From Zhuangzi, a Warring States thinker, The Miscellaneous Articles of Zhuangzi. This is a famous idiom, the story of a lonely river.
The original text is as follows:
Zhuang Zhou's family was poor, so he borrowed millet from Jianhe Hou. Hou Jian said, "Promise. I will get a pound of gold, and I will lend you three hundred dollars, but what? "
Zhuang Zhou said angrily, "Last week, someone called from the middle road. Zhou Gu saw fish in the rut. Zhou asked,' Come here, fish! "What is evil?" is:' I, Minister of the East China Sea. "Do you have water to fight with me and live?" Zhou said:' Promise. Can I swim south to King Wu Yue and stir up the water in the Xijiang River to welcome my son? "The fish said angrily,' I have lost the same relationship, and I have no place to stand. I live with the rising water, but you said so. You might as well ask me for my dead fish earlier! ”"
The translation is as follows:
Zhuang Zhou's family was poor, so he borrowed food from Hou Jianhe. Hou Jianhe said, "OK, I'm going to collect the local tax soon. Can I lend you 300 gold?"
Zhuang Zhou's face suddenly changed and he said angrily, "When I came yesterday, someone called me halfway. I looked back at the pothole where the wheel ran over, and a crucian carp was struggling there. I asked it,' crucian carp, what are you doing?' The crucian carp replied,' I am a member of the East China Sea Aquarium. You might be able to keep me alive with the water of battle.
I said to it,' OK, I'll go to the south to lobby the King of Wu and the King of Yue, and trigger the water of Xijiang River to meet you, OK?' The crucian carp changed its face and said angrily,' I have lost the environment where I often live, and there is no place to live. Now I can live with as much water as a bucket of water. If you say that, you should come to the dried fish shop earlier! ”"
Extended data:
meaning
This story originated from Zhuang Zhou's borrowing grain, and Hou He, the supervisor, wrote a blank check until he got the money. Zhuangzi "in a rage", immediately told a fable to refute the prison army He Hou. Zhuangzi is good at reasoning through fables. This story is used to illustrate that people should act decisively. At the same time, it satirizes the world for not proceeding from reality and doing some ineffective things. The fish's answer can be summarized as "far from hydrolysis, near thirst".
Baidu Encyclopedia-Lonely Wandering