Chapter 12&13 Poets or Protest & The Yellow Tower

Main Ideas

这两章节主要从苏轼在诗词上的造诣以及他的政绩两方面入手来刻画苏轼。

看完第十二章，林语堂在此章节分享了一些苏轼的词，感觉还是读原汁原味的诗词才更有感觉。

第十三章主要讲苏轼在任职期间的主要政绩。当年历经洪水肆虐村庄，苏轼再三恳请皇帝支持修建黄楼，并介绍黄楼命名缘由。苏轼的政绩不仅仅在于治水，而且还十分关心囚犯的健康和福利。

此时的他，在学术界和政界都深受爱戴。

而最后的一句，为接下来的章节埋下伏笔。

It was because of his popularity and prestige that his arrest and trial became a national sensation.

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Words & Expressions

flog

v.  to beat a person or animal with a whip or stick 鞭打，棒打〔人﹑动物〕

eg.He was publicly flogged and humiliated. 

 be flogging a dead horse to be wasting time or effort by trying to do something that is impossible 【口】 浪费时间，徒劳，白费劲

flog sth to death   to repeat a story or use an idea etc so often that people become bored with it 【英，非正式】 令人厌烦地重复某事

eg.They take a good idea and flog it to death. 

flogging n.  [C]a punishment in which someone is severely beaten with a whip or stick 〔作为惩罚的〕鞭笞，杖刑

dredge

v.  1.to remove mud or sand from the bottom of a river, HARBOUR etc, or to search for something by doing this 疏浚，清淤；〔在河床﹑港湾底泥中〕挖掘

eg.They dredged for oysters. 他们在挖牡蛎。

 2.[ + with]to cover food lightly with flour, sugar etc 〔用面粉﹑糖等〕撒，涂

mellow v./adj.

adj  1.NOT BRIGHT 不鲜明的a mellow colour or light looks soft, warm, and not too bright 〔颜色或光线〕柔和的，温暖的，不耀眼的

the mellow golden light of early evening 傍晚时分柔和的金色光线 

2.NOT LOUD OR HARSH 声音不大或不尖锐的

a mellow sound is pleasant and smooth 〔声音〕圆润的，悦耳的，流畅的

a warm, mellow voice 热情悦耳的嗓音 

3.NOT STRONG IN FLAVOUR 味道不强烈的

mellow wine or fruit has a smooth pleasant taste 〔酒〕芳醇的；〔水果〕成熟香甜的

its smooth, mellow flavour 它那醇正香浓的味道

4.NOT STRICT 不严厉的someone who is mellow is gentle and calm and does not criticize other people, because they have a lot of experience of life 圆通的，练达的

5.RELAXED 放松的if you feel mellow, you feel calm and relaxed, especially after drinking alcohol 〔尤指饮酒后〕感觉平和轻松的

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Curiously,yellow stands for the earth and black stands for water, and the yellow earth is supposed to overcome the black water by its power of absorption. The name given the Yellow Tower was, therefore, symbolic of the power to resist water.

作者解释了黄楼的在中国文化里的意义以及由来。

There were many small things that could be easily done if a man thought about doing them, but only Su Tungpo cared.

为官之道，在于不拘小节和琐事，为百姓办实事。苏轼深谙此理。