洋猩說故事 Talovich Tells Stories

Leave a comment and share your thoughts:A great difference between China and Europe is that bloodline has never been very important in China. What matters is what sort of person you are, what kind of ability you have, and how well you can do. This goes back to the very beginnings of Chinese memory, and is exemplified by the illegitimate son of a minor noble, Confucius. In his day, Confucius worked to remove power from the powerful by opening the government to all capable talent.Today’s story takes place in 444 ce, in the Northern Wei. The Northern Wei was founded by the the Sibers (Hsienpei / Xianbei), a people who had moved south from Siberia. They learned from Chinese culture, and established institutions and laws that laid a foundation for the later glory of the Tang dynasty.(I mentioned Vanity Fair by William Thackery, and The Americans: A Social History of the United States by J C Furnas.)22 minutesPowered by Firstory Hosting

中華重視個人的品德、能力，而血統不重要。自王侯古將相起于平民，如舜、禹、傅說（ㄩㄝˋ）、甯戚等等，正如陳勝大澤鄉起義時登高一呼，「王侯將相，寧有種乎？」北魏建立的法律、制度，為盛唐墊基礎；皇上求賢若渴，而忠臣如古弼竭力獻策。Leave a comment and share your thoughts:Powered by Firstory Hosting

Today’s story comes from History of the Later Han, and took place some time around the year 190ce. The dynasty was falling apart, so fighting and insurrections were common. As if that weren’t enough, there were plagues. Two sorcerers were using their powers to heal people along the banks of a stream, and they started playing around.Leave a comment and share your thoughts:Powered by Firstory Hosting

後漢書方術列傳敘述兩位有法力的高人相遇的故事：閩中的徐登與東陽的趙炳Leave a comment and share your thoughts:Powered by Firstory Hosting

Language is more than just vocabulary and grammar.In Episodes 17 and 18, we talked about the brilliant statesman Yen/Yan Ying (578 – 500 bce). His ruler, Lord Ching/Jing of Ch’i/Qi, went out hunting birds, but a servant let the birds escape. The ruler was so furious that he ordered the servant be put to death. Yen used his wits to communicate with the ruler.Leave a comment and share your thoughts:Powered by Firstory Hosting