A bird of prey wouldn't live among ordinary
birds.(鷙鳥不群)
During China's Warring States period, there
was a famous minister named Qu Yuan in the Kingdom of Chu.
This was a time of great chaos and turmoil.
Of royal descent, Qu Yuan was deeply concerned with the affairs of state in Chu
and the lives of its people.
A man of lofty ideals, he sought to reform
the corrupt central government of Chu, bravely fighting against ministers who
cared only about pleasure, power and wealth.
Ultimately, however, he failed to achieve
his ideals. At the age of 64, having suffered a devastating setback, he took
his own life by jumping into a river.
He is also recognised as China's first
poet. He wrote a poem expressing his life experiences and pursuits. This poem,
comprising over 2,400 characters, is considered the most magnificent lyric poem
in Chinese literary history.
It is titled Li Sao, which literally means
'the sorrows I have suffered'.
The following lines from the poem roughly
capture its meaning:
'The world I live in is filled with
opportunists who break the law, bend the rules arbitrarily and interact with
others through flattery and fawning. They believe their approach to life to be
incredibly clever.
I feel deeply depressed and frustrated. I'm
not valued as I should be and I feel uneasy.
Living in this era, I feel as though I have
lost my sense of direction.
I refuse to be like these despicable people
who compromise their principles to satisfy their own desires. I would rather
die than share the same lifestyle as those I despise.
A bird of prey won't flock with other birds
— it's a natural law.
Similarly, a square tenon won't fit into a
round hole, and people with different aspirations can't be true friends.
This idiom literally means that a bird of
prey would not associate with ordinary birds.
It is used to describe a person of noble
character, strength and integrity. They are different from vulgar and
despicable people, and they refuse to associate with those they despise.
Dear friends, what insights or thoughts
have you gained from this story?
What principles do you uphold in life? Who
do you despise?
I hope this story will provide you with
some new insights.
鷙鳥不群(A bird of prey wouldn't live among
ordinary birds.)
中國的戰國時代的楚王國有一個著名的大臣，他的名字叫做屈原。
中國的戰國時代是一個非常混亂且動盪的時代，屈原有王室的血統，他對楚王國的國家大事非常的關心，他也很在乎楚王國的人民的生活。
他是一個有著崇高的理想的人，他想要改革楚王國的腐敗的中央政府，他奮勇對抗當時楚王國的許多只想要享樂與只在乎權力與金錢的大臣們。
他最終沒有實現他的人生理想，在他大約64歲那一年，他在經歷一次巨大的打擊之後，他選擇跳河自殺。
他也是中國公認的第一個詩人，他寫過詩一首詩來表述說他的人生遭遇與他的人生追求，這首詩多達2400多個字，是中國文學史上最宏偉的抒情長詩。
這首詩的詩名叫做(離騷)，直接翻譯的意思是我所遭受到的憂患。
這首詩中有幾句詩的大概意思如下。
我活著的這個世界中有著許多喜歡投機取巧的人，這些人他們違背法度，他們妄自改變規則，他們用諂媚與逢迎的態度來與他人相處，他們認為自己的這種生活態度非常的聰明。
我感到非常的憂鬱與煩悶，我沒有受到應有的重視，我的內心感到極度不安。
我生活在這個時代中，我感覺我的生命找不到出口。
我不願意跟這那些性格卑鄙的人一樣，為了滿足自己的慾望而與這個世界妥協，我寧願死去也不願意跟這些我所輕視的人們有著相同的生活方式。
一隻猛禽不會跟其他的鳥群居在一起，這是大自然的規律，
一個方形的榫頭無法跟一個圓形的孔洞相吻合，兩個志向不同的人也不可能成為真正要好的朋友。
這句成語直接翻譯的意思是一隻猛禽不會跟那些普通的鳥群居住在一起。
這句成語被用來比喻一個志行高潔且剛強正直的人，這個人的本性與那些俗氣與卑鄙的人不同，這個人不願意跟那些他所瞧不起的人在一起。
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。
你有那些你所捍衛的人生原則呢?你會輕視哪些人呢?
我期待這故事能讓你產生一些新的收穫。
出處為楚-屈原-離騷