Ever bluffed your way into a job you couldn’t actually do? Well, meet Mr. Nanguo, who faked playing an instrument for years and got paid handsomely for it.
战国时期,齐国的国王齐宣王非常喜欢听音乐,特别喜欢听一种叫”竽”的乐器。竽的声音又大又好听,但是齐宣王有一个特别的爱好——他不喜欢听一个人吹,他喜欢听很多人一起吹。每次演奏,他都要三百个人同时吹竽,声音像大风一样,他听得非常高兴。
当时有一个人,叫南郭先生。他根本不会吹竽,一点儿也不会。但是他听说,给国王吹竽的人,工资很高,生活很好。于是他想出了一个办法。
他来到王宫,对国王说:”大王,我吹竽吹得非常好,请让我为您演奏吧。”齐宣王很高兴,没有考他,就让他加入了乐队。
从那以后,每次演奏的时候,南郭先生就站在三百人中间。别人吹,他也把竽放在嘴边,摇头晃脑,看起来非常认真,非常投入。其实,他一点声音也没有发出来。因为人太多了,谁也听不出来。
就这样,南郭先生什么都不会,却和大家拿一样的工资,过了好几年舒服的日子。
可是好日子不长。后来,齐宣王去世了,他的儿子齐湣王当了国王。
新国王也喜欢听竽,但是他和父亲不一样——他不喜欢听大家一起吹,他喜欢听一个一个地吹。他下了命令:从明天开始,三百个人,每天一个人,单独为我演奏。
南郭先生听到这个消息,脸都白了。
那天晚上,他收拾好自己的东西,悄悄地逃走了。从此,再也没有人见过他。
Hover a word for its pinyin & meaning; click to pin it.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 乐器 | yuè qì | musical instrument |
| 演奏 | yǎn zòu | to perform (music) |
| 根本 | gēn běn | at all; fundamentally |
| 工资 | gōng zī | salary; wages |
| 办法 | bàn fǎ | method; way; solution |
| 认真 | rèn zhēn | serious; conscientious |
| 投入 | tóu rù | absorbed; engaged |
| 去世 | qù shì | to pass away; to die |
| 命令 | mìng lìng | order; command |
| 悄悄 | qiāo qiāo | quietly; secretly |
| 战国 | Zhàn guó | the Warring States period (475-221 BC) |
| 时期 | shí qī | period; phase; CL:個|个[ge4] |
| 齐国 | Qí guó | Qi state of Western Zhou and the Warring states (1122-265 BC), centered in Shandong |
| 的 | de | of; ~'s (possessive particle); (used after an attribute when it modifies a noun); (used at the end of a declarative sentence for emphasis); (used after a noun, verb or adjective to… |
| 国王 | guó wáng | king |
| 齐 | Qí | (name of states and dynasties at several different periods); surname Qi |
| 宣 | xuan | to declare; to announce; to publicize; to spread |
| 王 | Wáng | surname Wang |
| 非常 | fēi cháng | very; really; unusual; extraordinary |
| 喜欢 | xǐ huan | to like; to be fond of |
| 听 | yǐn | smile (archaic); to listen to; to hear; to heed; to obey; a can (loanword from English "tin"); classifier for canned beverages; to let be; to allow (Taiwan pr. [ting4]); (literary) to administer; t… |
| 音 | yīn | sound; noise; note (of musical scale); tone; news; syllable; reading (phonetic value of a character) |
| 乐 | Lè | surname Le |
| 特别 | tè bié | unusual; special; very; especially; particularly; expressly; for a specific purpose; (often followed by 是[shi4]) in particular |
| 一种 | yī zhǒng | one kind of; one type of |
| 叫 | jiào | to shout; to call; to order; to ask; to be called; by (indicates agent in the passive mood); variant of 叫[jiao4] |
| 竽 | ||
| 声音 | shēng yīn | sound; voice |
| 又 | yòu | (once) again; also; both... and...; and yet; (used for emphasis) anyway |
| 大 | dà | big; large; great; older (than another person); eldest (as in 大姐[da4 jie3]); greatly; freely; fully; (dialect) father; (dialect) uncle (father's brother) |
| 好听 | hǎo tīng | pleasant to hear |
| 但 | dàn | but; yet; however; still; merely; only; just |
| 是 | shì | to be (followed by substantives only); correct; right; true; (respectful acknowledgement of a command) very well; (adverb for emphatic assertion); variant of 是[shi4] |
| 有 | yǒu | to have; there is; (bound form) having; with; -ful; -ed; -al (as in 有意[you3 yi4] intentional) |
| 一个 | yī ge | a; an; one; the whole (afternoon, summer vacation etc) |
| 爱好 | ài hào | to like; to be fond of; to take pleasure in; to be keen on; interest; hobby |
