中文感悟：
以前我总觉得辞官归隐是一种消极避世的做法，虽然我并不推崇一定要争取功名利禄以光宗耀祖，但如实觉得辞官归隐也没必要。今天读了这一章以后，我想我可能对这类文人有了新的认识。朋党之争的战火蔓延开来，甚至当本无辜的人也被迫卷入其中时，主动请辞退隐似乎才是一种顾全大局的做法。但是，试想当时苏轼的内心，恐怕还是一点也轻松不起来。我想起陶渊明的“采菊东篱下，悠然见南山”和欧阳修的“醉翁之意不在酒，在乎山水之间也”，乍一听觉得陶醉于山水之情，寄思于田园之美就可以抛却人世间的纷纷扰扰，但是谁又知道他们的内心无时无刻不在记挂“庙堂之高”呢？是进亦忧，退亦忧，然则何时而乐耶？苏轼写的请辞文让我想起了写出《出师表》的诸葛亮，一篇冰心跃然纸上，而最让我叹服的是他那豁达乐观的心态，看似一句玩笑，其实际目的也无从可考，但是却让我读出了中国有志文人的胸襟和情怀。
字词学习：
As usual when the Empress put a protest on the shelf...
on the shelf: not wanted by anyone, not used（无用而）闲置的、搁置的
(old-fashioned) (especially of women) considered to be too old to get married年龄大得嫁不出的
补充off the shelf: that can be bought immediately and does not have to be specially designed or ordered现成有售的，不用定制的
造句：This book has been on the shelf since it was bought.
...who had requested his trial should be pardoned.
pardon此处作动词，表示to officially allow somebody who has been found guilty of a crime to leave prison and/or avoid punishment特赦、赦免
此外pardon还有我们常见的意思表示“原谅”，例如pardon me
if you'll pardon the expression请恕我直言
pardon somebody for something/for doing something/doing something原谅某人做的某事
造句：The criminal was pardoned after serving 5 years of sentence.
The most important case, which stirred up a hornet's nest, was that...
a hornet's nest: a difficult situation in which a lot of people get very angry引起公愤的状况、困境
通常搭配的动词就是stir up
造句：His words stirred up a real hornet's nest.
...was already mounted on his horse...
mount此处作动词，表示to get on a bicycle, horse, etc., in order to ride it
此外mount作动词还可表示 1 to organize and begin something安排、准备、组织开展
2 to fix something into position on something, so that you can use it, look at it or study it镶嵌、安置，例如mount this diamond in gold.
mount/stand/keep guard over something or something看守、守卫、保护
另外mount作名词（熟词生义）还可表示“坐骑”和“托架、支撑架”，例如an engine /gun mount发动机架、炮架
造句：I felt exhausted when I finally mounted the mountain top.