The stories in Zhuangzi's Chinese idioms are all told in modern Chinese.

1. In autumn, when mountain torrents come, many rivers flow into the Yellow River. The river is so wide and thick that even cattle and horses can't tell the sandbars on both sides of the river from the water. So the river god gloated that all the beautiful things in the world were gathered here. The river god followed the current eastward to the North Sea. Looking east, he can't see the end of the sea. So he just changed his smug face, looked up at Poseidon and sighed: "As the saying goes,' After listening to hundreds of truths, you feel that no one in the world can match you', that is me. In addition, I also heard that Kong Qiu knew too little, and Boyi's lofty justice was not worthy of attention. At first, I couldn't believe it. Now I have seen with my own eyes how vast you are. If I hadn't come to the door, I would have been in danger and I would have laughed generously. "

2, stupefied

Ji Aiko domesticated cockfighting for Zhou Xuanwang. Ten days later, Zhou Xuanwang asked, "Is the chicken tamed?" Ji Xunzi replied, "No, I am vain." 10 days later, Zhou Xuanwang asked again and replied, "No, call when you hear a noise, and jump when you see a shadow." 10 days later, Zhou Xuanwang asked again and replied, "I still care about speed, and I feel very strong." Ten days later, Zhou Xuanwang asked and replied, "Almost. Even if other chickens crow, it will not change. Looks like a wooden chicken, and virtue can be said to be perfect. Other chickens dare not fight, turn around and run. "

There was a gentleman who raised chickens for the King of Qi. These chickens are not ordinary old hens, but cockfighting that must be trained to participate in the competition.

Mr. Ji only kept 10 days, and the king of Qi asked impatiently, "Did you keep it?"

Mr. Ji replied: "Not yet. Now these chickens are still very arrogant. "

After 10 days, the king of Qi asked again, and Mr. Ji replied, "Not yet. As soon as they heard the sound and saw the figure shaking, they panicked. "

After another 10 day, the King of Qi came again. Of course, he still cares about his cockfighting. Mr. Ji said: "No, he is still sharp-eyed and domineering."

After 10 days, the king of Qi has given up hope of watching him fight cocks. Unexpectedly, Teacher Ji said this time: "Almost enough. Although the chicken sometimes crows, it doesn't panic. Looks like a chicken made of wood. I'm ready. Other chickens dare not challenge and can only escape. "

Step 3 learn from others

4. Sigh at the sea

According to legend, a long time ago, there was a river god in the Yellow River. People call him Hebo. Hebo stood on the bank of the Yellow River. Looking at the rolling waves coming from the west and rushing eastward, I said excitedly; "The Yellow River is so big that no river in the world can compare with it. I am the biggest water god! "

Someone told him, "What you said is wrong. There is a place called Beihai in the east of the Yellow River. That's really big. "

Herb said, "I don't believe it. No matter how big the North Sea is, can it be bigger than the Yellow River? "

The man said, "Don't mention a Yellow River, even if several Yellow Rivers all flow into the North Sea, they are not satisfied!" " "

Hebo stubbornly said, "I have never seen the North Sea. I don't believe it. "

The man was helpless and said to him, "You will understand what I am talking about when you have a chance to see the North Sea."

Autumn is coming, and the torrential rains for several days have caused large and small rivers to flood into the Yellow River. The surface of the Yellow River is wider. Looking across the river, you can't tell the cattle and horses on the other side. As a result, Hebo is even more proud that all the most spectacular scenery in the world is in his own place. When he was having fun, he remembered Beihai, which was told by others, so he decided to visit there.

Hebo came down the river to the Yellow River estuary, and suddenly his eyes lit up. Poseidon Beihai is welcoming him with a big smile. Hebo looked around and saw the Wang Yang in the North Sea, which was boundless and endless. After watching it for a while, he said to Beihai Ruo with deep feelings: "As the saying goes, if you only know some truth, you think no one can compare with yourself. This is me. " Today, if I hadn't seen the vast North Sea with my own eyes, I would have thought the Yellow River was chinese odyssey! In that case, wouldn't it be laughed at by knowledgeable people forever, haha! "

Step 5 go from bad to worse

During the Warring States Period, there was a man named Dong. He heard that Zhuangzi knew Tao very well, so he asked where Zhuangzi Road was.

Zhuangzi said: "The Tao I speak is everywhere, everywhere."

"Would you please specify where it is?" Dongguozi is very polite.

Zhuangzi said without thinking, "In the ant hole."

Dong is very strange: "Tao is a noble thing. How can it exist in such a simple place? "

Zhuangzi added: "The Tao is among barnyard grass and brick rubble."

"Isn't this getting more and more humble?" Dongguozi is even stranger.

Zhuangzi continued: "My way is shit!"

Dongguozi was very unhappy when he heard that Zhuangzi's status was getting lower and lower.

Zhuangzi explained: "To meet your requirements and make the essence of Tao clear, you have to go to the market to check the pig's fatness. The shorter the pig, the more fat it can be seen. Because the lower part of the pig's leg is the most difficult to gain weight, if the leg is also full of meat, other parts are of course fatter. So I tell you today that the places where Tao is located are all humble places, and these places all have Tao, so the existence of Tao in other places is self-evident. "

"Oh, I see." Dongguozi admired Zhuangzi's talent.

6, skilled in solving cattle,

There is a chef named Ding who specializes in slaughtering cattle. Wherever his hands touch, his shoulders rest, his feet step on, and his knees stand, he makes a sound of separation of flesh and blood, and the knife goes in, making a louder noise. All these sounds are not out of tune. In tune with the dance rhythm accompanied by Sang Lin and Jing Shou.

Liang said, "Hey! All right! How can your technology be so clever? "

My master put down the knife and replied, "I am exploring the law of things, which has surpassed the pursuit of cattle slaughter technology." When I first started slaughtering cattle, I only saw the whole cow (I don't know the structure of the cow). After three years, I will never see the whole cow again. At present, when slaughtering cattle, the liegeman only touches the body of the cow with his mind, without looking at it with his eyes, just as the sensory organs stop moving and move completely with his mind. Along the grain structure of cattle, splitting the big gap between bones and muscles, and making knives along the holes between joints are all along the original structure of cattle. The knife for slaughtering cattle has never touched the place where the meridians are connected, or where the muscles attached to the bones gather, let alone the big bones of the thighs. Skilled chefs change a knife every year because they use it to cut meat. Ordinary chefs change a knife every month because it is used to cut bones. Now the servant's knife has been used for 19 years, killing thousands of cows, but the blade looks like it has just been ground from the grindstone. There are cracks in the joints of cattle, but the blade is not thick. If you use such a thin blade to pierce a seam with a gap, you must be generous and have room to operate the blade. Therefore, after using 19 years, the blade still looks like it has just been ground from the grindstone. Even so, every time I meet a place where bones and muscles are intertwined, I feel very scared, cautious, focused and slow. The knife moved gently, and the flesh and blood separated with a crash, like a pile of mud scattered on the ground. I stood there, knife in hand, looking around proudly for this success, looking carefree and satisfied. Wipe the knife clean and put it away. "

Liang said, "Good! I listened to my words and learned the way of keeping in good health.

7. There are no whole cows

Zhuang Zhou, a representative figure of Taoism in the Warring States period, told a story: a chef slaughtered cattle for Liang. He is very skilled in slaughtering cattle, and the knife moves flexibly in the cracks of cattle bones without hindrance and with rhythm. Liang was stunned and praised his superb skills. The chef said that he had known the cow 19 years and had a complete understanding of the structure of the cow.