rebels, stationed troops in Xingyang, and made peace with Qi to support the king of Qi. Zhou Bo and others executed Empress Lu, and the King of Qi withdrew his troops and returned to the country. Guan Ying then returned to Chang'an, where he joined forces with Zhou Bo and Chen Ping to establish Emperor Wen. This means that their monarch and his ministers are closer than father, son and brothers. When Jia Yi was the official of Taizhong, he proposed to Emperor Wen a series of suggestions such as "correcting Shuo, changing the color of clothes, legal system, determining official names, promoting rituals and music", as well as the princes' management of the country, changing laws and regulations, etc., which offended Zhou Bo, Guan Ying and others. people. When he was the tutor of King Huai of Liang, he also presented public security policies to Emperor Wen and made suggestions on governing the country and foreign affairs. Youyou, a continuous rhyme character, looks calm and unhurried. Impregnate (zì), a double-sounding continuation of the word, the appearance of gradually penetrating. Youyou Impregnation: Take your time and gradually penetrate. Sud: adverb, quickly, suddenly, impatiently. Refers to what Jia Yi said in the preface of "Public Security Policy": "I only know the situation, which can be one for crying bitterly, two for crying, and six for long sighs." Jia Yi was ostracized by the ministers of the DPRK and was demoted. As Prince Taifu of Changsha, he passed by the Xiang River and wrote a poem in memory of Qu Yuan. Yingyu (yíng yū): a double-sounding continuous character with a lingering appearance. This is a metaphor for feeling restless. Qi Ran: A detached look. To lift far, originally meant to fly high, but here it is a metaphor for retreat. Jia Yi's "Ode to Diao Qu Yuan": "Seeing the dangers of small virtues, attack them from afar." This is what Yuanju means. When Jia Yi was serving as the tutor of King Huai of Liang, King Huai of Liang fell to his death on horseback. He injured himself and failed to fulfill his duties. He often cried and died more than a year later. Yaojue refers to Jia Yi's early death. Tired, worried. Rui (ruì), wisdom and understanding. Fu Jian: King of the former Qin Dynasty during the Jin Dynasty. Wang Meng, also known as Jinglue, lived in seclusion in Huashan at first. Later, he was called by Fu Jian and became the Minister of Zhongshu. After Wang Meng was appointed, he was favored by Fu Jian and was promoted repeatedly. His power was transferred both internally and externally, but he was opposed by his old ministers Qiu Teng and Xi Bao. Fu Jian was furious and demoted Qiu and Xi, so everyone obeyed (see "Book of Jin·Ziji·Biography of Wang Meng"). Peifu: refers to Fu Jian. Abbreviation: seize. At that time, the former Qin defeated all the great powers, occupied northern China, and confronted the Eastern Jin, so it was said to be "slightly half of the world." Juàn (juàn): aloof, upright, unconventional. Illness: Difficulty and discouragement. Ju (jǔ): depressed. Fa: Generally speaking, it refers to being in the world, which is the so-called use of one's talents as mentioned above.
Appreciation
Jia Yi is a famous "talented but unrecognized person" in Chinese history, and he died in depression. Most of the predecessors cherished Jia Sheng's talents, but criticized Emperor Wen for his mediocre talents. However, Su Shi went against the affirmative discussion of Jia Yi's unrecognized talent by many historians and scholars since "Historical Records". From Jia Yi's own perspective, he analyzed the inevitability of his tragedy, criticizing that Jia Yi's tragedy lies in his inability to "use his talents", "not being good at poverty", "The ambition is big but the capacity is small", he blamed Jia Yi for not knowing how to make friends with ministers in order to win the trust of the court. This expresses Su Shi's attitude of sympathy, regret and criticism towards Jia Yi's life and experiences. Cutting in from an unexpected angle, drawing unexpected conclusions, making novel arguments, profound insights, and inspiring. The first paragraph of the article expresses the point of view straight to the point: It is not difficult for a person to have talents, but it is difficult to make full use of his talents. Jia Yi has the ability to assist the emperor, but he cannot fully utilize his talents. Take advantage. "It is difficult not to have talents, so it is really difficult for those who use their own talents." is false; "What a pity! Jia Sheng, the king's assistant, cannot use his own talents." is realistic. The virtual and the real complement each other and confirm each other, so that the virtual can rely on and the real can improve and complement each other.
The second paragraph moves from intense regret to soothing reasoning. Putting forward "waiting for something" and "bearing something forbearing" is an arduous process that a gentleman must go through to display his ambitions. The reason why the ancient sages were depressed was not necessarily because the monarchs at that time did not know the talents, but perhaps it was caused by themselves. These two paragraphs focus on the fact that Jia Yi was not reused by Emperor Wen of Han Dynasty because of his insufficient political cultivation. The positive description in the article "If a gentleman takes something far away, he must wait for it; if what he achieves is great, he must be patient" and the assumption that "it may not all be the king's fault, or it may be his own fault", all reflect Su Shi's Thoughts on Jia Yi. "If a gentleman takes something far away, he must be patient; if what he takes is big, he must be patient." This is a sub-argument based on the central argument at the beginning.
