HSK 3–5 - Ancient Wisdom - 3 Chinese Fables for Critical Thinking - 成语故事 - Chinese daily podcast

Hello everyone, welcome to the new episode of Daily Chinese. I am Li Ming. Hello everyone, I'm Wang Yu. Li Ming, I read a book last night. There's a little story inside that's especially interesting. It has made me think deeply. Oh, really? What kind of story? Tell me about it. I sometimes find that a simple story It's easier to understand something through a brief, clear explanation than through a long, elaborate argument. Yeah, it also made me think of our own podcast. Isn't it just that we hope to use the ways of chatting and storytelling? Help people learn Chinese? So, friends listening right now, You can relax now, Just like listening to a friend chat, Don't be too nervous. Your Chinese listening skills will improve unnoticed. Yes, Wang Yu is right. The best way to learn a language is to use it. Integrate into life. Just now you mentioned the story that made you think, Today, let's discuss a related topic. Those ancient little stories that teach us to think more deeply. That's a fantastic idea. There are many such stories in China. We call it "Idiom Stories." They are usually very short. But the principle behind it is profound. Which ones are we planning to share today? Today we have carefully selected three very famous stories, "Buying and Selling Stamps" "The Battle of the Jade Oyster" and "Stealing a Bell While Plugging One's Ears" Every story can bring us a different inspiration. Can't wait! These stories from thousands of years ago What does it have to do with our modern lives? Let's get started right now. Alright, let's start with the first story. "Buying and Selling Stamps" Wang Yu, why don't you start by telling everyone this story? Your voice tells stories especially vividly. Okay, no problem. The story goes like this, A long time ago, the weather was extremely hot. A person was walking on the road. The sun is very bright. He felt both hot and exhausted. Just then, he saw a large tree by the roadside. There is a large shadow beneath the tree, He immediately ran under the tree to rest, It feels much cooler now. Yeah, that's perfectly normal. Everyone wants to find some shade under a tree to cool off in summer. Yes, this person here, He not only rested under the tree, A clever idea suddenly appeared in his mind, He thought, "The shadow of this tree is so beautiful," Cool and comfortable, There must be many people who need it. If I sold this shadow, You will definitely make money. Wait a minute, selling shadows? That idea is way too strange, isn't it? How do you sell shadows? Yeah, but he did it anyway. He shouted aloud, Selling shadows here, A big, cool shadow, Come buy here! At this moment, Another passerby also felt very hot, Seeing the shadow under the tree, I really want to go rest. He heard someone selling shadows. Although it felt a bit strange, But the weather is really too hot. He asked, "How much for this shadow?" Does anyone else actually ask about the price? Yes, the man who sells shadows said, Not expensive at all, just ten copper coins. You can rest here for a day. The buyer thought for a moment, Ten copper coins can buy a day of cool relief. It's not bad either, So I paid the money. Happy to rest under the shade of a tree. One dares to sell, one dares to buy. That sounds a bit ridiculous. The absurdity is yet to come. The man who sold the shadow became very proud after receiving the money. Feel like I'm too smart. But as time slowly passed, The position of the sun has changed. Ah, I see where the problem is. When the sun moves, the shadow moves as well. Exactly right, the tree's shadow Slowly left the place where the man who bought shadows was lying. He was suddenly scorched by the sun. He was very angry, so he went to find the man who sold shadows. This is trouble now. What did the man who sells shadows say? The man who sells shadows is even less reasonable. He said, "What I'm selling to you is the shadow of a tree." The shadow is moving now; it's the sun's fault. It's not my problem; the shadow is still beside the tree. Why don't you move along with your shadow? The two of them started arguing like that. Is this story finished? I'm done with the talk, although it was very simple. But I find it very interesting. Indeed, it's very interesting; in this story, The man who sells shadows and the man who buys shadows In fact, they all made a common mistake. They only saw the immediate benefits. Without deep thinking. You mean the man who sells shadows only thinks about making money, Does the person who buys shadows only think about getting cool right away? Yes, the man who sells shadows is very greedy. He created a product that doesn't exist. He thought the shadow was a fixed thing, Money can be bought. But he forgot that shadows change with the sun. He is not something that can be possessed. This kind of thinking only looks at the surface. Don't be foolishly straightforward. I see, he only thought about how to make money, But didn't consider whether this business was actually reasonable. Can it really last long? This is actually quite common in everyday life. That's