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story of idiom–掩耳盗铃

Posted: July 1st, 2009, by Danny

Plugging One’s Ears While Stealing a Bell

During the Spring and Autumn period,  Zhi Bo of the State of Jin destroyed Fan’s family.  Taking advantage of this occasion, a man went to Fan’s house and tried to steal something.  As soon as the man entered the gate, he saw that there hung a big bell in the courtyard.  The bell was cast in high-quality bronza, and was beautiful in design and shape.  The theif was very glad,and decided to carry this beautiful bell back home.  But no matter how hard he tried, he could not move the bell, because the bell was both big and heavy.  He thought and thought again, and believed there was only one way to solve the problem.  He had to break the bell to pieces before he was able to carry them back to his home separately.

The thief found a big iron hammer, with which he struck the bell with all his might.  The striking produced an enormous crashing sound, which might.  The striking produced an enormous crashing sound, which made the thief terribly frightened.  The thief got flurried, thinking that it was too bad to have produced the crashing sound which would himself on the bell, trying to muffle the crashing sound with his arms.  But how could the crashing sound of the bell be muffled?  The crashing sound still kept drifting melodiously to distant places.  The more he listened to the sound, the more frightened he became. He unconsciously shrank back, and covered his ears hard with his hands. “Hey, the sound becomes fainter, inaudible,”  The thief became cheerful at once,  “wonderful!  The sound of the bell can not be heard when the ears are covered.”  He immediately got some odd bits of cloth, made two rolls with them, and had his ears plugged with the two cloth rolls.  He thought that in this way nobody could hear the sound of the bell.  Feeling relieved,he began striking the bell, one blow after another.  The resounding sound of the bell was heard at distant places, and finally people caught the thief by gracing the sound.

This story comes from”Knowing Yourself” in The Annals by Buwei,written just before the Qin Dynasty(221-207 B.C.)was founded.Allegedly,when Li Yuan,Emperor Gao Zu of the Tang Dynasty(618-907),read this story, he felt it simply ridiculous and said,”This is what is called plugging one’s ears while stealing a bell.”

Later, people have used the set phrase ” plugging one’s ears while stealing a bell” to refer to the ignorance and foolishness of the person who deceives himself as well as others.

掩耳盗铃

春秋时侯,晋国贵族智伯灭掉了范氏。有人趁机跑到范氏家里想偷点东西,看见院子里吊着一口大钟。钟是用上等青铜铸成的,造型和图案都很精美。小偷心里高兴极了,想把这口精美的大钟背回自已家去。可是钟又大又重,怎么也挪不动。他想来想去,只有一个办法,那就是把钟敲碎,然后再分别搬回家。

  小偷找来一把大大锤,拼命朝钟砸去,咣的一声巨响,把他吓了一大跳。小偷着慌,心想这下糟了,这种声不就等于是告诉人们我正在这里偷钟吗?他心里一急,身子一下子扑到了钟上,张开双臂想捂住钟声,可钟声又怎么捂得住呢!钟声依然悠悠地传向远方。

  他越听越害怕,不同自由地抽回双手,使劲捂住自已的耳朵。“咦,钟声变小了,听不见了!”小偷高兴起来,“妙极了!把耳朵捂住不住就听不进钟声了吗!”他立刻找来两个布团,把耳朵塞住,心想,这下谁也听不见钟声了。于是就放手砸起钟来,一下一下,钟声响亮地传到很远的地方。人们听到钟声蜂拥而至把小偷捉住了。

  故事出自《吕氏春秋·自知》“掩耳盗钟”被说成“掩耳盗铃”,比喻愚蠢自欺的掩饰行为。

Cape Town Gallery

Posted: June 30th, 2009, by Danny

story of idiom–请君入瓮

Posted: June 29th, 2009, by Danny

 Kindly Step into the Vat–Try What You Have Devised against Others

  In order to suppress those who were against her, Wu Zetian, the empress of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), appointed a few merciless persons to be judges. Two of them were extremely brutal; one was called Zhou Xing and the other was called Lai Junchen. They killed many upright civil and military officials as well as ordinary people by framing up cases against tham and by administering inhuman corporal punishment to them.

  Once, Wu Zetian received a letter which informed against Zhou Xing. The letter aside that Zhou Xing was plotting a rebellion in collaboration with others. Wu Zetian was furiously angry when she read the letter, and immediately ordered Lai Junchen to deal with the case severely. Hearing the order, Lai Junchen had misgivings about it. He knew that Zhou Xing could not be forced to tell the truth merely by using a letter informing against him because he was very sly and crafty. Lai Junchen also knew that he would not be for given if he should fail in dealing with the case, because the empress would certainly blame him and punish him. How could he solve the problem then? He turned the problem over and over in his mind, and finally thought out a “brilliant scheme”.