| 他 | tā | (third-person singular) (since the early 20th century, usu. male) he; him; his; (bound form) other; another; some other (as in 他日[ta1 ri4] and 他人[ta1 ren2]) |
| 不 | bù | no; not so; (bound form) not; un- |
| 一个人 | yī gè rén | by oneself (without assistance); alone (without company) |
| 吹 | chuī | to blow; to play a wind instrument; to blast; to puff; to boast; to brag; to end in failure; to fall through |
| 很 | hěn | very; quite; (also, often used before an adjective without intensifying its meaning, i.e. as a meaningless syntactic element) |
| 多 | duō | many; much; more; a lot of; too many; in excess; (after a numeral) ... odd; how (to what extent) (Taiwan pr. [duo2]); (bound form) multi-; poly- |
| 人 | rén | person; people; CL:個|个[ge4],位[wei4],名[ming2] |
| 一起 | yī qǐ | (in) the same place; together; in company (with); altogether; in total; an instance of; a case of (murder, accident, dispute etc) |
| 每次 | měi cì | every time |
| 都 | Dū | surname Du |
| 要 | yāo | (bound form) to demand; to coerce |
| 三 | Sān | surname San |
| 百 | Bǎi | surname Bai |
| 个人 | gè rén | an individual; oneself; (attributive) personal; one's own |
| 同时 | tóng shí | at the same time; simultaneously |
| 像 | xiàng | to resemble; to be like; to look as if; such as; appearance; image; portrait; image under a mapping (math.) |
| 大风 | dà fēng | gale; CL:場|场[chang2] |
| 一 | yī | one; single; a (article); as soon as; entire; whole; all; throughout; "one" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 1); also pr. [yao1] for greater clarity when spelling out … |
| 样 | yàng | manner; pattern; way; appearance; shape; classifier: kind, type |
| 得 | dé | to obtain; to get; to gain; to catch (a disease); proper; suitable; proud; contented; to allow; to permit; ready; finished |
| 高兴 | gāo xìng | happy; glad; willing (to do sth); in a cheerful mood |
| 当时 | dāng shí | then; at that time |
| 南郭 | Nán guō | two-character surname Nanguo |
| 先生 | xiān sheng | teacher; gentleman; sir; mister (Mr.); husband; (dialect) doctor; CL:位[wei4] |
| 不会 | bù huì | improbable; unlikely; will not (act, happen etc); not able; not having learned to do sth; (coll.) (Tw) don't mention it; not at all |
| 一点儿 | yī diǎn r | erhua variant of 一點|一点[yi1 dian3] |
| 也 | Yě | surname Ye |
| 听说 | tīng shuō | to hear (sth said); one hears (that); hearsay; listening and speaking |
| 给 | gěi | to; for; for the benefit of; to give; to allow; to do sth (for sb); (grammatical equivalent of 被); (grammatical equivalent of 把); (sentence intensifier) |
| 高 | Gāo | surname Gao |
| 生 | shēng | to grow; to give birth; to produce; to be born; to arise; to occur; to light (a fire); to live; to be alive; life; raw; uncooked; unprocessed; unfamiliar; strange; (bound form) stu… |
| 活 | huó | to live; alive; living; work; workmanship |
| 好 | hǎo | good; appropriate; proper; all right!; (before a verb) easy to; (before a verb) good to; (before an adjective for exclamatory effect) so; (verb complement indicating completion); (… |
| 于是 | yú shì | thereupon; as a result; consequently; thus; hence |
| 想出 | xiǎng chū | to figure out; to work out (a solution etc); to think up; to come up with (an idea etc) |
| 了 | le | (completed action marker); (modal particle indicating change of state, situation now); (modal particle intensifying preceding clause); (bound form) clear in one's mind; to understand clearly |
