【注釋】

①蝇营蚁聚：比喻不顾廉耻，趋炎附势，到处钻营。同“蝇营蚁附”。出处：清·顾炎武《与潘次耕札》之二：“吾以六十四之舅氏，主于其家，见彼蝇营蚁附之流，骇人耳闻。”

②瓮, 盛水的陶器; 郁, 郁闷，忧郁。

 ③  不悛：悛, 改过，悔改。不悛, 坚持作恶，不肯悔改。

【詩人簡介】見本書《七 言》 。

Note:

① 蝇营蚁聚: literally “flies buzzing, ants swarming”; figuratively, sordid cliques scheming for petty gain. Source: Gu Yanwu of the Qing dynasty, Letter to Pan Cigeng II: “At the age of sixty-four, I stayed at my uncle’s home, and saw those swarming like flies and clinging like ants—it was appalling to hear of.”

② 瓮 (wèng): A pottery vessel used for holding water. 郁 (yù): Melancholy, depressed, gloomy.

 ③  不悛 (bù quān): 悛 (quān) means “to reform, to repent.” 不悛 means persisting in wrongdoing, refusing to repent.

Introduction to the poet: See 《Seven-character Verse》 in this book.

【附】成语故事《井底之蛙》：

一口废井里住着一只青蛙：有一天，青蛙在井边碰上了一只从海里来的大龟。 青蛙就对海龟夸口说： “你看，我住在这里多快乐！有时高兴了，就在井栏边跳跃一阵；疲倦了，就回到井里，睡在砖洞边一回。或者只留出头和嘴巴，安安静静地把全身泡在水里：或者在软绵绵的 泥浆里散一回步，也很舒适。看看那些虾和蝌虾，谁也此不上我。而且，我是这个井里的主人，在这井里极自由自在，你为什么不常到井里来游赏呢！” 那海龟听了青蛙的话，倒真想进去看看。但它的左脚还没有整个伸进去，右脚就已经绊 住了。它连忙后退了两步，把大海的情形告诉青蛙说： “你看过海吗？海的广大，哪止千里；海的深度，哪只千来丈。古时候，十年有九年大水，海里的水，并不涨了多少；后来，八年里有七年大早，海里的水，也不见得浅了多少。 可见大海是不受旱涝影响的。住在那样的大海里，才是真的快乐呢！” 井蛙听了海龟的一番话，吃惊地呆在那里，再没有话可说了。

[Appendix] : The Idiom Story “The Frog at the Bottom of the Well”

In the depths of an abandoned well lived a frog. One day, at the edge of the well, the frog encountered a big turtle that had come from the sea.

The frog proudly said to the turtle: “Look at how happy I am living here! When I feel cheerful, I leap about along the rim of the well; when I’m tired, I return to rest beside the cracks in the bricks. Sometimes I just leave my head and mouth above the surface, quietly soaking the rest of my body in the water. Other times, I stroll through the soft, muddy floor, which is very comfortable. Look at the shrimps and tadpoles here—none of them can compare with me. Besides, I am the master of this well, living here with complete freedom. Why don’t you come often to swim and enjoy yourself in my well?”

Hearing the frog’s words, the sea turtle truly wanted to take a look inside. But before its left foot could fully enter, its right foot was already stuck. The turtle quickly stepped back and told the frog about the sea: “Have you ever seen the sea? Its vastness stretches for thousands of miles; its depth reaches thousands of fathoms. In ancient times, when nine out of ten years brought great floods, the sea’s water level hardly rose. Later, when seven out of eight years brought severe drought, the sea’s waters hardly receded. Thus, the sea is not affected by floods or droughts. Living in such a boundless sea—that is true happiness!”

The frog at the bottom of the well, hearing the turtle’s words, was struck dumb with amazement and had nothing more to say.