Soft silk fabrics produced in Yue and silk
fabrics with beautiful patterns produced in Shu(越羅蜀錦)
There was a famous poet in China's Tang
Dynasty, his name was (Du Fu).
He is the greatest poet in Chinese history,
and his poems reflect his observation of social reality and his love of life.
He wrote a poem in which he used the
process of making a beautiful piece of silk as a metaphor for the predicament
he felt intellectuals were in at the time.
The general meaning of the poem is as
follows.
After a series of complicated procedures,
the snow-white silk appears before our eyes. These clothes will soon be
transformed into soft silk fabrics produced in the Yue region and silk fabrics
with beautiful patterns produced in the Shu region.
Many skilled weavers on looms weave the
silk into different types of silk with different patterns.
These silks are then dyed in a variety of
the most popular and dazzling colours.
Skilled tailors then weave the silks into
beautiful haute couture garments and finally iron them to perfection.
These clothes were favoured by many
beautiful women who bought them and wore them when they went out for fun in the
spring.
These beautiful women danced in the
sunshine and the breeze in their new clothes, and their bodies shone with a
dazzling glow.
These beautiful clothes are beautiful now,
but after a while they will become old and dirty. At that time, their owners
will put them in the old wardrobe or even throw them away.
When I see these clothes, I am reminded of
the many intellectuals of our time. These talented people are just like these
beautiful clothes. Only a few of these intellectuals can enter the central
government to serve the country and society. But even if these intellectuals
can enter the central government, how many of them can keep their splendour for
a long time?
Most intellectuals would often be quickly
rejected and neglected by the king, and would never have the opportunity to
show their talents again in their lifetime.
The literal translation of this idiom is
the soft silk fabrics produced in the Yue region and the silk fabrics with
beautiful patterns produced in the Shu region.
This idiom also refers to a famous local
speciality.
Dear friends, what do you feel or think
after listening to this story?
How many clothes do you buy and throw away
every year? What is the most unique local speciality you have ever bought?
I hope this story can give you some new
insights.
越羅蜀錦(Soft silk fabrics produced in Yue and
silk fabrics with beautiful patterns produced in Shu.)
中國的唐王朝時代有一個著名的詩人，他的名字是(杜甫)。
他是中國歷史上最偉大的詩人，他寫的詩反映了他對社會現實的觀察與他對生命的熱愛。
他寫過一首詩，這首詩藉由一塊美麗的絲綢的生產過程來隱喻他所感受到了當時的知識份子面臨的困境。
這首詩的大概意思如下。
經過一連串複雜的手續，雪白的蠶絲出現在我們的眼前，這些衣服在不久之後將會被製成越地區生產的輕柔的絲織品與蜀地區生產的有美麗花紋的絲織品。
織布機上許多熟練的織布女們把這些蠶絲織成各式各樣有著不同花紋的綢緞。
這些綢緞接著會染上最流行與最耀眼的各種不同的顏色。
手藝高超的裁縫們接著會把這些綢緞織成美麗的高級訂製服，最後會把這些衣服熨燙平整。
這些衣服被許多美麗的女子看上，這些美麗的女子買了這些衣服然後在春天的時候穿著這些衣服出門遊玩。
這些美麗的女子穿著新衣服在陽光與微風中跳舞，這些女子們的身上閃耀出耀眼的光芒。
這些漂亮的衣服現在很美但是一段時間後就會變舊又變髒，到時候這些衣服就會被它的主人放在舊衣櫃中甚至還有可能被丟棄。
看到這些衣服任我想到生活在我們這個時代的許多知識份子，這些有才華的人就像這些美麗的衣服一樣，這些知識份子中只有少數可以進入中央政府內為國家與社會服務，但這些知識份子就算可以進入中央政府後，又有多少可以維持長久的光榮呢?
絕大多數的知識份子往往會很快地被國王所厭棄與冷落，一輩子再也無法有機會發揮自已的才能。
這句成語直接翻譯的意思是越地區生產的輕柔的絲織品與蜀地區生產的有美麗花紋的絲織品。
這句成語也一個地方的著名的特色產品。
親愛的朋友，你聽完這個故事有怎樣的感受或有怎樣的想法呢?
你每年大概會買多少衣服會丟棄多少衣服呢?你曾經買過最有特色的地方特產為何呢?
我希望這故事能讓你產生一些新的收穫。
出處為唐-杜甫-白絲行
https://zh.wikisource.org/zh-hant/%E7%99%BD%E7%B5%B2%E8%A1%8C