The third paragraph uses historical examples to illustrate the relationship between wise men and emperors, and demonstrates the points, which is the embodiment of "treating" and "bearing". Confucius and Mencius achieved such benevolence and righteousness, but they still failed to live up to their own wishes. "If Jia Sheng is born, he cannot use Chinese if he is not born, and he cannot use Chinese if he is born." This sentence closely follows the title of the article and leads to this conclusion in a logical manner. The latter is not a separate argument, but an extended form of the argument. Although the form has changed, it actually still means "cannot use one's own talents." It is just that the angle of discussion has changed, and one argument is demonstrated from different angles. From "cannot use one's talents" to "or one can acquire one's own talents", and then to "one cannot use Chinese", the arguments are advanced step by step, each one is more specific than the last, and the discussion is more in-depth step by step. As for the specific situation of Jia Yi, the article does not make a comparative discussion, but adopts the method of "parallel (Confucius and Mencius) detailed version (Jia Yi's affairs)" method, with concise language and no repetition and wordiness.
The fourth paragraph follows closely the above, starting from the historical background of the time, explaining the objective reasons why Emperor Hanwen did not use Jia Yi, and sympathizing with the founding hero of the country and the fledgling Luoyang boy, through comparison, the decision of Emperor Hanwen was made Provide strong support. After Jia Yi was frustrated in politics, he was depressed and self-pitying. He was unable to take advantage of this opportunity to cultivate himself, and finally died of frustration. This was Su Shi's criticism of him as "big ambition but small amount, he has more talent but not enough knowledge". When writing about the comparison between Jianghou, Guan Ying and Jia Yi, the former uses more descriptions, saying that his achievements are great and his relationship with Emperor Wen is extraordinary. Handled skillfully, the contrast between the two is very clear. In the last paragraph, the relationship between the monarch and the wise men is discussed again. A thousand-mile horse must meet Bole before he can have the opportunity to display his ambitions. Therefore, a wise minister must have a famous master to display his ambitions. When a ruler obtains a minister like Jia Yi, he must understand that if his personality is not used, he will suffer from self-destruction. He must make appropriate considerations for this, otherwise he will lose a talent. However, people like Jia Yi should also be cautious about their position and work. People must be talented, but they must also be patient and wait, so that their talents can be brought into full play. Su Shi clearly understood and pointed out Jia Yi's own problems, showing his unique vision, distinctive personality, penetrating insights, and to the point.
The full text closely follows Jia Yi's frustrated death. The analysis of Jia Yi's personality traits is very in-depth, and the analysis of the historical background at that time is also convincing. This method and firm tone are used to highlight Jia Yi. personality and life cultivation that emphasizes "waiting for something" and "forbearing for something". Judging from the content of the article, it is mainly aimed at the talents themselves; but from the end of the article, his main intention is to remind those who are kings, hoping that they will correctly treat and use special talents like Jia Yi who "have the virtue of being a gentleman" , pay attention to using their strengths to avoid wasting talents.
In writing, it is very distinctive to open and close a stroke freely. First, clarify the full point of view, and summarize the following discussion in an unquestionable tone. Immediately afterwards, a deep exclamation sentence of "Cherish", using Jia Yi's life and deeds, closely confirms the point made, and closely follows the title of the article. Next, I will temporarily let go of Jia Yi and talk about the gentlemen and wise men of ancient times. The fourth paragraph returns to Jia Yi, and the article looks back and forth, which effectively enhances the persuasiveness of the article.
Su Shi
(January 8, 1037 - August 24, 1101), courtesy name Zizhan and Hezhong, also known as Tieguan Taoist and Dongpo layman, known as Su Dongpo, Su Xian, Han nationality, was born in Meishan, Meizhou (Meishan City, Sichuan Province). His ancestral home was Luancheng, Hebei Province. He was a famous writer, calligrapher and painter in the Northern Song Dynasty, and a famous figure in water control in history. Su Shi was a literary leader in the mid-Northern Song Dynasty and made great achievements in poetry, lyrics, prose, calligraphy, and painting. His writing is bold and unbridled; his poems are broad in subject matter, fresh and vigorous, good at using exaggerated metaphors, and have a unique style. Together with Huang Tingjian, he is called "Su Huang"; His prose writings are grand and bold. Together with Ouyang Xiu, he is called "Ou Su" and is one of the "Eight Great Masters of Tang and Song Dynasties". Su Shi was good at calligraphy and one of the "Four Masters of the Song Dynasty"; he was good at literati painting, especially ink bamboo, strange rocks, dead wood, etc.
His works include "Dongpo Seven Collections", "Dongpo Yi Zhuan", "Dongpo Yuefu", "Xiaoxiang Bamboo and Stone Picture Scroll", "Old Wood and Strange Stone Picture Scroll", etc.