right, for example, some people see others making money from stock trading, He also immediately poured all his money into it. They don't study at all what this company does. Nor do they consider the risks. His behavior is just like that of the man who bought a shadow. Only saw the coolness, the possibility of making money. But I never thought the sun would move, That is, the market is risky. Yeah, sometimes I feel the same way too. Seeing that everyone else is buying something, Or they are all doing the same thing, I would also really like to join. Afraid of missing out on something good. I understand, this is perfectly normal. Many people experience this fear of missing out. We can give ourselves a cooling-off period, For example, if you want to sell something that isn't particularly urgent to sell, You can wait a day before deciding. Spend the time of this day in reflection, Do I really need it? Is it really worth it? This can help us make more rational decisions. Do not be like the one who buys shadows, In the end, I realized I had bought nothing but an empty space. This method of the cooling-off period is excellent. Very practical. This story also makes me think of a word, Call it self-evident, It's just that I personally feel things should be this way. But the truth might be entirely different. That shadow seller is just being presumptuous. Consider shadow as a commodity. Well summarized. The term "take for granted" is extremely accurate when used here. Therefore, the story of trading shadows teaches us, Think from multiple perspectives before making a decision. One should not be attracted solely by immediate interests. To see the essence of things and the possible changes they may undergo in the future. Alright, Li Ming, it's your turn to tell the second story. The clam and the oyster fight, I think I've heard this story before. But it's a bit blurry. Alright, this story is also very classic. There is a very famous idiom behind it. The story goes that, There was a clam. It's an animal that has a shell in the river. It is spreading its two shells open by the riverbank, basking in the sun. Hmm, it sounds very comfortable. At this moment, a jade object flew in. Jade is a kind of bird, It has a long, sharp beak. Specializes in eating small fish, shrimp, and shellfish. This piece of jade saw a clam with its shell open. Very pleased, Lunch is coming. It quickly flew down. It uses its long beak to peck at the clam's flesh. Oh, isn't the clam quite dangerous? The clam's response was also quick. At the moment the jade's mouth just touched its flesh, It snapped shut instantly with a sharp *crack*. Closed the two hard covers. Clamped tightly over Yu's mouth. Wow, now the situation has reversed. The girl's mouth was clamped shut. Then it can't fly anymore? That's exactly it. The jade said to the oyster, It's not raining today. It will not rain tomorrow. You will die of thirst on the shore without water. It means, As long as I don't let go, You're out of water, In the end, you will still die. How did the clam respond? It certainly wouldn't want to give it up either. The clam is also very stubborn. It said to the jade, My mouth won't let go today. I won't let go tomorrow either. Your mouth has been clamped by me all along. You will soon starve to death here. Neither of them would give in to the other. One believes the other will die of thirst, One believes the other will starve to death. They kept arguing like that. Yes, they remain at an impasse like this. No one was willing to give in the slightest. At this very moment, An old man who fishes It's just that the fisherman passed by from the side. I guessed the ending. Yes. The old fisherman saw that both the jade and the clam were unable to move. Without lifting a finger, He took both of them away together. Ah, Jade and the pearl were both solely focused on how to overcome each other. The result was a completely unrelated third party Gained all the benefits. This is the essence of this story. It tells us, In conflict and contradiction, If neither side is willing to yield, Thinking only of one's own interests, The final outcome is most likely to result in mutual destruction. And allows onlookers to draw moral lessons from it. This is a classic case of the clam and the oyster fighting, while the fisherman benefits. To gain an advantage at someone else's expense The origin of this idiom. Exactly correct. The idiom "Yu Weng De Li" is frequently used today. For example, two companies fighting to seize the market, Continuously lowering prices, Engage in a price war, They all want to defeat each other. As a result, both companies lost a lot of money. As for consumers, became the fisherman who reaps the benefit. I bought the item at a very low price. This example is very appropriate. Actually, in life, From interpersonal relationships among friends, Arguments among family members, There will also be a situation where two parties fight each other, leaving the third party to benefit. A situation where one benefits at another's expense For example, when my sister and I were children, They would quarrel over a toy. Everyone wants to play. In the end, we argued