People who lost their fathers at a young age, people who lost their sons at an old age, people who lost their wives at an old age, and people who lost their husbands at an old age.(孤獨矜寡)
People who lost their fathers at a young
age, people who lost their sons at an old age, people who lost their wives at
an old age, and people who lost their husbands at an old age.(孤獨矜寡)
Dai Sheng was an important Confucian
scholar during the Han dynasty.
He collected and compiled many Confucian
articles into a book. This book is the 'Book of Rites'.
It records the rules and regulations of the
ancient Zhou dynasty in China in detail. It sets out the etiquette and norms
that people of every social class should abide by.
The Zhou dynasty was the last feudal
dynasty in Chinese history and the longest-lasting.
The Zhou dynasty king distributed land
within the dynasty to nobles, who were kings in their own territories. They had
to pay the Zhou king a certain amount of money and goods every year.
A few decades after the Zhou Dynasty was
established, more and more nobles emerged, establishing over 140 kingdoms
within the dynasty.
The Book of Rites also set out a detailed
code of conduct for these leaders, to help them govern their kingdoms.
The following passage is from this book:
'The leader of a kingdom should care about
the vulnerable groups in his kingdom.'
There are four types of people who need
special care: Those who lost their fathers at a young age, those who lost their
sons or wives at an old age, and those who lost their husbands or wives at an
old age.
The kingdom should establish a mechanism to
provide these people with regular living subsidies.
In addition, disabled people need to be
cared for.
The kingdom should also provide special
subsidies for deaf and dumb people, very short people, and anyone who is unable
to earn a living and can only earn a little money through their own labour.
When walking on the road, men should walk
on the right and women on the left, leaving the middle for carriages.
If a young man meets someone of a similar
age to his father while walking on the road, he should let the older person
walk in front of him.
If a young man meets someone of a similar
age to his brother, he should walk slightly behind them.
If an old man and a young man are both
carrying a light load, the young man should help the old man carry it.
If an old man and a young man are both
carrying a heavy load, the young man should help the old man carry it.
Young people should take the initiative to
help elderly people and not let them carry things or walk long distances.
The state should provide carriages for
elderly aristocrats and meat for elderly civilians.
This idiom literally refers to people who
lost their fathers at a young age, their sons at an old age, their wives at an
old age, or their husbands at an old age.
This idiom is used to describe
disadvantaged groups in society.
Dear friends, what inspiration or thoughts
have you gained from listening to this story?
What subsidies does your country provide
for disadvantaged groups? If you see someone in need, would you take the
initiative to help them?
I hope this story brings you new insights.
孤獨矜寡(people who lost their fathers at a
young age, people who lost their sons at an old age, people who lost their
wives at an old age, and people who lost their husbands at an old age.)
(戴聖)是漢王朝時代的一個重要的儒家學者。
他蒐集了許多儒家的文章，編著成為一本書。這本書就是(禮記)。
這本書中詳細地記載了中國古代的周王朝的典章制度，在這本書中紀錄了生活在這個社會的每個階層的人應該遵守的禮儀與規範。
周王朝是中國歷史上最後一個封建世襲的王朝，周王朝也是中國歷史上延續時間最久的王朝。
周王朝的國王把王朝內的土地分給王朝中的貴族們，這些貴族在自己的領地各自稱王。這些貴族們必須每年進貢一定的金錢與貨品給周王朝的國王。
周王朝建立幾十年後，王朝內的貴族愈來愈多，周王朝中這些貴族們所建立的王國超過140個。
禮記這本書中也針對了這些王國的領導者制定了一套很詳細的規則，這些規則可以協助這些王國的領導者治理好自己的王國。
這本書中有一段文字如下。
一個王國的領導者要關心他的王國中的那些弱勢族群。
有四種人是最需要特別關心的人，這四種人分別年幼即失去父親的人，老了卻失去兒子的人，年老而失去妻子的人，年老而失去丈夫的人。
王國中要建立一套機制去對這種人有著經常性的生活補貼。
另外還需要關懷的是一些殘疾人。
啞吧、聾子、或是其他任何肢體殘缺者、長的特別矮小的人以及各種沒有謀生能力只能靠自己的勞力賺點很少的錢的人，王國中也要提供這些人特別的補助。
在馬路上行走時，男子要靠右邊走，婦人要靠左邊走，馬路的中央是給馬車走的。
如果一個年輕人走在路上時，遇到一個和自己父親年齡差不多的人，這個年輕人要讓這個年長者走在自己的前邊。
如果一個年輕人走上路上時，遇到一個和自己兄長年齡差不多的人，這個年輕人要稍微走在這個人的後面。
當一個老年人與一個年輕人都挑著很輕的擔子時，年輕人應該協助老人挑那個輕擔子。
當一個老年人與一個年輕人都挑著很重的擔子時，年輕人應把幫忙老人分擔那個重擔子。
年輕人要主動幫忙那些年老的人，不要讓頭髮花白的老人提著東西走路。
貴族階級的老人出門國家要安排馬車；平民階級的老者吃飯國家要安排肉食。
這句成語直接翻譯的意思是年幼即失去父親的人，老了卻失去兒子的人，年老而失去妻子的人，年老而失去丈夫的人。
這句成語被用來形容社會上的弱勢族群。
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。
你的國家對於弱勢族群有怎樣的補助呢?你看到需要幫助的人的時候你會主動幫忙這個人嗎？
我期待這故事能讓你產生一些新的收穫。
出處為禮記-王制
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