Central Question: Why did Su Tungpo leave Huangchow and how did he come to his post?
The sentences interests me most:
1.A man joins a government for money or fame or power or service to the country.
2.At a stroke, the rewards of his years of labour were wipe out, and probably he had begin all over again to start another farm somewhere else.
很喜欢这个表达，多年辛勤，毁于一旦。
3.While travelling between Nanking and Chinking, he was busy shaping his plans for buying a farm and a homestead somewhere in the lake district.
觉得shape 用的特传神，把简单的表达突然写的灵动起来。后文林语堂先生用了hatch a plan来表达同一意思，突然觉得大师就是不一样啊，用词就是精准，膜拜。
4.He was deeply touched, and thinking of his dear friend, his eyes moistened with tears and his throat choked.
泪眼朦胧，无语凝噎
带着很浓厚的兴趣读完这一章，看到标题就很喜欢，马上就想到了武侠小说里侠客们仗剑浪迹天涯潇洒场面。但是读完了反而心情有点沉重，想到这么一个洒脱不羁、放浪形骸的大才子历经朝堂的明争暗斗好不容易在黄州过上了惬意的隐士的安稳生活，又要卷入朝廷的纷争，途中举家的各种颠沛流离，忍饥挨饿，很难想象四十多岁的苏东坡当时是怎样的心情。其实我觉得苏东坡就应该生活在乡村田野，和一帮志趣相投的朋友喝喝酒，写写诗，游山玩水，吸收来自大自然的灵气，官场会玷污了他的这股清流。不过这样会不会浪费了他的才智？哈哈
Words and expressions:
1.He dodged the appointment, in his own words ,like a schoolboy trying to play hookey.
dodge: verb&n,
move suddenly, often to avoid being hit, caught, or seen. 躲闪,躲开
avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing (duties, questions, or issues)，especially in a dishonest way 故意逃避、躲避
eg: She managed to dodge all the difficult questions by changing the subjects.
He made a sudden dodge aside.
2.The first taste of power is fine, but barring exceptional circumstances, an American president who runs for a second term either does not know what is for his own good.
bar: verb, to block or prevent 阻止，妨碍
barring: prep, it means except
eg: Nobody else knows, barring you and me.
The players were barred froming drinking alcohol the night before the match.
3. The conversation rambled on.
ramble on: verb, continue talking or writing in a desultory(断断续续的，散漫的）manner东拉西扯的说或写；漫步闲逛
eg: When you ramble on about topics it is more likely that you are losing your audience.
4. Su Tungpo smiled ruefully and replied.
rueful: ['ruːfʊl;] feel or express regret or sorrow in a quiet and gentle way. 可怜的，悲伤的，悔恨的
同义词：wretched
Eg: a rueful smile 凄然一笑