Introduction: The article "Horse Theory" uses horses as a metaphor and talks about the issue of talents. It expresses the author's strong indignation at the rulers' inability to identify talents, not paying attention to talents, and burying talents. Let's take a look at the original text, translation and evaluation of Han Yu's horse theory with me!
The original text of "horse theory":
There is Bole in the world, and then there is a thousand-mile horse. A thousand-mile horse often exists, but a bole does not always exist. Therefore, even though there is a thousand-mile horse, it will be carelessly grown and be grown dead in a stall, never being called as a thousand-mile horse. (Just humiliate one work: Only humiliate)
A horse that travels a thousand miles can eat as much grain as a stone. Those who eat horses don’t know that they can travel thousands of miles and eat. Although this horse is capable of running a thousand-mile, it is not full of food, lacks strength, and its talent and beauty are not visible, and it is impossible to be as good as an ordinary horse. How can you expect it to be able to run a thousand-mile?
There is no way to do this. The way to do it is to eat it but not be able to use its talents, to bark but not understand its meaning, and come to it with a strong command, saying: "There is no horse in the world!" Woohoo! Is there really no horse? I really don't know horses!
Translation of Horse Theory:
Only after Bole existed in the world could the thousand-mile horse be discovered. A thousand-mile horse often appears, but Bole does not always appear. Therefore, even if there is a thousand-mile horse, it will only be humiliated in the hands of the servant coachman and die in the stable with the ordinary horses, and there is no need to call it a thousand-mile horse.
A horse that can travel thousands of miles a day may be able to eat a load of grain in one meal. People who feed horses don't know how to feed horses according to the characteristics of their ability to travel thousands of miles a day. Therefore, even if such a horse has the ability to run thousands of miles a day, it does not have enough to eat and lacks strength. Its special talents and heroic posture cannot be displayed. Moreover, it cannot be equal to an ordinary horse, so what? Can you ask it to travel a thousand miles a day?
You can drive it without following the method of riding a thousand-mile horse; raise it but cannot fully display its talents; listen to its braying but cannot understand its meaning. (The horse breeder) walked up to it with a whip and said: "There is no thousand-mile horse in the world!" Alas! Is there really no thousand-mile horse? I'm afraid they really can't recognize a thousand-mile horse.
Evaluation of the work
"The Story of Horses" reveals the author's cynicism and his feelings of emotion and resentment at being underappreciated. It expresses the author's strong indignation against the feudal rulers' inability to identify talents, destroy talents, and bury talents.
Fu Zhengyi, a professor at Chongqing Technology and Business University: The structure of "Horse Theory" is very exquisite. Ask questions from the front. With a twist of the pen, the discussion started from the opposite side. The author issued an angry rebuke to the feudal rulers, including sarcasm, rhetorical questions, sighs, and repeated emphatic remarks.
Han Yu described talents as "thousand-mile horses" and people who can discover, appreciate and appoint talents as Bole. This concept of talents is representative in China.