The good rain will come to us with the
chariot you are riding in.(甘雨隨車)
There was a famous minister in the Eastern
Han Dynasty of China, his name was Baili Song. There is a story about him in
the history books.
He is a very kind man who has a very close
relationship with the people. He often goes among the people to understand the
real conditions of their lives and provide them with the help they need.
He was once the governor of Xuzhou. The
territory of Xuzhou covers roughly the area that is now the southern part of
Shandong Province and the northern part of Jiangsu Province in China.
One year there was a drought in the Xuzhou
area. It didn't rain during the season when it should have. People's rice
fields lacked rainwater, so many of the rice fields were about to dry up.
When he heard the news, he was very
concerned about the people's living conditions, so he decided to visit
different places in Xuzhou.
Transportation in ancient times was not as
convenient as it is now. It would take several weeks to inspect Xuzhou, and it
would also consume a lot of physical and mental energy.
As he visited various villages and towns,
something incredible happened.
It seemed that a mysterious force followed
the carriage he was riding in. Whenever he arrived at a town in the carriage,
it would start to rain in the town and the water shortage in the town would be
relieved immediately.
This is a difficult phenomenon to explain,
but it really happens.
A few weeks later, after visiting all the
towns in Xuzhou, he returned to the provincial government headquarters.
A few days later he received a message.
This message came from two small towns in
Xuzhou. These two small towns are in the mountains, transport is very
inconvenient and the population is small.
The people of these two small towns wrote to
him.
Our area is suffering from drought, as are
other towns in Xuzhou. We have heard that when the carriage you are riding in
reaches a town, it will start to rain in that town.
We are looking forward to you coming to see
us, and we hope that the beautiful rain will come to our town along with the
carriage you are riding in.
We have waited a long time. When will you
come to both of our towns?
Baili Song was shocked to find that his
inspection route was not well planned, so he did not go to these two small
towns.
He immediately made arrangements and
travelled to the two towns the day after he received the news.
When he arrived at these two small towns a
few days later, something wonderful happened again. It began to rain in these
two small towns. When the people of these two small towns saw that it was
starting to rain, all the people cheered loudly.
The direct translation of this idiom is
that the good rain will come to us along with the carriage you are riding in.
It is used to describe an official who
cares for the people, who is attentive to the needs of the people, and who
governs the people with a benevolent heart.
Dear friend, what inspirations or thoughts
do you have after listening to this story?
Have you ever experienced drought? If you
were in Bailisong, would you make a special trip to these two small towns?
I hope this story can give you some new
insights.
甘雨隨車(The good rain will come to us with
the chariot you are riding in.)
中國的東漢王朝有一個著名的大臣，他的名字叫做百里嵩。歷史書上記載了一個他的故事。
他是一個很仁慈的人，他與人民之間保持著很親近的關係，他常常走入民間了解人民生活的實際狀況並且提供人民需要的協助。
他曾經擔任徐州的州長。徐州的範圍大概涵蓋著現在中國的山東省的南部與江蘇省的北部的這一塊區域。
有一年，徐州這個地區發生了旱災，在本應該下雨的季節沒有下雨，人民的稻田缺乏雨水的滋潤、所以很多稻子都要乾枯了。
他聽到這個訊息後，他很擔心百姓的生活情況，他就決定到徐州內的各個鄉鎮巡視一遍。
古代的交通沒有像現在那麼方便，巡視徐州要花好幾個禮拜的時間，也會花費極大的體力與精神。
在他這次造訪各鄉鎮的途中，發生了一件很不可思議的事情。
好像有一股神祕的力量跟隨著他所搭乘的馬車，每當他搭著馬車到達一個城鎮時，這個城鎮中就會開始下雨，這個城鎮缺水的情況就立刻得到緩解。
這是一個難以解釋的現象，但是這現象真的發生了。
幾個禮拜後，他巡視完徐州的所有城鎮後他回到州政府的所在地。
幾天後，他收到一個訊息。
這個訊息是來自於徐州內的兩個小城鎮，這兩個小城鎮在山上，交通很不方便而且人口也很少。
這兩個小城鎮的百姓們寫信給他。
我們這邊就如同徐州其他的城鎮一樣正遭遇旱災，我們聽說當你所搭乘的馬車到一座城鎮時，那個城鎮就會開始下雨。
我們很期盼你來到我們這裡，我們希望美好的雨水會跟著你所搭乘的馬車一起來到我們這個小鎮。
我們已經等了好久了，請問你何時會來到我們兩個小鎮呢?
百里嵩驚覺地發現他這次的巡視路線沒有規劃好，所以他沒有去到這兩個小鎮。
他立刻協調並且安排，在他收到這個消息的第二天，他立刻前往這兩個小鎮。
當幾天後他抵達這兩個小鎮後，奇妙的事情再度發生，這兩個小鎮中也開始下起了雨，當這兩個小鎮的居民們看見天空開始下雨時所有的百姓都大聲歡呼。
這句成語直接翻譯的意思是美好的雨水會跟著你所搭乘的馬車一起來到我們這裡。
這句成語被用來形容一個官員很關心人民，這個官員很用心地去看待人民的需要、這個官員用仁慈的心去治理人民。
親愛的朋友，你聽完這個故事有怎樣的啟發或有怎樣的想法呢。
你是否經歷過旱災呢?你如果百里嵩，你會特地為了這兩個小鎮專程再跑一趟嗎?
我期待這故事能讓你產生一些新的收穫。
出處為謝承-後漢書-卷5-45條