| 来 | lái | to come; (used as a substitute for a more specific verb); hither (directional complement for motion toward the speaker, as in 回來|回来[hui2 lai5]); ever since (as in 自古以來|自古以来[zi4 gu3… |
| 到 | dào | to reach; to arrive; to leave for; to go to; to (a place); until (a time); up to (a point); (verb complement indicating arriving at a place or reaching a point); considerate; thoug… |
| 王宫 | wáng gōng | imperial palace |
| 对 | duì | right; correct; towards; at; for; concerning; regarding; to treat (sb a certain way); to face; (bound form) opposite; facing; matching; to match together; to adjust; to fit; to sui… |
| 说 | shuì | to persuade; variant of 說|说[shuo1] |
| 大王 | dà wáng | king; magnate; person having expert skill in something |
| 我 | wǒ | I; me; my |
| 请 | qǐng | to ask; to invite; please (do sth); to treat (to a meal etc); to request |
| 让 | ràng | to yield; to permit; to let sb do sth; to have sb do sth; to make sb (feel sad etc); by (indicates the agent in a passive clause, like 被[bei4]) |
| 为 | wéi | as (in the capacity of); to take sth as; to act as; to serve as; to behave as; to become; to be; to do; by (in the passive voice); variant of 為|为[wei2] |
| 您 | nín | you (courteous, as opposed to informal 你[ni3]) |
| 吧 | bā | bar (loanword) (serving drinks, or providing Internet access etc); to puff (on a pipe etc); (onom.) bang; abbr. for 貼吧|贴吧[tie1 ba1] |
| 没有 | méi yǒu | haven't; hasn't; doesn't exist; to not have; to not be |
| 考 | kǎo | to beat; to hit; variant of 考[kao3]; to inspect; to test; to take an exam; to check; to verify; to test; to examine; to take an exam; to take an entrance exam for; deceased father |
| 就 | jìu | (after a suppositional clause) in that case; then; (after a clause of action) as soon as; immediately after; (same as 就是[jiu4 shi4]) merely; nothing else but; simply; just; precise… |
| 加入 | jiā rù | to become a member; to join; to mix into; to participate in; to add in |
| 队 | duì | squadron; team; group; CL:個|个[ge4] |
| 从 | cóng | variant of 從|从[cong2]; surname Cong |
| 那 | Nā | surname Na |
| 以 | yǐ | old variant of 以[yi3]; abbr. for Israel 以色列[Yi3 se4 lie4] |
| 后 | Hòu | surname Hou; back; behind; rear; afterwards; after; later; post- |
| 时 | shí | old variant of 時|时[shi2]; surname Shi |
| 候 | hòu | to wait; to inquire after; to watch; season; climate; (old) period of five days |
| 站 | zhàn | station; to stand; to halt; to stop; branch of a company or organization; website |
| 在 | zài | to exist; to be alive; (of sb or sth) to be (located) at; (used before a verb to indicate an action in progress) |
| 人中 | rén zhōng | philtrum; infranasal depression; the "human center" acupuncture point |
| 间 | jiān | between; among; within a definite time or space; room; section of a room or lateral space between two pairs of pillars; classifier for rooms |
| 别人 | bié ren | other people; others; other person |
| 把 | bǎ | to hold; to grasp; to hold a baby in position to help it urinate or defecate; handlebar; classifier: handful, bundle, bunch; classifier for things with handles; (used to put the ob… |
| 放 | fàng | to put; to place; to release; to free; to let go; to let out; to set off (fireworks) |
| 嘴 | zuǐ | mouth; beak; nozzle; spout (of teapot etc); CL:張|张[zhang1],個|个[ge4] |
| 边 | biān | side; edge; margin; border; boundary; CL:個|个[ge4]; simultaneously |
| 摇 | yāo | to shake; to wave; to rock; to sway |
