唐太宗táng tài zōng的de镜子jìng zi—魏征wèi zhēng ▸ 

▸ 唐太宗táng tài zōng李世民lǐ shì mín在位zài wèi期间qī jiān，非常fēi cháng注重zhù zhòng选拔xuǎn bá人才rén cái，

When Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, was on the throne, he placed great emphasis on selecting talented individuals.

▸ 也yě非常fēi cháng善于shàn yú听取tīng qǔ别人bié ren的de意见yì jiàn。

He was also very good at listening to others’ opinions.

▸ 关于guān yú他tā知人善用zhī rén shàn yòng的de故事gù shi有yǒu很hěn多duō，

There are many stories about his ability to judge people and make good use of them.

▸ 其中qí zhōng最zuì为wéi后来hòu lái人rén所suǒ知zhī的de就jiù是shì他tā和hé大臣dà chén魏征wèi zhēng的de故事gù shi。

Of these, the one that has become most well known by later generations is the story of him and minister Wei Zheng.

▸ 魏征wèi zhēng原本yuán běn是shì唐太宗táng tài zōng大哥dà gē李建成lǐ jiàn chéng的de谋士móu shì，

Wei Zheng was originally the strategist of Emperor Taizong of Tang’s eldest brother, Li Jiancheng.

▸ 曾经céng jīng帮bāng着zhe李建成lǐ jiàn chéng设计shè jì圈套quān tào想xiǎng害死hài sǐ唐太宗táng tài zōng。

He once assisted Li Jiancheng in designing a trap to kill Emperor Taizong of Tang.

▸ 但dàn事后shì hòu，唐太宗táng tài zōng毫不háo bù记仇jì chóu，

But after this happened, Emperor Taizong of Tang did not hold any grudge whatsoever.

▸ 觉得jué de魏征wèi zhēng是shì个ge人才rén cái，照旧zhào jiù重用zhòng yòng了le他tā。

He thought Wei Zheng was a talented person, and as before, put him in an important position.

▸ 有yǒu很hěn多duō跟随gēn suí唐太宗táng tài zōng东征西讨dōng zhēng xī tǎo的de将士jiàng shì们men不bù服气fú qì，

Many officers and soldiers who had been with Emperor Taizong of Tang through countless wars were unconvinced.

▸ 认为rèn wéi魏征wèi zhēng是shì“外人wài rén”，不bù应该yīng gāi重用zhòng yòng。

They viewed Wei Zheng as an “outsider” who shouldn’t be put in an important position.

▸ 唐太宗táng tài zōng向xiàng大家dà jiā解释jiě shì道dào：

Emperor Taizong of Tang explained to everyone, ..

▸ “我wǒ只zhǐ从cóng才干cái gàn选择xuǎn zé人rén，没有méi yǒu什么shén me‘自己zì jǐ人rén’和hé‘外人wài rén’的de差别chā bié，你们nǐ men不bú要yào东想西想dōng xiǎng xī xiǎng。”

.. “I pick people only for their abilities; there is no difference between so-called ‘our own people’ and ‘outsiders’.” Don’t overthink it.

▸ 魏征wèi zhēng为人wéi rén正直zhèng zhí，敢gǎn当面dāng miàn给gěi唐太宗táng tài zōng提tí意见yì jiàn，

Wei Zheng was an honest person, and he had the conviction to voice his opinions directly to Emperor Taizong of Tang’s face.

▸ 不bú会huì因为yīn wèi他tā是shì皇帝huáng dì而ér给gěi他tā留liú面子miàn zi。

He wouldn’t hold back to save the emperor’s face just because he was the emperor.

▸ 唐太宗táng tài zōng也yě会huì虚心xū xīn听取tīng qǔ魏征wèi zhēng的de意见yì jiàn，

Emperor Taizong of Tang would also humbly listen to Wei Zheng’s opinions.

▸ 只要zhǐ yào魏征wèi zhēng说shuō得de有道理yǒu dào li，他tā就jiù会huì认真rèn zhēn改正gǎi zhèng。

As long as what Wei Zheng said had solid reasoning, he would earnestly make changes.

