Never met before(素不相識)
During the Three Kingdoms period in China,
there was a famous minister named Lu Mao in the Wu Kingdom. His story is
recorded in historical books.
His elder brother was prime minister of the
Eastern Wu Kingdom, and his family was very wealthy. Despite his family's
wealth and high social status, he was a man of principle who did not neglect
his studies. He studied diligently, making many good friends in the process,
and he valued these friendships highly.
Most of his friends were commoners who
shared a common trait: lofty ambitions and a willingness to study hard to
better themselves.
As these friends were struggling
financially, they often sought financial support from Lu Mao. Lu Mao did not
value money and warmly welcomed his friends. They ate and studied together,
encouraging each other and growing together.
One day, something happened that astonished
everyone because of the way Lu Mao handled it.
A middle-aged man whom Lu Mao had never met
before arrived at his home with a very young child.
Lu Mao greeted the man and asked,
'Who are you?' Why have you come to see me
so suddenly?"
The middle-aged man replied,
'I live in the capital. I am just an
ordinary, poor man. I have come to see you because my neighbour died a few days
ago.' Before he died, he shared his final words with me.
Lu Mao asked, puzzled.
'What did he say?' What have his last words
got to do with you coming to see me?'
The middle-aged man replied,
'My neighbour told me that he had never
seen you before, but he heard that you were from the same hometown as him.'
He fell ill and his wife had passed away a
long time ago. After he died, he needed to find someone worthy to take care of
his son.
He believed that you valued human
relationships and asked me to bring his son to your home. He wanted to ask you
to adopt his son.'
After we had spoken, the middle-aged man
pushed the toddler, who had been hiding behind him, in front of Lu Mao.
After listening to the man, Lu Mao thought
for a few minutes before replying, 'Tell me exactly where you live and I will
have someone thoroughly investigate your background and that of the toddler.
If what you say is true, then I am willing
to adopt the child."
A few days later, Lu Mao officially adopted
the toddler. He cared for the child diligently, providing for his education as
if he were his own son.
This idiom means 'never met before'.
It is used to describe two people who do
not know each other.
Dear friend, what inspiration or thoughts
did you gain from this story?
If you were Lu Mao, what decision would you
make? Do you value friendship highly?
I hope this story gives you some new
insights.
素不相識(Never met before)
·中國的三國時代的吳王國有一個著名的大臣，他的名字叫做陸瑁，歷史書上記載了一個他的故事。
他的哥哥是東吳王國的宰相，他家中的經濟條件非好，他是一個很有原則的人，他沒有因為他家中的經濟情況與社會地位很高就荒廢學習，他很用心地念書，他在學習的過程中認識了很多好朋友，他很重視自己跟這些好朋友之間的友誼。
他的好朋友們大部分都是一些平民，他與他的好朋友們有一個共同的特質，那就是他們都有遠大的抱負，而且他們都願意積極地念書來充實自己。
這些好朋友們因為生活很困難，所以他們常常跟陸瑁尋求經濟上的支持，陸瑁不重視金錢，他很熱情的接待他的這些朋友們，他跟他的好朋友們一起吃飯一起學習，他們彼此鼓勵且一起成長。
有一天，發生了一件事情，陸瑁處理這件事情的方式讓眾人都驚嘆。
有一個陸瑁從來都沒見過面的一個中年人帶著一個年紀很小的幼童來到陸瑁的家中找他。
陸瑁接待了這個中年人並問。
你是誰?你為何突然來找我呢?
那個中年人回答。
我住在首都，我是一個普通的貧窮的百姓，我來找你，是因為我的鄰居前幾天死了，他死之前對我說了他的遺言。
陸瑁很疑惑地問。
他說了什麼遺言呢?他的遺言跟你來找我有甚麼關係呢?
那個中年人回答。
我那個鄰居對我說，他從來都沒見過你，但是他聽說你跟他是同一個故鄉的人。
他生了病，他的妻子也早就過世了，他死之後，他必須要為他的兒子尋找一個值得託付的人。
他認為你是一個很重視人與人之間的感情的人，他請我把他的兒子帶來你家，他想要請求你收養他的兒子。
說完這段話，那個中年人把那個躲在他身後的幼童推到陸瑁的面前。
陸瑁聽完這個中年人的話後，他思考了幾分鐘，他回答那個中年人。
你清清楚楚地告訴我你住在那裡，你與這個幼童的背景我會請人去詳細調查清楚。
如果你說的是真的，那麼我願意收養這個幼童。
幾天後，陸瑁正式收養這個幼童，他用心地照顧這個幼童並且讓這個幼童念書就如同對待自己的孩子一樣。
這句成語的意思是從來都沒見過面。
這句成語被用來形容兩個人並不認識。
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。
你如果是陸瑁你會做出怎樣的決定呢?你是一個很重視朋友之間的感情的人嗎?
我期待這故事能讓你產生一些新的收穫。
出處為三國志-卷57--吳書-陸瑁傳
https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/%E4%B8%89%E5%9C%8B%E5%BF%97/%E5%8D%B757