  Lai Junchen had a sumptuous feast prepared, and invited Zhou Xing to his home. The two of them urged each other to drink, and they talked while drinking. After the wine had gone round three times, Lai Junchen pretended to sigh, “When Ihandle cases in ordinary times, I often com across prisoners who stubbournly refuse to admit they are guilty. I wonder if you have any effetive measures.” Hearing this, he took a sip of the wine. Lai Junchen immediately pretended to be very earnest, saying, “Oh, please do tell me at once.” Smiling insidiously, Zhou Xing said, “Get a big vat, scorch it hot with charcoal fire all around, and then let the prisoner come into the vat. Will the prisoner fail to make a confession of his crime?” Hearing this. LaiJunchen nodded his head in approval repeatedly. He then ordered his subordinates to bring a big vat, and had a charcoal fire lit all around it as Zhou Xing had said. He then turned to Zhou Xing and said, “Someone in the imperial court has informed against you, saying that you are plotting a rebellion. The empress has ordered me to deal with the case severely. So I beg your pardon, but would you kindly step into the “Someone in the imperial court has informed against you, saying that you are plotting a rebellion. The empress has ordered me to deal with the case severely. So I beg your pardon, but would you kindly step into the vat?” Hearing this, Zhou Xing dropped his wine cup to the ground and the cup broke with a crash. Then he knelt down with a flop, nodded repeatedly and said, “I am guilty. I confess I am guilty.”

  This story appears in A General History as a Mirror of Past Events by Sima Guang of the Song Dynasty. From this story, people have derived the set phrase “kindly step into the vat — try what you have devised against others”.

请君入瓮

  唐朝女皇武则天,为了镇压反对她的人,任用了一批酷吏。其中两个最为狠毒,一个叫周兴,一个叫来俊臣。他们利用诬陷、控告和惨无人道的刑法,杀害了许多正直的文武官吏和平民百姓。

  有一回,一封告密信送到武则天手里,内容竟是告发周兴与人联络谋反。武则天大怒,责令来俊臣严查此事。来俊臣,心里直犯嘀咕,他想,周兴是个狡猾奸诈之徒,仅凭一封告密信,是无法让他说实话的;可万一查不出结果,太后怪罪下来,我来俊臣也担待不起呀。这可怎么办呢?苦苦思索半天,终于想出一条妙计。

  他准备了一桌丰盛的酒席,把周兴请到自己家里。两个人你劝我喝,边喝边聊。酒过三巡,来俊臣叹口气说:“兄弟我平日办案,常遇到一些犯人死不认罪,不知老兄有何办法?”周兴得意地说:“这还不好办!”说着端起酒杯抿了一口。来俊臣立刻装出很恳切的样子说:“哦,请快快指教。”周兴阴笑着说:“你找一个大瓮,四周用炭火烤热,再让犯人进到瓮里,你想想,还有什么犯人不招供呢?”来俊臣连连点头称是,随即命人抬来一口大瓮,按周兴说的那样,在四周点上炭火,然后回头对周兴说:“宫里有人密告你谋反,上边命我严查。对不起,现在就请老兄自己钻进瓮里吧。”周兴一听,手里的酒杯啪哒掉在地上,跟着又扑通一声跪倒在地,连连磕头说:“我有罪,我有罪,我招供。”

  故事见于《资治通鉴·唐则天皇后天授二年》。成语“请君入瓮”,比喻用某人整治他自己。

 

story of idiom-守株待兔

Posted: June 20th, 2009, by Danny

The vigil by the tree stump. In the state of song there was a farmer in whose fields stood a tree stump. One day a hare ran to his field. Running too fast, it dashed against the stump and broke its neck, died. So the farmer abandoned his plough and waited tree stump, hoping to get another hare. He did not get his by the hare but became a laughing stock in the state.

守株待兔
 
从前宋国有个农民,他的田地中有一颗树桩。一天,一只跑的飞快的兔子撞在了树桩上,扭断了脖子而死。从此,那个农民荒废了他的耕作,天天等在树桩旁,希望能再得到只兔子。当然,兔子是没等到,他自己却成了宋国的笑柄。

Robben Island/Cape Town

Posted: June 3rd, 2009, by Danny
imgp2871imgp2837 imgp2866   

imgp2855imgp28491  imgp2852 imgp2847 As you can see some of the pictures i managed to take while on a short trip to a place called Robben Island.

