These people were staring at each other(面面相覷)
At the end of the Ming Dynasty in China,
there was a famous writer (Feng Menglong) who wrote a collection of short
stories.
There is a true story recorded in the
history books of the Han Dynasty in China. He adapted this story into a fantasy
short story that is completely opposite to the real historical events.
The protagonist of this story is called
(Zhang Shao) and he has a good friend called (Fan Shi).
In order to keep the agreement with Zhang
Shao, (Fan Shi) decided to commit suicide in order to arrive at Zhang Shao's
house on a certain date.
(Fan Shi's) soul arrived at Zhang Shao's
house on the day they agreed to meet, and (Fan Shi's) soul said to Zhang Shao.
You are my best friend. I am very grateful
for everything you have done for me. I am also very grateful that you
remembered the agreement between us. I can come to your house to see you today.
I can keep our promise. I think this is very precious.
After saying these words, [Fan Shi's] soul
disappeared.
The day after this happened, Zhang Shao
said goodbye to his mother and brother and went to (Fan Shi's) house to attend
(Fan Shi's) funeral.
After Zhang Shao left home, he was very
anxious. When he was hungry, he just ate something casually. He didn't have
time to wash his dirty clothes. He got up very early every day and walked very
late every day before finding a random inn to rest.
Every day before he went to bed, as long as
he thought of [Fan Shi's] death, he would cry sadly.
He walked for 13 consecutive days and
finally arrived at (Fan Shi's) hometown.
After entering the village where (Fan Shi)
lived, he found Fan Shi's house according to the address.
He knocked on the door, but no one
answered. An old woman who lived next door to [Fan Shi's] house told him.
The male owner of this family has died, and
his family held his funeral today. They should prepare for the funeral at the
cemetery now.
After thanking the old woman and asking for
directions to the cemetery, he immediately ran to the cemetery outside the
village.
When he arrived at the cemetery, he saw a
group of people gathered around a grave. These people were staring at each
other, and the expressions on their faces were very surprised and panicked.
Then he saw a woman and a young man, about
18 years old, kneeling beside a coffin and crying loudly.
Zhang Shao went over to the group and
asked.
Are you the family and friends of (Fan
Shi)?
The weeping woman looked up after hearing
Zhang Shao's words, wiped her tears and said to Zhang Shao.
Are you Zhang Shao?
Zhang Shao replied in surprise.
How do you know who I am?
The woman replied.
I am (Fan Shi's) wife. He has mentioned
your name many times over the past year. He told us that you saved his life and
that you are his very good friend.
On the Double Ninth Festival he suddenly
said to me.
He made a big mistake. He forgot his
agreement with you. To keep the agreement, he wanted to commit suicide. His
soul wanted to go to your hometown to keep the agreement.
I tried to talk him out of it, but he was
very insistent. He told me that he believed that a man's reputation was more
important than his life.
He died two weeks ago. According to custom,
his body will be buried today.
We held the funeral in the morning and
arrived at the cemetery at noon, but suddenly something strange happened. His
coffin suddenly got stuck in the grave. We all tried very hard but we couldn't
move his coffin.
We all didn't know how to deal with the
situation, so when I was crying, I said to him in my heart.
Has something happened? What is the reason
why your coffin cannot be buried properly?
At that time, I suddenly heard your
question. Although I don't know you, I think you must be Zhang Shao.
After Zhang Shao heard what (Fan Shi's)
wife said, he burst into tears.
This idiom directly translates to these
people staring at each other.
This idiom can be used to describe a group
of people who are staring at each other because of something that has surprised
and astonished people. This group of people doesn't know how to explain it and
how to deal with it.
Dear friends, what kind of inspiration or
thoughts do you have after listening to this story?
Have you ever encountered things that you
felt you could not reasonably explain? Have you ever attended a funeral that
struck you?
I hope this story can bring you some new
insights.
