蒙學漢文初階 第六十九之課 Beginning Chinese - Entry Level Lesson #69 火性最烈 fire nature most intense 植物遇之 plant thing meet it 頃刻燒燬 short_time moment burnt destroyed_by_fire 動物遇之 move things meet it 立能斃命 immediate able death life 故湏謹防之也 thus ought caution avoid it [ep] The nature of fire is most violent. When encountering plants, they will soon be burnt and destroyed. When living things encounter it, death may immediately be the result. Thus out to be cautious and avoid it. Notes: 1. It is illogical to translate as "when plants encounter…" because plants has no mobility like animals. 2. 燬 is a variant of毁, to be destroyed. With the fire radical, its emphasis that the destruction is made by fire. 3. We first encountered this variant in Lesson 6. The two other meanings are a. To wash the face b. a variant of 潣, describing the movement of water.