| 头 | tóu | head; hair style; the top; end; beginning or end; a stub; remnant; chief; boss; side; aspect; first; leading; classifier for pigs or livestock; CL:個|个[ge4] |
| 晃 | huáng | to sway; to shake; to flash past (huang4); to dazzle (huang3) |
| 脑 | nǎo | brain; mind; head; essence |
| 看 | kān | to look after; to take care of; to watch; to guard |
| 起 | qǐ | to rise; to raise; to get up; to set out; to start; to appear; to launch; to initiate (action); to draft; to establish; to get (from a depot or counter); verb suffix, to start; sta… |
| 其实 | qí shí | actually; in fact; really |
| 一点 | yī diǎn | a bit; a little bit; (used in negative expressions) (not) the least bit; (after an adjective, used to form the comparative) a bit more, -er; a point (in a discussion etc); (calligr… |
| 发出 | fā chū | to issue (an order, decree etc); to send out; to dispatch; to produce (a sound); to let out (a laugh) |
| 因为 | yīn wèi | because; owing to; on account of |
| 太 | tài | highest; greatest; too (much); very; extremely |
| 谁 | shéi | who; also pr. [shui2] |
| 出 | chū | to go out; to come out; to arise; to occur; to produce; to yield; to go beyond; to exceed; (used after a verb to indicate an outward direction or a positive result); classifier for…; variant of 出[chu1] (classifier for plays or chapters of classical novels) |
| 这 | zhè | (pronoun) this; these; (bound form) this; the (followed by a noun); (bound form) this; these (followed by a classifier) (in this sense, commonly pr. [zhei4], esp. in Beijing) |
| 什 | shén | what |
| 么 | má | exclamatory final particle; variant of 麼|么[me5] |
| 却 | què | old variant of 卻|却[que4]; but; yet; however; while; to go back; to decline; to retreat; nevertheless; even though |
| 和 | hé | old variant of 和[he2]; surname He; (literary) harmonious (variant of 和[he2]) |
| 大家 | dà jiā | everyone; influential family; great expert |
| 拿 | ná | old variant of 拿[na2]; variant of 拿[na2]; to hold; to seize; to catch; to apprehend; to take; (used in the same way as 把[ba3]: to mark the following noun as a direct object) |
| 过 | Guō | surname Guo |
| 好几年 | hǎo jǐ nián | several years |
| 舒服 | shū fu | comfortable; feeling well |
| 日子 | rì zi | day; a (calendar) date; days of one's life |
| 可是 | kě shì | but; however; (used for emphasis) indeed |
| 好日子 | hǎo rì zi | auspicious day; good day; happy life |
| 长 | cháng | long; (bound form) length; (bound form) strong point; forte; (bound form) to be good at; (literary) surplus; spare (Taiwan pr. [zhang4]) |
| 儿子 | ér zi | son |
| 湣 | ||
| 当 | dāng | (onom.) dong; ding dong (bell); to be; to act as; manage; withstand; when; during; ought; should; match equally; equal; same; obstruct; just at (a time or place); on the spot; right; just at |
| 新 | Xīn | abbr. for Xinjiang 新疆[Xin1 jiang1]; abbr. for Singapore 新加坡[Xin1 jia1 po1]; surname Xin |
| 父亲 | fù qīn | father; also pr. [fu4 qin5]; CL:個|个[ge4] |
| 不一 | bù yī | to vary; to differ |
| 地 | de | -ly; structural particle: used before a verb or adjective, linking it to preceding modifying adverbial adjunct |
| 下 | xià | down; downwards; below; lower; later; next (week etc); second (of two parts); to decline; to go down; to arrive at (a decision, conclusion etc); measure word to show the frequency … |
| 明天 | míng tiān | tomorrow |
| 开始 | kāi shǐ | to begin; to start; beginning; start |
| 每天 | měi tiān | every day |
