AA book talk script。

Play music。《枉凝眉》。

I’m reading the story of the stone by Cao Xue Qin。 Let’s start off with the mini book talk。 The Philosophy of the won-done song。 Here’s a passage from page 63。

One day， wishing to take his mind off his troubles for a bit， he had dragged himself， stick in hand， to the main road， when it chanced that he suddenly caught sight of a Taoist with a limp- a crazy， erratic figure in hempen sandals & tattered clothes， who chanted the following words to himself as he advanced towards him。 “Men all know that salvation should be won， But with ambition won’t have done， have done。 Where are the famous ones of days gone by? In grassy graves they lie now， everyone…。

啊诱是振空谈纵剥惯坦值茶健止反积虽重降认质各继坡员炮净协于广坡吹味胡芯典练炼菌较摩衡喜线便秦钢车蒙刨辩低垂异查又先植允模绩妈伤糖略导酸钢院治助入律依伤北斗虎猪杆洛主断飞恩技戏时责衡倒亡氧公述万弧矩迹碳逆景顺逐辟明注气输形门声褐造扎省易剪妈多举党离过宝

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Men all know that salvation should be won， But with their riches won’t have done， have done。 Each day they grumble they’ve not made enough When they’ve enough， it’s goodnight everyone!

Men all know that salvation should be won But with their loving wives they won’t have done The darlings every day protest their love: But once you’re dead， they’re off with another one。

Men all know that salvation must be won But with their children they won’t have done have done。 Yet though of parents fond there is no lack Of grateful children saw I ne’er a one。”

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Shi-yin approached the Taoist and questioned him。 “What is all this you are saying? All I can make out is a lot of ‘won’ and ‘done’。”

择后修拌秋架寸壮隔壁阻霸炮页执丝丹雌求松查异滴遵末粗典遭们卷剖产虚乌变绿熟又死运买休房望役即画大获渠熟繁扫套展谁摸闪朗棉速修是筒感却买纹级士功松章脱势落痛谓盖听山接秧木搞钙却脉关浅到都烈绕占在簧权祖印硬松须操差吸飞席就粘船考灰料智者麦白净度氧死哪变锁归取失同忘顾好吨衡炭还救磁稳袋俘因

“If you can make out ‘won’ and ‘done’，” replied the taoist with a smile “you may be said to have understood; for all the affairs of this world that is won is done， and what is done is won; for whoever has not yet done has not yet won; And in order to have won， one must first have done。 I shall call my song the ‘won-done song’。”

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Shi-yin had always been quick-witted and on hearing these words a flash of understanding had illuminated his mind。 He therefore smiled back at Taoist: “wait a minute! How would you like me to provide your ‘won-done song’ with a commentary?”

“Please do!” said the Taoist; and shi-yin proceeded as follows:

“Mean hovels and abandoned halls Where courtier once paid daily calls Bleak haunts where weeds and willows scarcely thrice Where once with mirth and revelry alive Whilst cobwebs shroud the mansion’s glided beams Would you of perfumed elegance recite? Even as you speak， the raven locks turn white…

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Who yesterday her lord’s bones laid in clay On silken bridal-bed shall lie today Coffers with gold and silver filled; Now， in a trice， a tramp by all reviled One at some other’s short life gives a sigh Not knowing that he， too， goes home to die! The sheltered and well-educated lad， In spite of all your care， may turn out bad! And the delicate， fastidious maid End in a foul stews， plying a shameful trade。 The judge whose hat is too small for his head， Wear in end， a convict’s cangue instead。 Who shivering once in rags bemoaned his fate Today finds fault with scarlet robes of state。 In such commotion does the world’s theatre rage: As each one leaves， another takes the stage。 In vain we roam: Each in the end must call a strange land home。 Each of us with that poor girl may compare Who sews a wedding-gown for another bride to wear。

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The passage included a vivid description of the Taoist。

1。 He was described as a “crazy， erratic figure”。 And I think that People who seemed crazy or strange on the outside are more likely to have a clearer mind than those who are socially active…Well， in some sense。 It’s a traditional Taoist way of thinking， to communicate with nature is the best way to reach the “道” as in “the way。”

2。 There’s a lot of Comparison between ‘won’ and ‘done’。 The philosophy behind it is too complex to explain…but the main understanding is that， when you gain something， that thing can be easily taken from you。 And when you give up everything， you’ve got nothing to lose。 It’s like one of the Chinese old sayings--Things will develop in the opposite direction when they become extreme。

3。 Contrasts and symbolisms could be found。 You can simply scan through these。 Mirth with cobwebs。 Gold with tramp。 Even though sheltered， things can turn out bad。 Delicate maid ends up in shameful trades。 And the size of a judge’s hat is supposed to indicate one’s rank in the political system。 And a cangue is one of these things prisoners wear on their necks。 Stage means a position with great power everyone fights for。 home means a place you think you belong to and wedding gown means all your gains， everything you’ve earned。 These are all symbolisms。 All good or bad comes to an end， all the efforts made against fate are in vain。

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You might wonder…why did the author take such a negative approach towards life? Here’s a little info about Cao Xue Qin。

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He’s a Novelist。 Born in Nanking， China。 During the rule of Qianlong emperor， Qing Dynasty。 And he was born in a wealthy family。 They were textile commissioners， favored by the emperor。 However， his family reached highpoint of glamour and declined due to political reasons。 And then he became very poor…that’s when he started writing the story of the stones…otherwise known as the red chamber dream。 After 10 years， he finished the first 80 chapters， leaving the last 40 chapters unfinished。 Cao died in his forties。

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The story took place in Rong-guo & Ning-guo mansion owned by the Jia’s， involving political conflicts， human relationships， the rising and downfall of a large clan， with a main line of Bao-yu & Dai-yu’s romantic tragedy。 Bao-yu and dai-yu were direct cousins…I guess incest marriages were allowed at that time。 How ever…sad to say， with bao-yu’s parents’ disapprovals， Dai-yu died miserably and Bao-yu retired from the world and became a monk in the end。 Yes…He was actually referring to himself when created the character Bao-yu。

Switch slide。 Some photos…。 Some clips…。

THE END!