Chapter Two MEISHAN 眉山

I. Summary & Reflection

本章节围绕苏东坡的出生地眉山，来谈论他的家庭和眉山的地理位置及其独特的文化氛围。首先，在地理位置上，位于省会城市成都和乐山市之间，水利便利，在古代农耕社会里算是一个沃野千里、适合安心过小日子之地。

It was not a big town, but it was confortable for a place of residence.

人们常说，偏远地区，民风多彪悍。但是在眉山这里学术文化浓厚，学者众多，善雄辩。在此地，已开始日渐形成一种相对民主管理的氛围。这也在一定程度上影响了对苏东坡对于当局政治的态度。

最后，作者主要介绍了苏家的经历状况（在当地算是中产阶级）以及祖父和父亲这两个男性角色对于苏东坡的家庭氛围的影响。其中祖父是放浪形骸，常提着酒瓶和三五好友一起恣意潇洒，纵情山水间。

Being carefree and well provided, he would often pick up a wine jug and go about with his friends to sit on the grass and enjoy himself. They would laugh and drink and sing, to the amazement of the usually quiet and well-behaved peasants.

而其父亲，则全然不同,父亲苏洵比较沉默寡言，有一定的政治抱负和野心。

Possessing a high intelligence, severe in temperament, independent in mind, and crotchery in character, Su Shun was not a man easy to get along with.

我们常说，想要了解一个人，可以看看他的家人朋友以及他的生活环境，这话在一定程度上还是非常有参考价值的。对于我们想要了解苏东坡，这些因素也是非常之有必要的。所以，林语堂先生在写苏东坡时，也是从其周遭环境以及家人开始入手，来介绍苏东坡。

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II. Words & Expressions 

One day, in a drunken fit, he went into the temple of a particular god and smashed the idol into pieces.

fit 

这个小词词义以及用法非常灵活，常见的词性是v./adj. 但在此处为n. 感情的冲动、一时的发作（of）

eg. He quit his job in a fit of drunken depression. 他酒后一时消沉辞了职。

此外，作为n. 还有以下的意思：

n. 突发、一阵

eg. We were all in a fit of laughter.

have/throw a fit 大发脾气

eg. If you mother find this ,she will have a fit.

When the younger brother was born, they were able to hire another wet nurse.

wet nurse  奶妈

Su Tongpo's  father , Su Shun, was a reticent man, and as  far as his political ambitions were concerned.

reticent

adj.  unwilling to talk about what you feel or what you know 寡言的，不愿多谈的(+about)

eg. She’s strangely reticent about her son. 很奇怪，她不愿意多谈自己的儿子。