It’s located just 25 minutes sail from the main harbour at Cape Town, South Africa.imgp2841

imgp28541

imgp2843
I was privileged to have an opportunity to go there.
Even the damp weather conditions weren’t enough to prevent me from seeing inside a prison.
Now its closed but the people who gave the tour one of whom is pictured spent 5 years in this prison.
He was an excedingly pleasant gentleman who i had the opportunity of chatting to and wished him all the best for the future.

story of idiom-入木三分

Posted: June 3rd, 2009, by Danny

 

Penstrating

Wang Xi-zhi is one of the most famous calligraphers during the Eastern Jin Dynasty of China.   When he was very young, he practiced his art every day and never stopped.
Later he absorbed the strong points of all the other schools of calligraphy, and developed his own unique style of writing. Because of his achievements, he has been honored as one of China’s sages of calligraphy.

One time, Wang Xi-zhi sketched in wood for an engraver to cut.

Then the engraver found the ink had penetrated one centimeter into the wood.
“Ru Mu San Fen”   got from this story, which means the calligraphy is penetrating.
Now it is often used to describe expressing sharp ideas or profound views.
入木三分
王羲之是中国东晋时代一个很有名的书法家,他从小就刻苦练字,从不间断,以后又吸取了各个不同书法派的优点,形成他自己独特的个性。因为他在书法上的成就,人们都尊称他为中国书法界的“圣人”。
有一次,王羲之在木板上刻字,后来刻字的人发现墨汁渗入木板有三尺深。
“入木三分”就是从这个故事中得出来的,用来形容书法有力,现在多用来比喻分析问题很深刻

The Israel Connection part one

Posted: May 2nd, 2009, by Danny

Israel Why, the challenge of making aliyah (emmigrating) certainly never a dull moment?

I believe that if there is any one book projected about Israel and/or the Middle East in general that in my opinion is an absolute must that this is it.

In fact I firmly state that the overall content is so imaginative and pulsating with development and activities which really did happen that it is hoped that you won’t able to put it down until it is finished. I would even goes as far as to claiming it’s by and large 100% guaranteed to blow your brains out and if not I would either reciprocate or compensate you in one way or another.

{+}

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Prelude to the story of Israel 以色列故事的序言

Posted: May 1st, 2009, by Danny

A short description of this book

      本书内容简介

Israel, why.

   以色列,为什么?

The challenge of making Aliyah or emigrating to Israel is my opinion as every bit as exciting as any major autobiography.

移民以色列的挑战我认为比任何一部自传都要激动人心。

For I am certain that it’s certainly not a dull moment in fact it’s as fantastic as I care to describe or dream about the content of many famous events in history.

因为我相信它当然不是乏味的,事实上它很新奇,因为我想描述或联想有关历史上许多著名事件的内容。

Danny’s story of Israel began as a child but the story of this novel started in 1984 and ended in July of 2002.

丹尼的以色列故事起始于孩提时代。 但是小说中的故事始于1984年,止于20027月。

In that period of time totaling a period of some 17/18 years which not too many people in this world have absorbed or condensed quite so much.

在那段整整十七、八年的时间里,世界上没有几个人能够吸收或浓缩如此丰富的人生经历。

Of those developments this could have been calculated to a time span equal to that of at least 80 years.

那些事态发展的时间计算起来相当于普通人至少八十年内的人生际遇。

In the year of 1985 Danny left the UK on the spur of the moment to change my lifestyle and take up a life in the far cry of Israel.

1985年,丹尼为了改变生活方式和响应遥远的以色列的召唤,一时冲动地离开了英国。

His myriad of tales was so fantastic that he often wonder how he had the resilience to survive the challenges of an incredible story. Even with the successes or disappointments about Israel, his life in The Holy Land will always be an enchantment for all those who venture to that part of the world.

他的无数的故事是如此的新奇, 以至于他自己都常常感到惊讶:他是怎样在那些难以置信的挑战中生存下来的? 再加上有关以色列的成功或受挫,他在圣地的生活对于所有那些想去那个世界冒险的人来讲,将一直充满着神秘色彩。

At a rather young age of just 21 Danny went to Israel to settle down in a land to somewhat fulfill the dreams that he had for many years.

在刚刚二十一岁,一个风华正茂的年龄,丹尼去以色列定居,去实现他多年的梦想。

As a tourist In the 60’s and 70’s and 80’s he had the pleasure of entwining and frolicking on the beaches of Haifa to bring Danny to a realization about the creation of the state of Israel.

