11
Eleventh Stratagem
李代桃僵
(lǐ dài táo jiāng)
Sacrifice the Plum Tree to Preserve the Peach Tree
A long-term objective may sometimes call for the sacrifice of certain short-term objectives. This is also referred to as the "scapegoat" strategy, whereby the suffering of a few might ensure that the rest do not.
Cao Cao, while under a siege in the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280 A.D.), demonstrated this strategy when his supplies ran low. He called in the supply captain and ordered him to water down the rice and grain. When the soldiers started to complain, Cao ordered that the captain be killed, and then explained to his troops that the captain had been stealing the supplies and selling them to the enemy. This raised the army's morale and they were victorious for a few more days [29].
Sacrifice the Plum Tree to Preserve the Peach Tree is associated with the 39th hexagram, Water over Mountain. Danger ahead is symbolized by Water, and obstruction from behind by Mountain. This is meant to suggest a situation in which the direct route cannot lead to success, where one must hold back, wait, even lose the battle, to prevail in the long term. Another interpretation that the Mountain waits patiently rather than plunging ahead, and eventually combines with the adaptability of water, allowing for small sacrifices to be made for the good of the larger goals at hand [1], [28].
VOCAB LIST 11:
angry/pissed off: 生气: shēngqì
to decide: 决定: juédìng
plum: 李子: lǐzi
problem: 问题: wèntí
happy: 高兴: gāoxìng
sad: 难过: nánguò
to replace: 取代/代替: qǔdài/dàitì
to forget: 忘记: wàngjì
to steal: 偷: tōu
all: 全部/所有的: quánbù/suǒyǒu de
the other/another: 另一（个）: lìng yī (gè)
money: 钱: qián
except/besides: 除了: chúle
unless: 除非: chúfēi than: 比: bǐ
more than: 比...多: bǐ...duō
less than: 比...少: bǐ...shǎo
peach: 桃子: táozi
hour: 小时: xiǎoshí
minute: 分钟: fēnzhōng
o’clock: 点: diǎn
cloud: 云: yún
frozen/locked into place: 冻僵: dòng jiāng
boss: 老板: lǎobǎn
what time?: 几点: jǐ diǎn
to lock: 锁: suǒ
half: 半: bàn
grocery store: 超市: chāoshì
<polite terminal for imperative sentences>: 吧: ba
what time is it?: 现在什么时候/现在几点: xiànzài shénme shíhòu/xiànzài jǐ diǎn
to have thought (to have been under the impression): 以为: yǐwéi
New Characters:
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Sample Sentences 11:
1) I: 我以为你三点会来。
2) Q: 你有没有决定去哪里上学？
A: 没有，我还没有决定。
3) 李子好吃，桃子也好吃。
4) 橙汁没有了，可以用橙子来代替吗？
5) Q: 老板为什么很生气？
A: 因为张涛昨天晚上忘记锁门了。
6) Q: 小张为什么很难过？
A: 因为他忘记锁车门，有人偷了他汽车里所有的东西。
7) 她把苹果全部都吃完了。
Trans.: She ate all of the apple.
8) Q: 现在几点了？| Q: 现在什么时候？
A: 现在四点半。
9) 我们今天只用上半天班。
Trans.: Today we only have to work half of the day.
10) Q: 超市几点开门？
A: 上午九点开门。
11) 今天太冷了，我要冻僵了。
12) Q: 哪一双鞋便宜？
A: 黑色的那双比咖啡色的便宜。
13) 小王比我年轻，也比我高。
17) 我喜欢全部的老师，除了他。
18) 别下水，除非你会游泳。
19) 这个菜不好吃，吃另一个吧。
20) 她今天不太高兴，因为昨晚没睡好。
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