so fiercely, Mom is very angry, I just confiscated the toy. No one can play it. In this story, Your mother is not a fisherman. Because she did not profit. But this principle holds true. Both sides involved in the dispute ended up with unfavorable outcomes. Yes This story makes me think, Sometimes winning an argument Perhaps in reality, something more important was actually lost. For example, feelings toward friends. Sometimes take a step back, Or let's find a better solution together. It could be beneficial for everyone. You're absolutely right. It's like a tug-of-war match, Both sides are pulling hard on the rope. Everyone wants to win. But if they focus only on their opponent, Don't pay attention to the ground beneath your feet, The rope might snap at any moment, Both sides will fall down. No one can win. True wisdom, You don't have to win every time there's a conflict. but rather to clearly understand the entire situation, Know when to hold on. When should you collaborate or compromise? Hmm, See the bigger picture, Don't just be that fish staring at the piece of meat. or just thinking about the stick that holds the bird's beak shut, Look up to see if a fisherman is standing nearby. Well said, Therefore, The next time we find ourselves in a dispute with someone else, You can first stop and think about it, The story of the fish and the stick Won't our quarrel benefit others? Is there a possibility of a win-win outcome? Alright, This is the last story now. I think the title of this story is especially interesting. Called "Yan'er Dao Ling," It immediately sounds like the person inside is kind of cute. And a bit foolish too. Ha ha, You're absolutely right. The protagonist of this story is indeed a little cute. Why don't you tell everyone about it? Alright, The story goes that, Long ago, there was a man, He took a fancy to a very beautiful large bell hanging in front of a medical worker's home. This bell is made of excellent materials. The voice is also very pleasant to hear. He really wanted to steal this bell and take it home. His goal is very clear. I just wanted to steal the bell. Yes But he had one concern, He knew that as long as he touched that bell with his hand, The bells will make a jingling sound. A sound rang out, Others will then discover him. He will be caught. He thought and thought, How can I get the bell? And don't let him make a sound either? This is a technical issue. He could find a piece of cloth to wrap around the bell, Maybe the sound will be a bit quieter. He isn't as smart as you. He thought for a long time, At last, he thought of a clever method he considered absolutely brilliant. He thought, The sound of the bell is heard through the ears. If I cover my own ears, Isn't that just the sound of the bells being inaudible? I can't hear. Others surely can't hear it either. Wait a minute, This logic is making my head spin. He covered his ears. Does he think others can't hear either? Yes. That's exactly how he thinks. He was extremely pleased with his own wisdom. So on a dark night, He quietly sneaked to the doorstep of that house, First, tightly cover your ears with both hands, Then reached out to pick the large bell. The outcome was可想而知, of course. Of course, As soon as he touched the bell, A crisp sound immediately rang out, It spread far and wide, The neighbors nearby and the homeowner were immediately awakened. They ran out and caught him on the spot. The thief might have still felt quite puzzled when caught. Why can you still hear me even though I've covered my ears? Hehe, It's very likely. This story sounds very simple. But the meaning is profound. By the way, Friends who listen to our podcast, If there were some words in the story just now that you didn't understand, It's completely fine, really. You can guess its meaning. Or, later on, we will also explain some important words. The most important thing is to listen relaxedly. Feel the rhythm and cadence of the Chinese language. Wang Yu is absolutely right. Learning a language, Immersion and feeling are the most important. Back to this story, He is actually describing a very common psychological phenomenon. Call it self-deception. Self-deception It's just self-deception. And also thought they could deceive others. The one who stole the bell, He thought that by covering his own ears, The sound would cease to exist. That is a very foolish idea. He is just deceiving himself. Objective facts do not change because of his subjective thoughts. In modern life, There are actually many instances of self-deception. For example, some people when driving, A warning light in the car came on. The car might have a problem. But he pretended not to see. Keep going. I thought to myself that there probably wasn't anything serious. I'll be fine by tomorrow. This is too dangerous. He thought that by not looking at that light, The problem no longer exists. But the problem remains in reality, And it might become even more severe, It's the same as covering one's ears while stealing a bell. Another example, For example, some people are afraid of finding out their exam results. Just keep not checking the scores, He thought that as long as