▸ 唐太宗táng tài zōng毕竟bì jìng是shì皇帝huáng dì，

Emperor Taizong of Tang, after all, was the emperor.

▸ 周围zhōu wéi拍马屁pāi mǎ pì的de人rén很hěn多duō，也yě会huì比较bǐ jiào要yào面子miàn zi。

Many people around him would flatter him, and he cared about what others thought of him.

▸ 有时候yǒu shí hou魏征wèi zhēng说到shuō dào唐太宗táng tài zōng的de痛处tòng chù，

Sometimes Wei Zheng’s words would touch a sore spot, ..

▸ 唐太宗táng tài zōng气qì得de跳tiào起来qǐ lai要yào杀shā他tā，

.. and Emperor Taizong of Tang would be so angry that he would jump up and want to kill Wei Zheng.

▸ 魏征wèi zhēng依旧yī jiù坚持jiān chí自己zì jǐ的de意见yì jiàn不变bú biàn。

But Wei Zheng would nevertheless maintain his position, unwavering.

▸ 等děng唐太宗táng tài zōng冷静lěng jìng下来xia lai，觉得jué de魏征wèi zhēng说shuō得de对duì，

After Emperor Taizong of Tang calmed down, he would realize that Wei Zheng was right.

▸ 只好zhǐ hǎo老老实实lǎo lǎo shi shi向xiàng魏征wèi zhēng认错rèn cuò。

So, he would have no choice but honestly admit his mistakes to Wei Zheng.

▸ 有yǒu一yí次cì，唐太宗táng tài zōng外出wài chū考察kǎo chá，

Once, Emperor Taizong of Tang went away on an inspection trip.

▸ 路过lù guò一yí个ge地方dì fang，因为yīn wèi伙食huǒ shí不bù好hǎo而ér大dà发脾气fā pí qi，

At a place he passed by, he lost his temper because the food wasn’t up to standards, ..

▸ 把bǎ旁边páng biān的de官员guān yuán们men都dōu吓坏xià huài了le。

.., terrifying the court officials next to him.

▸ 魏征wèi zhēng却què不bú怕pà，他tā毫不háo bù客气kè qi地de对duì唐太宗táng tài zōng说shuō：

Yet, Wei Zheng was not afraid. Without any trace of courtesy he said to Emperor Taizong of Tang, ..

▸ “以前yǐ qián隋朝suí cháo的de皇帝huáng dì就jiù是shì像xiàng你nǐ这样zhè yàng挑三拣四tiāo sān jiǎn sì，乱luàn发fā皇帝huáng dì脾气pí qi，

.. “In the past the emperor of the Sui Dynasty was picky like you and easily lost his temper.

▸ 所以suǒ yǐ隋朝suí cháo灭亡miè wáng了le。你nǐ不bù吸取xī qǔ教训jiào xun，这样zhè yàng乱luàn发脾气fā pí qi干什么gàn shén me？”

So, the Sui Dynasty was destroyed. Why is it that haven’t you learned this lesson and also lose your temper easily?”

▸ 唐太宗táng tài zōng认为rèn wéi魏征wèi zhēng说shuō得de对duì，一下子yí xià zi就jiù没méi了le脾气pí qi。

Emperor Taizong of Tang thought that Wei Zheng was right, and immediately his temper subsided.

▸ 唐太宗táng tài zōng对duì魏征wèi zhēng又yòu爱ài又yòu恨hèn，既jì喜欢xǐ huan他tā，又yòu怕pà他tā。

Emperor Taizong of Tang both loved and hated Wei Zheng. He liked him, yet was afraid of him at the same time.

▸ 他tā把bǎ魏征wèi zhēng称为chēng wéi“人rén镜jìng”，还hái把bǎ魏征wèi zhēng指出zhǐ chū自己zì jǐ的de十shí个ge缺点quē diǎn规规矩矩guī guī ju ju地de贴tiē在zài墙qiáng上shang，

He called Wei Zheng a “human mirror”, and even posted on the wall the ten flaws in his character that Wei Zheng had pointed out.

