Cut off the longer side and use the cut-off portion to supplement the shorter side so that both sides are the same length.(斷長補短)
Cut off the longer side and use the cut-off
portion to supplement the shorter side so that both sides are the same length.(斷長補短)
Dai Sheng was an important Confucian
scholar during the Han dynasty.
He collected and compiled many Confucian
texts into a book called the 'Book of Rites'.
This book provides detailed accounts of the
institutions and systems of the Zhou dynasty in ancient China. It documents the
etiquette and norms that people of every social class should follow and also
records various institutional systems and statistical data from that period.
One section of the book specifically
details the territory, land use and allocation of the Zhou dynasty.
The Zhou dynasty rulers divided the entire
territory into small units, the smallest of which was a square plot of land
measuring 500 square metres.
The northernmost edge of the Zhou Dynasty's
territory roughly corresponds to present-day Henan and Hebei provinces in
China, the southernmost to Hunan province, the westernmost to Gansu province,
and the easternmost to Shandong and Jiangsu provinces.
The land was rectangular in shape. Cut off
the longer side and use the cut-off portion to supplement the shorter side so
that both sides are the same length. The total land area of the Zhou dynasty
was approximately equivalent to a square measuring 1,500 square kilometres.
The Zhou dynasty rulers determined that
approximately 66% of the total land area was arable. Therefore, the arable area
at that time was approximately 1,000 square kilometres.
The Zhou dynasty was both the last and the
longest-lasting feudal hereditary dynasty in Chinese history.
The Zhou king distributed vast territories
within the Zhou dynasty to various vassal states and to nobles who had
contributed to the state.
These vassal states and nobles each ruled
their territories as kings. They were required to pay an annual tribute of
money and goods to the Zhou king.
Based on this rigorous and fair system, the
Zhou Dynasty established a stable foundation of rule, and it lasted for nearly
800 years under these regulations.
The idiom literally translates as 'cut off
the longer side and use the cut-off portion to supplement the shorter side so
that both sides are the same length'.
It is used to describe someone who learns
from the strengths of others to compensate for their own weaknesses.
It is also used to describe someone who
allocates resources from areas with a surplus to areas with insufficient
resources.
Dear friend, what thoughts or inspiration did you have after hearing this story?
Does your country have any measures in place that use surplus resources to supplement areas with insufficient resources? How large is your country's land area?
I hope this story gives you
some new insights.
斷長補短(Cut off the longer side and use the
cut-off portion to supplement the shorter side so that both sides are the same
length.)
(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，這本書中也詳細地記錄了當時的社會上的各種典章制度與統計資料。
這本書中有一張專門記錄周王朝的土地範圍與土地使用與分配情況。
周王朝的統治者將所有的國土分割成一個個的小單位，最小單位是500平方公尺的正方形的大小的土地。
周王朝的土範圍的最北邊大約是在現在中國的河南省與河北省、最南邊大約是在現在中國的湖南省、最西邊大約是在現在中國的甘肅省、最東邊則是在現在中國的山東省與江蘇省。
這塊土地的形狀像是一個長方形，截斷比較長的那一邊然後將截下來的這部分補到比較短的這一邊以讓兩邊的長度可以一樣長，周王朝的所有土地面積大約等於一個1500公里的大小的正方形。
周王朝的統治者經過統計，可以耕作的面積的面積大約是總土地面積的66%。因此當時的可耕作面積大約等於一個1000公里的大小的正方形。
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。
周王朝的國王把周王朝內的廣大的土地分配給每個諸侯，同時也把土地分配給那些對國家有貢獻的所有貴族們。
這些諸侯與貴族在自己的領地各自稱王。這些諸侯與貴族們必須每年進貢一定的金錢與貨品給周王朝的國王。
周王朝靠著這套嚴謹且公平的制度奠定的穩定的統治基礎，周王朝在這套制度的規範下延續的將近800年。
這句成語直接翻譯的意思是截斷比較長的那一邊然後將截下來的這部分補到比較短的這一邊以讓兩邊的長度可以一樣長。
這句成語被用來形容一個人吸取別人的長處來補救自己的短處。
這句成語被用來形容一個人拿那些資源有餘的地方的部分資源去補足那些資源不夠的地方。
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。
你的國家中有沒有那些拿那些資源有餘的地方的部分資源去補足那些資源不夠的地方的措施呢?你的國家的土地面積有多大呢?
我期待這故事能讓你產生一些新的收穫。
出處為禮記-王制