在六十、七十和八十年代,他曾经快乐地缠绵嬉戏于海发海滩。这使得丹尼对以色列建国有了认识。

Sure enough he had a dream and it was not just the warm weather which attracted him to live in a land in which has seen so much adventure and development.

毫无疑问,他对那里抱有一个梦想不仅是那里温暖的气候吸引他去定居,而且在那里我还看到了非常多的冒险和发展的机会。

As a traditional Jew from an traditional family origin linking him to the UK and Europe it was with some vigor and determination that he went with a friend to try out what they both wanted to do of which volunteering on a kibbutz was just a part.

作为在英国和欧洲的一个来自传统犹太家庭出身的传统犹太人,带着一颗充满活力和果断的心,丹尼和一个朋友一起尝试他们俩共同想要做的,去基布兹当志愿者只是其中一部分。

The challenge of Aliyah (emigration) is also based of factual events which affected the modern state as the Israeli army withdrew from Lebanon in June 1985 after a controversial and costly war killing some 600 Israeli soldiers and thousands of other citizens and soldiers both Jews and Arabs.

移民的挑战也是基于那些影响当代国家的时事。比如说以色列军队在19856月从黎巴嫩撤出,那是在一场有争议的和代价高昂的战争并造成大约600名以色列士兵和成千上万的犹太和阿拉伯其他公民及士兵死伤之后的事情。

It was not only the economy which has suffered but the lives of many who lived there at the time.

不仅在经济上,而且包括当时生活在那里的许多人们的生命都遭受了损失。

Those intending to settle from other countries, those who had already settled and those intending on leaving because of the stalemate between the two was so fierce and pathetic.

那些来自其他国家打算定居下来的人们;那些已经定居下来的人们;还有那些因为悲忿交加正打算离开的人们。

Myriads of controversy has always surrounded the biblical and political issues with both arguing never arriving at a mutual solution to satisfy or respect the needs of both.

无数的争议一直围绕着圣经和政治问题。人们争论不休,从来都未达成相互满意或尊重相互需要的解决办法.

His life which has always been full of incident whether directly or indirectly is full of a dream and the way in which a person battles with his conscious to find a peace and everlasting truth in Aretz (land) of Israel.

不管直接还是间接地,他的生活始终充满了意外事件,充满了一个人通过自觉地斗争,在以色列的土地上寻求和平和永久真理的梦想和道路。

As a British Jew with European connections he felt sure my temperament would be suitable to fit it with the Israeli society and find a place in the ‘holy land’ for good.

作为欧洲的不列颠籍犹太人,他确信自己的性格会适应以色列社会并且能在这块圣地找到一片自己的乐土。

To sum up a life of 17 years of challenges some of which were on a kibbutz while others were in the Israeli army?

总结这十七年的挑战生涯,一部分是在基布兹度过的,其余是在以色列军队度过的。

Some reflected on bereavements including losing his mother and with the rifts between his family members he soon realized that true friendship was more important than he originally anticipated.

有些反映亲人生离死别的情节,包括他妈妈去世和家庭成员之间的分裂。他很快认识到真正的友谊比他原本期望的更重要。

Danny often pondered the dreams of others who had like himself had written an account of their Israel experience.

丹尼常常陷入这样一个梦幻,就是其他像他一样的人已经写下了他们的以色列经历。

At times they have compiled a story of harrowing subtlety to a nation or state which has barely seen one day of peace since the beginning of time.

有时,他们编制了一个民族或国家的悲惨绝伦的故事。这个民族或国家从开始以来几乎没有看到一天的和平。

The Jewish nation even after claiming independence in May 1948 but the fight for survival seems as controversial if not challenging as every as they progress in the future.

犹太民族甚至在19485月宣布独立后,就颇具争议地开始为生存而战,似乎他们未来取得每一步进展都面临着挑战。

During those turbulent days, weeks and months of his first visit Danny made up his mind to stay in Israel no matter what.

在丹尼第一次到以色列那些动荡的岁月里,他就决心无论如何都要留在以色列。

To have given up and returned to England would have left him none the wiser for it.

即使已经放弃并返回英格兰,还是让他不明白那究竟是为了什么

This book upon which he dedicates those unforgettable memoirs in loving memory would not have come into being had he not gone there in the first place.