▸ 每měi天tiān早zǎo晚wǎn认真rèn zhēn看kàn一yí遍biàn，检查jiǎn chá自己zì jǐ是不是shì bu shì又yòu犯fàn了le老lǎo毛病máo bìng。

Every morning and every evening he would earnestly look at them, examining himself to see if he relapsed into any bad habits.

▸ 魏征wèi zhēng死sǐ后hòu，唐太宗táng tài zōng大dà哭kū。

After Wei Zheng passed away, Emperor Taizong of Tang cried deeply.

▸ 他tā很hěn伤心shāng xīn地de对duì大家dà jiā说shuō：

In his grief, he said to everyone, ..

▸ “人们rén men以yǐ青铜qīng tóng做zuò镜子jìng zi，可以kě yǐ端正duān zhèng衣冠yī guān；

.. “When people use a bronze mirror, they can adjust their dress.

▸ 用yòng历史lì shǐ做zuò镜子jìng zi，可以kě yǐ知道zhī dào国家guó jiā兴衰xīng shuāi的de规律guī lǜ；

Using history as a mirror, they can find out the patterns behind the rise and fall of a state.

▸ 用yòng正直zhèng zhí敢gǎn说话shuō huà的de人rén做zuò镜子jìng zi，可以kě yǐ知道zhī dào自己zì jǐ什么shén me事情shì qing做zuò对duì了le，什么shén me事情shì qing做zuò错cuò了le。

Using an honest, outspoken person as a mirror, they can know what they did right and what they did wrong.

▸ 现在xiàn zài魏征wèi zhēng死sǐ了le，我wǒ失去shī qù了le一yí面miàn多duō好hǎo的de镜子jìng zi啊a！”

Now that Wei Zheng has passed away, what a great mirror I have lost!

▸ 直到zhí dào现在xiàn zài，唐太宗táng tài zōng和hé魏征wèi zhēng的de故事gù shi还是hái shi被bèi当成dàng chéng佳话jiā huà被bèi人们rén men传颂chuán sòng。

To this day, the story of Emperor Taizong of Tang and Wei Zheng’s is a much-told tale and has spread far and wide.

▸ 没有méi yǒu魏征wèi zhēng，唐太宗táng tài zōng就jiù听不见tīng bu jiàn批评pī píng的de声音shēng yīn；

Without Wei Zheng, Emperor Taizong of Tang wouldn’t have heard the voices of criticism.

▸ 没有méi yǒu唐太宗táng tài zōng这样zhè yàng开明kāi míng的de皇帝huáng dì，魏征wèi zhēng再zài说shuō什么shén me也yě没有méi yǒu用yòng。

Without an emperor as open-minded as Emperor Taizong of Tang, anything Wei Zheng said would have been useless.

▸ 弄nòng不bù好hǎo，还hái可能kě néng丢掉diū diào自己zì jǐ的de脑袋nǎo dài。

In a bad scenario, he might have lost his head.

▸ 所以suǒ yǐ，唐太宗táng tài zōng离lí不bù开kāi魏征wèi zhēng，魏征wèi zhēng也yě离lí不bù开kāi唐太宗táng tài zōng。

So, Emperor Taizong of Tang needed Wei Zheng, and Wei Zheng needed Emperor Taizong of Tang.

▸ 正是zhèng shì因为yīn wèi唐太宗táng tài zōng的de开明kāi míng和hé魏征wèi zhēng的de直言zhí yán敢gǎn谏jiàn，

It’s precisely Emperor Taizong of Tang’s open-mindedness and Wei Zheng’s outspokenness ..

▸ 成就chéng jiù了le举世闻名jǔ shì wén míng的de唐朝táng cháo盛世shèng shì！

.. that achieved the world-famous prosperity of the Tang Dynasty!

Hover a word for its pinyin & meaning; click to pin it.