The Gay Genius Chapter21

I. The central question

Q: Why Su Tungpo chosen the way to get out of the power?

A: From Huangchow to the capital, it was the second time Su Tungpo came back. However, even Su Tungpo knew the empresses could save his life, he already knew how dangerous and difficult the political life was. He cannot be one of the party number to oblige his "friends" and he was too frank to hidden his words. If those were his weakness, that maybe the stick which his opppoents use to attack him. It's difficult for Su Tungpo to change his character to be a normal official just like someone else. If he did, we maybe lost our great genius Su Tungpo. So he chosen to leave the capital to find a place where to find inner peace.  In brief, we could say Su Tungpo's Buddhism and Taoism thoughts made him tried of political life. He wanted to be a great scholar more than a politician.

II. The sentences

1. A good official never states, but only denies. With a sufficient schooling in the art of saying perpetually, "No comment," and "You are right," a good official can go a long way.

这句话虽然是评论宋代的官员，但放在现在看来也仍然合适，大部分官员并不主动提出意见，多是附和他人的观点，“无可奉告”、“言之有理”的确是司空见惯。

2. A poet-painter, with his detached philosophic point of view, can scarcely become so involved in the political issues that he is willing to play the game and accept the penalties.

detached philosophic   疏离的哲学

3. In the course of two years, Su Tungpo, by his strong individualism and outspoken, fearless criticism, had succeeded in offending a great number of people, including the Hopei and Honan cliques. And Su Tungpo had made himself a menace and a nuisance to Wang Anshih's party men!

cliques  派系、小集团

menace  威胁      nuisance  讨厌的人    

a menace and a nuisance这一句翻译为眼中钉、肉中刺，非常巧妙