he didn't look, That poor grade is as if it never existed. But in reality, the results were already determined long ago, Running away won't change anything. I fully understand this psychology. Faced with a reality one is unwilling to accept, Sometimes people unconsciously choose to escape. But this story reminds us that Running away is useless. The question is like the sound of that bell, Whether you listen or not, They are all there. Face the problem bravely. It is only the first step toward solving the problem. You're right. Acknowledging the existence of the problem is the beginning of solving it. The one who stole the bell, If only you could be a bit smarter, Try to come up with a way to truly make the bell stop ringing. rather than covering their own ears, Perhaps the outcome would be different. Of course, stealing is wrong in itself. Yes. Therefore, the story of "Covering One's Ears While Stealing a Bell" teaches us, Don't deceive yourself. One must respect objective facts. Bravely face reality and problems, Replace objective reality with subjective desires. In the end, one will only hurt oneself. That's right. Today, we share these three stories. "Buying and Selling Silver" "The Struggle Between Desire and the Stick" and "Stealing the Bell While Plugging One's Ears" Although they all come from a long time ago, Yet they reveal human frailties and the wisdom of life, It is still highly valuable today. Yes. They are like three mirrors, Let us see the mistakes we might make when thinking about problems. Alright, After talking so much, The stories have all been told. Now let's review several useful vocabulary items that appeared in today's conversation. Wang Yu, I'll ask, No problem. Let's begin. The first word is greed. In the story of "Selling Silver," We say the man who sells silver is very greedy. What does this word mean? Greedy, aren't you? It is an adjective. What it means is, Always wanting to get more things, Wanting this, yet still craving that. Never satisfied. For example, A person who is already very rich, But he still wants to make more money through bad methods. We could say he is very greedy. It is explained very clearly. Alright, The second one is an idiom, A fierce competition between the two. What does these four characters mean when put together? The idiom "yu bàng xiāng zhēng" is the second story we mentioned. It means two people or two groups struggle against each other for their own interests. Unwilling to yield As a result, the third person nearby benefited. It is usually used to describe a situation where both sides suffer losses, resulting in mutual damage. A situation where others profit. Very good. The last word, Stupid. When we talk about the thief who plugs his ears while stealing a bell, Say his ideas are foolish. Hmm, Foolishness is also an adjective. It means not smart. The idea is too simple. Or rather, a bit foolish. Often does things that are wrong and illogical. For example, that thief, He thought that if he covered his own ears, others wouldn't be able to hear. That idea is extremely foolish. That was explained very well. I hope these explanations of the words will help everyone better understand today's content. They are also quite commonly used in everyday Chinese. Yes. Everyone can try making one or two sentences using them. This way, you'll remember it more firmly. Alright, Our program for today is also coming to an end. Today, through three interesting idiom stories, Explored how to think more deeply about problems. Yes We talked about buying and selling shadows. It tells us not to focus solely on immediate benefits, Think about the essence of things. We talked about the competition between desire and morality. It reminds us to see the bigger picture amidst conflicts. Avoid mutual destruction. Let others profit. We also talked about the idiom "covering one's ears while stealing a bell." It warns us not to deceive ourselves, Face reality bravely. I hope these ancient wisdoms can inspire everyone with some new ideas. If everyone would like to read the complete transcript of today's episode, You can check out our blog. You can search for our blog's name online. You can find a Chinese podcast every day. There you can find the transcripts of every episode. For your convenience in reviewing and studying. If you feel that today's program has been helpful to your Chinese learning, I hope you can give us a like, Subscribe to our channel, Or share it with your friends. Your support is our greatest motivation to keep going. By the way, We'd also like to hear your thoughts. Today we discussed three Chinese idiom stories. Are there similar stories in your country? Or have you ever done something like covering your eyes to steal a bell? An amusing experience of deceiving oneself? Feel free to leave us a message in the comments section below and share your story, We really look forward to your sharing. Yes. We will carefully read every comment. Perhaps the interesting questions you raise or the wonderful stories you share It will become the theme of our next episode. Alright, That's it for today, then. Thank you all for listening. See you next time. Goodbye.