Jeff
蒙學漢文初階 第三十三課 Beginning Chinese - Entry Level Lesson #33 或問李童 or ask Li (last name) child 天寒何不飲酒 sky cold why not drink wine 童曰 child said 父親謂年幼之人 father dear said year/age young's [pp] man 不當飲酒 not ought drink wine 飲則傷身 drink then harm body 父命安何違乎 father command where how violate ? On asking the child of Li, "When the sky is cold, why not have some wine?" Child replied, "My father said that young ones ought not to drink it. If so, thus harm to health. How could one violate his father's orders?" 1. 或問 literally means "or asking". It is a literary style in which a point is expounded and clarified through a dialogue. The point here discussed is the principle of obeisance towards one's elders as they have more experience. 2. 安 here is used as an interrogative particle and not the noun for the more common meaning for "peace", "tranquility" etc. It can mean either "where" or "how" depending on context. 而今安在? And where is it now? As answering a question with another question meaning how… 不及虎穴, 安得虎子? To fall short of the tiger's lair, how to get its cub? The more common idiom is 不入虎穴, 焉得虎子 "By not entering the tiger's lair, from whence its cub be gotten/gained?" or "By not entering the tiger's lair, how can its cub be gotten/gained?" 安能若无其事 "How can it be as if nothing had happened?"
Jul 23, 2014 8:25 PM
Corrections · 4

蒙學漢文初階 第三十三課 Beginning Chinese - Entry Level Lesson #33

或問李童 or ask Li (last name) child
天寒何不飲酒 sky cold why not drink wine
童曰 child said
父親謂年幼之人 father dear said year/age young's [pp] man
不當飲酒 not ought drink wine
飲則傷身 drink then harm body
父命安何違乎 father command where how violate ?

On asking the child of Li,

"When the sky is cold, why not have some wine?"  I would say: When the weather is cold, ... Are sky and weather sometimes same? 

Child replied,

"My father said that young ones ought not to drink it. If so, thus harm to health. How could one violate his father's orders?"

1. 或問 literally means "or asking". It is a literary style in which a point is expounded and clarified through a dialogue. The point here discussed is the principle of obeisance towards one's elders as they have more experience.

2. 安 here is used as an interrogative particle and not the noun for the more common meaning for "peace", "tranquility" etc. It can mean either "where" or "how" depending on context.

而今安在? And where is it now?

As answering a question with another question meaning how…

不及虎穴, 安得虎子? To fall short of the tiger's lair, how to get its cub?

The more common idiom is 不入虎穴, 焉得虎子 "By not entering the tiger's lair, from whence its cub be gotten/gained?" or "By not entering the tiger's lair, how can its cub be gotten/gained?"

安能若无其事 "How can it be as if nothing had happened?"

July 24, 2014
Want to progress faster?
Join this learning community and try out free exercises!