| 单独 | dān dú | alone; by oneself; on one's own |
| 听到 | tīng dào | to hear |
| 这个 | zhè ge | (pronoun) this; (adjective) this |
| 消 | xiāo | to diminish; to subside; to consume; to reduce; to idle away (the time); (after 不[bu4] or 只[zhi3] or 何[he2] etc) to need; to require; to take |
| 息 | xī | breath; news; interest (on an investment or loan); to cease; to stop; to rest; Taiwan pr. [xi2] |
| 脸 | liǎn | face; CL:張|张[zhang1],個|个[ge4] |
| 白 | Bái | surname Bai; Bai ethnic group |
| 那天 | nà tiān | that day; the other day |
| 晚上 | wǎn shang | evening; night; CL:個|个[ge4]; in the evening |
| 收 | shōu | to receive; to accept; to collect; to put away; to restrain; to stop; in care of (used on address line after name) |
| 拾 | shè | to ascend in light steps |
| 自己 | zì jǐ | oneself; (attributive) one's own |
| 东 | Dōng | surname Dong |
| 西 | Xī | the West; abbr. for Spain 西班牙[Xi1 ban1 ya2]; Spanish |
| 逃 | tāo | to escape; to flee |
| 走 | zǒu | to walk; to go; to run; to move (of vehicle); to visit; to leave; to go away; to die (euph.); from; through; away (in compound verbs, such as 撤走[che4 zou3]); to change (shape, form… |
| 从此 | cóng cǐ | from now on; since then; henceforth |
| 再 | zài | again; once more; re-; further; beyond this point of time; (before an adjective) more; then (after sth, and not until then); no matter how ... (followed by an adjective or verb, an… |
| 见 | jiàn | to see; to meet; to appear (to be sth); to interview; opinion; view |
During the Warring States period, King Xuan of Qi loved listening to music, and especially enjoyed listening to an instrument called the ‘yu’. The sound of the yu was both loud and beautiful, but King Xuan had a special preference: he didn’t like listening to one person play, he liked listening to many people play together. Every performance, he wanted three hundred people to play the yu at the same time, and the sound was like a great wind. He listened with great delight.
At that time there was a man named Mr. Nanguo. He couldn’t play the yu at all, not even a little bit. But he heard that people who played the yu for the king had high salaries and good lives. So he thought of a plan.
He came to the palace and said to the king: ‘Your Majesty, I play the yu extremely well. Please let me perform for you.’ King Xuan was very pleased, and without testing him, let him join the orchestra.
From then on, every time there was a performance, Mr. Nanguo would stand in the middle of the three hundred people. When others played, he also put the yu to his lips, swaying his head, looking very serious and very absorbed. In reality, he didn’t make a single sound. Because there were so many people, no one could tell.
And so, Mr. Nanguo, who couldn’t do anything, took the same salary as everyone else and lived comfortably for several years.
But the good days did not last. Later, King Xuan of Qi passed away, and his son King Min of Qi became king.
The new king also loved listening to the yu, but he was different from his father—he didn’t like listening to everyone play together, he liked listening to them play one by one. He issued a command: starting tomorrow, of the three hundred people, one person each day would perform for me alone.
When Mr. Nanguo heard this news, his face turned pale.
That night, he packed up his things and quietly ran away. From then on, no one ever saw him again.