20100927 Confucius His Wisdom Lives On (1)

Confucius: His Wisdom Lives On

This week we celebrate the birthday of one of history well-known teachers

Zhuangzi (莊子) once characterized Confucius as saying, "You may forget me as I once was, but there is something unforgettable about me that will still live on." This prediction remains accurate as Confucius' words still live on today and have been quoted by people down through the ages. Because of the writings and teachings he left behind, Confucius is considered one of history's wisest men.

Childhood through early manhood

When he was born in 551 B.C. in Lu (魯), China, the baby who would someday be called Kong Fuzi (孔夫子) was named Kong Qiu (孔丘). Confucius' father, Kong Shulianghe (孔叔梁紇), was a descendant of the royal family of Shang and had at one time been governor of the town of Zou (鄒). When Kong Qiu was three years old, his father died, leaving the child and his young mother in poverty. As Kong Qiu grew older, their financial situation required him to take on menial jobs such as caring for livestock. He became know as a polite, smart and hard-working young man with an insatiable desire to learn. This thirst for knowledge would push him toward a life of learning and teaching others.

descend v. 傳下來/下降

descendant n. 後代/後裔

=> some relatives of that family

eg: The monument was built by one of the great poet's descendants.

=> 這個紀念碑是由這個偉大的詩人的後裔修建的。

eg: The guy claims to be a direct descendant of Mozart.

=> 這個男人自稱是莫札特的直系後代。

menial adj. 卑微的/粗重的/繁瑣的

eg: He wasted all his talents and ended up doing menial temp jobs.

=> 他浪費了所有他的才華結果去做粗重的零工。

eg: Oliver is used to menial work like cleaning the toilets and scrubbing the floors.

=> Oliver習慣了粗重的工作例如像清廁所或是刷地板。

insatiable adj. 永不滿足的/貪得無厭的

=> you cannot satisfy something

eg: The girl has an insatiable desire to paint.

=> 這個女孩有一種永不滿足的慾望想要畫畫。

eg: Nathan seems to have an insatiable appetite for wealth and fame.

=> Nathan似乎有財富和名聲的渴望永遠都沒有辦法滿足。

unforgettable adj. 難忘的/永遠記得的

=> so meaningful/special that you cannot forget it

livestock n. 牲畜

//== Chat room ==//

age 年齡

ages 很長的時間

eg: I haven't seen you for/in ages.

=> 很久沒有見面了。

eg: I spent ages fixing this document.

=> 我發了很長的時間修改文件。

age 時代

eg: down through the ages

=> 跨越不同時代的/長久以來的