他谨以此书献给那些难忘的充满爱的回忆。首先如果他没有去过那里,就不会有这本书的诞生。

He had a shortfall of falling in love during his first kibbutz ulpan when he began Hebrew lessons with a woman who provided him a mid summer’s night dream and it felt just like being in a paradise of which he didn’t want to end.

在丹尼去第一个基布兹农场期间,他差点爱上了一个人。 当他和一个女子一起学习希伯来语时,她给了丹尼一个仲夏夜之梦,而且感觉好象是在天堂里,他真的不想结束它。

That was in the month of August 1985 when Danny was none the less in a fantasy world and didn’t know whether he was coming or going but it sure as hell felt good.

那是在19858月,当时丹尼不过是置身一个梦幻世界,不知道何去何从,但是它肯定是使人诱惑的地狱。

Her name was Veronica and she made his introduction to his first ulpan into a prism of make belief.

她的名字叫维罗妮卡。 她使丹尼的第一个农场变成了一个难以置信的美妙之所。

To absorb this book is like no other truth since the miracle, tragedy and prophesy of Israel is alive.

从这本书吸取的好象没有其它的真理,因为那些使以色列活下来的奇迹,灾难和预言。

The truth behind this story is unfolded like a lake in which a prince is beaconing his princess to come over and the story which lies between their love.

这本书中的故事背后的真相展开来,好像是在一个湖里,公主正在引来王子,而后他们相爱的故事。

So if its love you want it’s there.

因此如果这是你想要看的爱情,它就在那里。

If its tragedy you want it’s there.

如果这是你想要看的悲剧,它就在那里。

If its adventure you want it’s there

如果这是你想要看的冒险,它就在那里。

If its myriads, poems and the military service you want it’s there.

如果这是你想要看的感怀,诗歌和兵役它就在那里。

If its romance and chatting up the feminine gender that you want it’s there.

如果这是你想要看的浪漫,聊天女性,它就在那里。

This book has it all but first and foremost and most important the author’s pleasure.

这本书拥有一切,但首先也是最重要的是蕴含着作者的快乐。

 

 

 

I am a dinosaur this is my story

Posted: March 24th, 2009, by Danny

I am Danny Teller this is me in the year 500 million years from now.

I am a continuation of generations of the diplodocus that still thrives in the Crustaceous Park of the well being.

The forests of Crustaceous are huge and well watered. Continue reading »

Legacy for Esmeralda

Posted: March 9th, 2009, by Danny

Written and presented by writer, explorer and historian Danny Teller


 

Chinook, Coho, Red sockeye, pink, chum.

 

This is my story or rather my legacy for I am a Red Sockeye salmon.

The year to which I take accolade is 1890.

For up in the Klondike or rather the (Yukon) a huge gold rush was to bring travelers from worldwide for riches and for wealth or so they thought. …{+}

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Some useful links

Posted: January 4th, 2009, by Danny

www.zeitgeistmovie.com

This is a film which in my opinion has to be seen. Its heavy stuff and one needs a cool heart to absorb it all. It explains all about the financial crisis in the world and how it was done deliberately. It also explains about conspiracies with one example being the 9/11 attack on the world trade center. Good Luck and tell me what you think.

This another eye catcher - www.TheVenusProject.com, the same people who directed Zeitgeist explains about technology and future plans.

Jacque Fresco The Venus Project, Inc, 21 Valley Lane, Venus, FL 33960, USA, Phone: 863-465-0321

Fax: 863-465-1928, fresco@TheVenusProject.com,

meadows@TheVenusProject.com

On a lighter note i have also included www.facenepal.org.

For those who wish to volunteer in Nepal this organisation is for you, thanks for your time and effort in looking at my website.

Emerald City

Posted: December 30th, 2008, by Danny

The legend of the emerald city

Welcome dear reader to the emerald city.

It is a heavenly place where it is said that once born you can’t die.

We are 50,000 AD and the place of which I speak about is in my imagination. It exists in my mind and the inhabitants live forever. The size of the city is a big as Tokyo, London and New York put together.

30 million people live here and the population simply increases but there is i will add no violence.

It began with a population of just 1000. 500 men and 500 woman.

It took just 10 years to reach 30,000,000. Continue reading »

Danny in America

Posted: December 6th, 2008, by Danny

Entwining-Paradise

Posted: December 6th, 2008, by Danny

Entwining a blend of nature

Posted: November 21st, 2008, by Danny

Oh how I love the white, pink and yellow blossom in April and the brown and yellow of autumn. When god made the world he knew what to do and how to colour. He knew how to blend and how to water and how to dry. {+}

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