Chinese practice
千載難逢
(qian1 zai3 nan2 feng2)
Photo: AFP
照片:法新社
extremely rare
月圓大約是每個月都有一次,所以過去用「once in a moon」來表示一個月一次,意指偶爾發生的事。
月亮顯然不是藍色的,「blue moon」一詞在中世紀的英格蘭似乎意指荒繆或不可能。例如一五二八年,在當時宗教改革的背景下,奇切斯特主教威廉‧巴洛對天主教神職人員的批評:「Yf they saye the mone is belewe, we must beleve that it is true.」(如果他們說月亮是藍色的,我們就必須相信這是真的。)因此在當時,片語「once in a blue moon」其實是表示不可能。
在美國,《緬因州農民曆》自一八九一年起將月亮的圓缺變化列出。在典型的有十二個滿月的一年,每個滿月都有一特定的名字,例如「Harvest Moon」(收穫月,指最接近立秋或秋分的滿月)。由於陽曆月和陰曆月所含的天數不同,有時一年會有十三次滿月。這情況雖不常見,但實際上每三年就有一次。一季有三個月,所以通常有三次滿月,但偶爾會有四次滿月。自一九三二年起,《緬因州農民曆》開始把一季中四次滿月的第三次滿月稱做「blue moon」,或許是受到英文片語「once in a blue moon」的啟發。現今「once in a blue moon」則是意指不常發生的事。
成語「千載難逢」——一千年也很難碰到一次,也是用來形容難得一見,並引申為機會難得的意思。(「載」音「宰」,意為「年」。)此語出自南齊庾杲之(西元四四一~四九一年)的〈臨終上表〉。庾杲之年少時即顯出才華,雖家境不富裕,但他刻苦自學,為官後便漸漸升至高位。後來他生了重病,自知來日無多,便上奏章給皇帝,其中一句寫道:「臣以凡庸,謬徼昌運,獎擢之厚,千載難逢。」(微臣我資質凡庸,不適當地得此好運,受到豐厚的禮遇,這種機會是一千年都很難遇到的。)
「千載難逢」的變體後來也出現在唐代文學家韓愈(西元七六八~八二四年)的《潮州刺史謝上表》。韓愈因得罪小人,被唐憲宗貶至環境險惡的潮州,途中女兒夭折。雖遭種種磨難,抵潮州後,韓愈仍寫了《潮州刺史謝上表》向皇帝請罪。韓愈為唐宋八大家之一,在文中他讚美憲宗的偉業以及大唐盛世,他寫道:「當此之際,所謂千載一時不可逢之嘉會」(當今為千年來難得的盛世),並說皇上的功德若能被記錄下來,將可比《尚書》和《詩經》中記載的古代賢君,進而感嘆自己貶謫在外、身體漸衰,沒有機會盡心力寫下皇上的偉業。
(台北時報林俐凱譯)
有人認為人工智慧是對人類的威脅,也有人認為這是千載難逢的大好機會。
(Some say that artificial intelligence is a threat to humankind, while others say it’s an opportunity the like of which we rarely come across.)
英文練習
once in a blue moon
The full moon occurs roughly once a month, and the phrase “once in a moon” — once a month — used to refer to an event that occurred only occasionally.
The moon is demonstrably not blue. In Medieval England the concept of a “blue moon” seems to have referred to an absurdity, or an impossibility. For example, in 1528, William Barlow, the Bishop of Chichester, who at the time, against the backdrop of the Protestant Reformation, had reason to be critical of the Catholic clergy, wrote, “Yf they saye the mone is belewe, we must beleve that it is true” (If they say the moon is blue, we must believe that it is true). At the time, then, the phrase “once in a blue moon” would essentially have meant never.
In the US, since 1891, the Maine Farmer’s Almanac had listed the phases of the full moon. In a typical 12-full moon year, each full moon was given a specific name, such as Harvest Moon (which was the one nearest the start of fall or the autumnal equinox). Due to the difference in the length of the calendar month and the lunar month, some years have 13 full moons. These, while infrequent, would actually happen once every three years. From 1932, the almanac began referring to the third full moon in a season with four full moons as the Blue Moon, possibly inspired by the English phrase “once in a blue moon.” The phrase now means something that happens infrequently.
