21
21st Stratagem
金蝉脱壳
(jīn chán tuō qiào)
The Golden Cicada Sloughs off Its Shell
Mask yourself either by leaving flamboyant traits behind, going incognito, or creating an illusion to fit your objective.
In the early 190s A.D., after parting ways with the warlord Yuan Shu (袁术, died 199 A.D.), the warlord Lü Bu (呂布, died 199 A.D.) headed to northern China. There he aided Yuan Shu's relative Yuan Shao (cf. Stratagem 19) in putting down an uprising. Shortly after, Yuan Shao grew suspicious that Lü Bu would betray him, and so sent soldiers to 'act as his guard' while secretly plotting kill him in
his sleep. Realizing this, Lü Bu had his friend stay in his tent as a decoy, who was then killed by the assassins in Lü Bu's stead, allowing for Lü Bu to escape [6].
The Golden Cicada Sloughs off Its Shell is associated with the eighteenth hexagram, Mountain over Wind. Movement, symbolized by the lower trigram of Wind follows the rigidity symbolized by the upper trigram of Mountain, resulting in stagnation. The yielding yin lines in both trigrams are bound above by solid yang lines, symbolizing an inability to move forward and the need for a readjustment, or, a new beginning, like a cicada shedding its skin.
The Golden Cicada Sloughs off Its Shell, in the Ba Gua Zhang, is also the name of one of the sixty-four hands, in particular, the third form in the Palace of Wind. It corresponds with the 48th hexagram, Water outside of Wind. This form relies on a blending with the forces of the opponent, and conforming to its bodily movements, just as both Wind and Water conform and adapt to the terrain, or, to the situation [1], [28].
VOCAB LIST 21:
microwave oven: 微波炉: wēibōlú
shark: 鲨鱼: shāyú
dignity: 尊严: zūnyán
scholar: 学者: xuézhě
to share: 分享: fēnxiǎng
meal: 餐: cān
profit: 利益: lìyì
gold: 金: jīn
respect: 尊敬: zūnjìng
to order (food): 点: diǎn
trash can: 垃圾桶: lājī tǒng
cicada: 蝉: chán
shell (e.g. the shell of an egg): 壳: ké
shell/hard surface(formal written): 壳: qiào
internship: 实习: shíxí
intern: 实习生: shíxí shēng
should have: 应该早就: yīnggāi zǎo jiù
Lü Bu: 呂布: lǚbù
neck: 脖子: bózi
until.../until: 直到...才.../才: zhídào...cái.../cái
ticket: 票: piào
not long ago: 不久以前: bùjiǔ yǐqián
to finish/end: 结束: jiéshù
to carry out/finish: 完成: wánchéng
form (to be filled out): 表格: biǎogé
to fill out (a form): 填写: tiánxiě
to check (examine): 查/检查: chá/jiǎnchá
handle (e.g. grab onto the handle): 扶手/把手: fúshǒu/bǎshǒu
to leave...at… (e.g. to leave a wallet at the store): 把...忘在...: bǎ...wàng zài…
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New Characters:
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Sample Sentences 21:
1) 我把我的饭忘在微波炉里了。
Trans.: I left my food in the microwave.
2) 你有没有完成那个表格？你填写了多少？
Trans.: Did you finish that form? How much of it did you fill out?
3) 你不应该在这里游泳，有鲨鱼。
4) 有一只金蝉在我们头上飞。
5) Q: 你还有多长时间才离开？
A: 我不知道，我还没买飞机票。
6) Q: 你应该早就把垃圾拿出来，为什么还没有呢？
A: 那个垃圾桶很难拿，因为没有把手。
7) 长颈鹿的脖子为什么很长？
8) Q: 实习生检查什么时候结束的？
A: 不久前。
9) 谁在鸡蛋壳上写字了？
10) 我们快要点餐了，要不要一起分享？
11) 我很尊敬那个学者。
12) 尊严比利益重要。
13) Q: 你工作了吗？
A: 我刚刚参加实习。
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