{"id":14565,"date":"2018-12-17T07:00:30","date_gmt":"2018-12-17T11:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/?p=14565"},"modified":"2018-11-11T07:15:04","modified_gmt":"2018-11-11T11:15:04","slug":"the-pity-of-zhongyong-the-story-about-a-child-prodigy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/the-pity-of-zhongyong-the-story-about-a-child-prodigy\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cThe Pity of Zhongyong\u201d: The Story about a Child Prodigy"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

Image via Pixabay<\/p><\/div>\n

Wang Anshi<\/a> was a Song Dynasty (960\u20131279 AC) scholar, who advocated for education. He wrote an article about a child prodigy from his hometown to display the importance of education.<\/p>\n

His essay \u2013 \u300a\u4f24\u4ef2\u6c38\u300b (Sh\u0101ng Zh\u00f2ngy\u01d2ng, \u201cThe Pity of Zhongyong\u201d) \u2013 tells the story of a boy named \u65b9\u4ef2\u6c38 (F\u0101ng Zh\u00f2ngy\u01d2ng). Born to a family of farmers, at the age of five, Zhongyong never (\u4e0d\u66feb\u00f9 c\u00e9ng) saw stationery. One day he suddenly asks his father for paper, brush and ink. They don\u2019t have these tools at home, so his father has to borrow (\u501fji\u00e8) it from a neighbor (\u90bb\u5c45l\u00edn j\u016b). Zhongyong writes a poem on the spot and signs his name.<\/p>\n

\u4ef2\u6c38\u957f\u5230\u4e94\u5c81\u65f6\uff0c\u4e0d\u66fe\u8ba4\u8bc6\u4e66\u5199\u5de5\u5177\u3002<\/p>\n

Zh\u00f2ng y\u01d2ng zh\u01ceng d\u00e0o w\u01d4 su\u00ec sh\u00ed, b\u00f9c\u00e9ng r\u00e8nsh\u00ec sh\u016bxi\u011b g\u014dngj\u00f9.<\/p>\n

\u4ed6\u7684\u7236\u4eb2\u5c31\u5411\u90bb\u5c45\u90a3\u91cc\u628a\u90a3\u4e9b\u4e1c\u897f\u501f\u6765\u7ed9\u4ed6\u3002<\/p>\n

T\u0101 de f\u00f9q\u012bn ji\u00f9 xi\u00e0ng l\u00ednj\u016b n\u00e0l\u01d0 b\u01ce n\u00e0xi\u0113 d\u014dngx\u012b ji\u00e8 l\u00e1i g\u011bi t\u0101.<\/p>\n

Zhongyong\u2019s well written poem (\u8bd7 sh\u012b) receives many compliments and his literary talent generates admiration among the entire town. From now on, he was able to complete eloquent poems about any subject. People start to treat his father with respect and even pay money to buy Zhongyong\u2019s poems. His father seizes the opportunity, and instead of sending Zhongyong to school, takes him to visit the town\u2019s people every day.<\/p>\n

\u6709\u7684\u4eba\u82b1\u94b1\u6c42\u53d6\u4ef2\u6c38\u7684\u8bd7\u3002<\/p>\n

Y\u01d2u de r\u00e9n hu\u0101 qi\u00e1n qi\u00fa q\u01d4 zh\u00f2ng y\u01d2ng de sh\u012b.<\/p>\n

\u4ef2\u6c38\u7236\u4eb2\u8ba4\u4e3a\u8fd9\u6837\u6709\u5229\u53ef\u56fe\uff0c\u5c31\u6bcf\u5929\u5e26\u9886\u7740\u4ef2\u6c38\u56db\u5904\u62dc\u8bbf\u540c\u53bf\u7684\u4eba\uff0c\u4e0d\u8ba9\u4ed6\u5b66\u4e60\u3002<\/p>\n

Zh\u00f2ng y\u01d2ng f\u00f9q\u012bn r\u00e8nw\u00e9i zh\u00e8y\u00e0ng y\u01d2ul\u00ec k\u011b t\u00fa, ji\u00f9 m\u011biti\u0101n d\u00e0il\u01d0ngzhe zh\u00f2ng y\u01d2ng s\u00ecch\u00f9 b\u00e0if\u01ceng t\u00f3ng xi\u00e0n de r\u00e9n, b\u00f9 r\u00e0ng t\u0101 xu\u00e9x\u00ed.<\/p>\n

A couple of years later, Zhongyong was already twelve or thirteen years old when Wang Anshi returns to his hometown. At his uncle\u2019s house he meets Zhongyong and asks him to write a poem. His poetry, though, doesn\u2019t live up to his reputation (\u540d\u58f0m\u00edng sh\u0113ng). Seven years later, Wang Anshi visits his uncle again and asks about Zhongyong. His uncle tells him that Zhongyong lost his talent, he has no special skill now.<\/p>\n

\u5199\u51fa\u6765\u7684\u8bd7\u5df2\u7ecf\u4e0d\u80fd\u4e0e\u4ece\u524d\u7684\u540d\u58f0\u76f8\u79f0\u3002<\/p>\n

Xi\u011b ch\u016bl\u00e1i de sh\u012b y\u01d0j\u012bng b\u00f9n\u00e9ng y\u01d4 c\u00f3ngqi\u00e1n de m\u00edngsh\u0113ng xi\u0101ngch\u00e8n.<\/p>\n

\u4ed6\u7684\u624d\u80fd\u6d88\u5931\u4e86\uff0c\u548c\u666e\u901a\u4eba\u6ca1\u6709\u4ec0\u4e48\u533a\u522b\u4e86\u3002<\/p>\n

T\u0101 de c\u00e1in\u00e9ng xi\u0101osh\u012ble, h\u00e9 p\u01d4t\u014dng r\u00e9n m\u00e9iy\u01d2u sh\u00e9 me q\u016bbi\u00e9le.<\/p>\n

Wang Anshi explains that even a gifted ability can wither without proper education. Natural talent should be appreciated, and nurtured as well. Even a child prodigy should be educated.\u00a0 Don\u2019t neglect your natural aptitude and \u597d\u597d\u5b66\u4e60\uff01 (h\u01ceo h\u00e0o xu\u00e9x\u00ed, \u201cstudy well\u201d).<\/p>\n

Watch the animated version of the story:<\/p>\n