The Chinese idiom 千載難逢 — literally, a once-in-a-millenium occurrence — refers to something extremely rare, and originates from a letter the Southern Qi Dynasty official Yu Gaozhi (441–491) submitted to the emperor to announce the end of his service when he, having fallen ill, knew his days were numbered. Yu had shown exceptional academic aptitude from a very young age, and had achieved success despite not having a wealthy background. After entering government service, he had gradually worked his way up to a senior position. Now, aware of his failing health, he presented the letter, in which he wrote 臣以凡庸,謬徼昌運,獎擢之厚,千載難逢: “Your humble servant is of limited talents, and is unworthy of the good fortune to have been accorded such generous treatment; the opportunity I have been given is the kind one could not expect in 1,000 years.”
A version of 千載難逢 would later appear in the Letter of Gratitude by a Chaozhou Prefect by the Tang Dynasty writer Han Yu (768-824). Han Yu had caused offense and was demoted by Emperor Xianzong and exiled to Chaozhou. His daughter died on the way. Despite all of these hardships, he wrote, on arriving in Chaozhou, the letter to the emperor, expressing his regret for having caused offense. Han Yu is known as one of the “Eight Giants of Tang and Song prose,” and in the letter he praised the emperor’s achievements and the splendor of the Tang dynasty, writing 當此之際,所謂千載一時不可逢之嘉會 (the present time is one of greatness not achieved in 1,000 years) to describe the heights the dynasty had ascended. He wrote that the emperor’s achievements, if written down, could be favorably compared to those of the sages described in the ancient classics the Book of Documents and the Book of Poetry, and expressed regret that, in his exile and with his failing health, he would no longer have the opportunity to record the emperor’s great achievements for posterity.
(Paul Cooper, Taipei Times)
I don’t see him very often, to be honest: Perhaps once in a blue moon.
(老實說我並不常見到他,大概是久久一次。)
It’s no secret that Japanese people have a deep affection for noodles. Like in the rest of East Asia, noodles are an important staple food, second only to rice. Japanese people have enjoyed noodles for over 1,000 years. The first noodles came from China and were introduced around 800 CE. As time passed, noodles in Japan not only became widespread but also developed some unique Japanese characteristics. The three most popular types of noodles in Japan are ramen, soba, and udon. Ramen, typically made from wheat flour, is usually thin and firm. The dough is kneaded and left to
Rice is an essential ingredient in Taiwanese cuisine. Many foods are made of rice, adding more variety to our cooking, such as rice cake, or “gui.” Wagui is made by steaming rice flour batter in a bowl. The term “gui” refers to a type of food made from rice, while “wa” refers to a bowl. The pronunciation of “gui” in Taiwanese Hokkien is similar to the word for “nobility” in Chinese, so it is common for people to prepare various types of gui, including wagui, as offerings to the gods or ancestors,. 米是台灣重要的主食,用米製成的食品十分多元,豐富我們的飲食,如米做成的「粿」。粿的意思是米做成的糕點,碗粿是將在來米漿倒入碗中蒸熟,因而得名。粿因為音同「貴」,因此碗粿等粿食常用作供品祭拜神明和祖先。 nobility (n.) 高貴,高尚;貴族 offering (n.) 供品 While Taiwan may not be
On Tuesday last week, the flame for this summer’s Paris Olympics was lit at the birthplace of the ancient Olympic Games in southern Greece in a meticulously choreographed ceremony. It will then be carried through Greece for more than 5,000km before being handed over to French organizers at the Athens venue used for the first modern Olympics in 1896. The pageantry at Olympia has been an essential part of every Olympics for nearly 90 years since the Games in Berlin. It’s meant to provide an ineluctable link between the modern event and the ancient Greek original on which it was initially modelled. Once
Continued from yesterday(延續自昨日) https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang As with many aspects of Japanese culture, there is etiquette to follow when you enjoy noodles. To fully experience noodles like a local on your next visit to Japan, consider these simple guidelines. First, be careful where you put your chopsticks. Don’t leave them sticking up in the broth or set them at the side of the bowl. When you have finished eating or if you’re taking a break, place them on the chopstick rest next to the bowl. Also, it is impolite to wave chopsticks around or bring them above mouth-level. Second, don’t take too