面面相覷(These people were staring at each
other)
中國的明王朝末年，有一個著名的文學家，他的名字叫做(馮夢龍)，他寫過一本短篇小說集。
中國的漢王朝的歷史書中記載了一個真實的故事，他根據這個故事改編成一篇與真實的歷史事件完全相反的奇幻的短篇小說。
這個故事的主角的名字叫做(張劭)，他有一個名字叫做(范式)的好朋友。
(范式)為了遵守與張劭的約定，(范式)為了在一個指定好的日期到達張劭的家，所以(范式)選擇自殺。
(范式)的靈魂在他們兩個人約定的那一天到了張劭的家，(范式)的靈魂對張劭說。
你是我最好的朋友，我很感謝你為我所做的一切，我也很感定你記得我們之間的約定，我今天可以來你家見到你，我可以遵守我們之間的承諾，我覺得非常的有價值。
說完這些話後，(范式)的靈魂就消失不見了。
這件事情發生的隔天，張劭告別他的母親與弟弟，他前往(范氏)的家中參加(范式)的葬禮。
張劭離開他的家後，他非常焦急地趕路，他餓的時候就隨便吃一點東西，他的衣服髒了他也沒有時間洗，他每天都起的很早，他每天都走到很晚才隨便找一間客棧休息。
他每天睡覺前只要想到(范式)已經離世，他就會悲傷地哭泣。
他連續走了13天，他終於到了(范式)的家鄉。
他走進(范式)住的那個村莊後，他按著地址找到了范是的家。
他敲門後一直沒有人來應門，住在(范式)他家隔壁的一個老婦人對他說。
這家的男主人死了，他的家人今天舉辦了他的喪禮，他們一家人現在應該在墓園中準備舉辦下葬的儀式。
他跟這個老婦人表示感謝並問清楚墓園的方向後，他就立刻向村莊外的墓園跑去。
他到了墓園的時候，他看到有一群人圍在一個墓地旁邊，這些人相互注視著彼此，這些人臉上的表情非常的驚訝與慌張。
他接著看到這一群人中間有一個婦人與一個大約18歲的青年人，這個婦人與這個青年人跪在一具棺材旁大聲地哭泣。
張劭走向這群人，他問。
請問你們是(范式)的家人與朋友嗎?
那個哭泣的婦人聽到張劭的話後，她抬起頭來，她抹了抹眼淚後對張劭說。
你是張劭嗎?
張劭很驚訝的回答。
你怎麼知道我是誰呢?
那個婦人回答。
我是(范式)的妻子，在過去的一年中，他常常提起你的名字，他對我們說你救了他的命，你是他非常好的朋友。
重陽節那一天，他突然對我說。
他犯了一個嚴重的錯誤，他忘記了跟你的約定，他為了遵守約定，所以他要自殺，他的靈魂要去你的家鄉赴約。
我一直勸他不要這樣做，但是他非常的堅持，他對我說。他認為一個人的信用比性命更重要。
他死了之後到今天已經兩個禮拜，按照禮儀，今天要將他的屍體下葬。
我們早上舉辦了喪禮，中午就到了墓園，但是突然發生了很奇怪的事情，他的棺木竟然突然卡在墓穴之中，我們大家花了很大的力氣都無法搬動他的棺木。
我們大家都不知道該怎樣處理這個狀況，所以我剛才哭泣的時候，我的心中對他說。
莫非發生了什麼事情嗎?倒底是甚麼原因讓你的棺木才無法順利下葬?
這個時候，我突然聽到你的問話，雖然我不認識你，但我猜你應該就是張劭。
張劭聽完(范式)的妻子的話後，他激動地大哭。
這句成語直接翻譯的意思是這些人相互注視著彼此。
這句成語可以被用來形容因為發生了一件令人們覺得驚訝與詫異的事情，所以導致一群人彼此注視著彼此，這群人不知道跟怎樣解釋與處理這件事情。
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。
你曾經遇過那些令你覺得無法合理解釋的事情嗎?你參加過那些令你覺得印象深刻的喪禮嗎?
我期待這故事能讓你產生一些新的收穫。
出處為喻世名言-16卷-范巨卿雞黍死生交
https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/%E5%96%BB%E4%B8%96%E6%98%8E%E8%A8%80/%E7%AC%AC16%E5%8D%B7