The water in the sea around China seems to
be boiling.(四海鼎沸)
After the Three Kingdoms period in China
came the Jin Dynasty, which was divided into two phases.
From 266 AD to 316 AD, it was called the
Western Jin Dynasty, with its capital in Luoyang City.
From 317 to 420 AD, it was called the
Eastern Jin Dynasty and its capital was Jiankang City.
When the Jin Dynasty was founded, national
power was very weak.
In order to strengthen his power internally
and to resist the invasion of the nomads externally, the king of the Jin
dynasty divided the land of the Jin dynasty among eight princes. These eight
princes could have independent armies and financial revenues.
Although this decision brought short-term
stability to the Jin dynasty, it also created great hidden dangers later on.
From 291 AD to 306 AD, during these 16
years, there were serious political struggles between the eight princes of the
Jin dynasty and the king of the central government, a total of nine forces
vying for control of the central government.
Because of the internal turmoil in the Jin
dynasty, the five ethnic groups in northern China took advantage of the
opportunity to launch continuous attacks and invasions against the Jin dynasty
from 304 AD.
A famous general named Zu Ti from the
Western Jin Dynasty lived during this period of extreme chaos in all aspects.
He was born in 266 AD and died in 321 AD.
He had a good friend called Liu Kun. Liu Kun was born in 270 AD and died in 318
AD.
Liu Kun and Zu Ti met in 289 AD when Liu
Kun was 19 years old and Zu Ti was 23 years old. Both were working in a local
government in the Western Jin Dynasty at the time.
They were very close in age and
personality, and they quickly became very good friends.
They work together every day and stay in
the same room at night. They often sit on the bed together and talk until
midnight.
They were troubled by the drastic changes
in the society in which they lived and worried about the political turmoil
between the central and local princes. They all believed that the Jin dynasty
was gradually heading towards chaos and disorder.
One night, the two of them were talking
together again. After a heated discussion about the current political
situation, Zu Ti suddenly said to Liu Kun
I think our Jin Dynasty is about to fall
into great turmoil. I feel that the water in the sea surrounding China is
boiling.
I felt that there was not much time left
for the two of us to drink and talk in peace.
The times are too turbulent, and we don't
know what will happen to us in the future.
We are good friends now, but in the future
we may become each other's competitors.
I want to make an agreement with you. No
matter what happens in the future, if the two of us meet again on the
battlefield, we should both remember everything now and do our best to prevent
each other from dueling and fighting each other.
Liu Kun nodded in agreement with Zu Ti's
words.
The literal translation of this saying is
that the water in the sea surrounding China seems to be boiling.
It is used to describe the situation in a
region or country that is very chaotic and disorderly.
Dear friend, what kind of inspiration do
you have after listening to this story?
Is your best friend from your youth still
on good terms with you? Do you think your country will get better or worse in
the next few years?
I hope this story gives you some new
insights.
四海鼎沸(The water in the sea around China
seems to be boiling.)
中國的三國時代之後就是晉王朝，晉王朝分成兩個階段。
西元266年到西元316年稱為西晉王朝，首都位於洛陽市。
西元317年到西元420年稱為東晉王朝，首都位建康康市。
晉王朝剛建立的時候，國力非常的衰弱。
晉王朝的國王對內為了強化統治力量，對外為了抵抗遊牧民族的入侵，所以他把晉王朝的土地分封給八個諸侯，這八個諸侯可以擁有單獨的軍隊與財政收入。
這個決定雖然讓晉王朝獲得的短暫的穩定，但也造成了後來極大的隱患。
西元291年到西元306年，這16年的時間內，晉王朝中的八個諸侯與中央政府的國王共九股勢力為了爭奪中央政府的領導權發生的嚴重的政治內鬥
因為晉王朝內部發生動亂，所以從西元304年開始，中國北方的五個民族便利用這個機會不停地發動對晉王朝的攻擊與侵略。
西晉王朝的一個著名的名字叫做祖逖的將軍就生活在這個在各方面都極度混亂的年代。
他出生於西元266年，死於西元321年，他有一個名字叫做劉琨的好朋友，劉琨出生於西元270年，死於西元318年。
劉琨和祖逖認識的時間是在西元289年，那個時候劉琨19歲、祖逖23歲。他們兩個人那個時候都在西晉王朝的一個地方政府內工作。
他們兩個人的年紀與個性都非常接近，他們兩個人很快就成了非常要好的朋友。
他們兩個人每天一起工作，晚上也住在同一個房間內，他們常常晚上一起坐在床上聊天聊到半夜。
他們對於他們所生活的社會的劇烈變化感到煩惱，他們對於中央與地方諸侯之間產生的政治動盪感到憂心，他們’都認為晉王朝正逐漸走向的混亂與無序。
有一天晚上，他們兩個人又一起邊聊天，他們針對當前的政治情勢進行一番熱烈的討論後，祖逖突然對劉琨說。
我認為我們晉王朝即將陷入非常大的動亂，我感覺包圍中國四周的大海中的海水像是沸騰了一樣。
我感覺我們兩個人可以安心地一起喝酒聊天的時間已經不多了。
時代太過動亂，我們兩個人之後的命運不知道會如何。
我們現在是好朋友，以後說不定會變成彼此的競爭對手。
我想跟你約定一件事情，不管未來發展如何，我們兩個人以後如果再戰場上相遇，我們兩個人應該記得現在的一切，我們應該盡力去讓彼此不要相互對決與爭鬥。
劉琨點頭表示認同祖逖的話。
這句成語直接翻譯的意思是包圍中國四周的大海中的海水像是沸騰了一樣。
這句成語被用來形容一個地區或一個國家的情勢非常混亂與失序。
親愛的朋友，你聽完這個故事有什麼樣的或有什麼樣的啟發呢。
你年輕時的好朋友現在跟你的關係還是很好嗎?你認為你的國家未來幾年會變好還是變壞呢?
我希望這個故事能讓你產生一些新的收穫。
出處為晉書-列傳32-祖逖傳