What is the theme of Ma Shuo?

The main purpose of Ma Shuo is to effectively expose the phenomenon that feudal rulers are ignorant of people and bury talents, and express the feelings and indignation of intellectuals in feudal society. An essay written by Han Yu, a writer in the Tang Dynasty. This allegorical essay boils down to one point, that is, there is no swift horse in the world, and what is lacking is Bole who knows horses. The whole story is tactfully explained by the story of Bo Le Xiang Ma, with exquisite conception and vivid image.

The author focuses on the contradiction between "horse eater" and maxima, and compares them, which not only describes the anguish of maxima, but also describes the ignorance and arrogance of those who don't know the real talent and practical learning. The full text revolves around the central proposition, positive reasoning and irony. The reason is profound and incisive, and the irony is incisive.

Original text:

Han Yu, the author of Ma Shuo? the Tang Dynasty

Where there is Bole, there is a swift horse. A thousand miles away, there are not many boles. Therefore, although there is a famous horse, it is only humiliated by a slave, and it is not called a thousand miles to die in a trough.

A horse can travel thousands of miles, and a stone can eat it all. People who eat horses don't know that they can travel thousands of miles and still eat. This is a horse. Although it has the ability to travel thousands of miles, it looks beautiful only because of lack of food and physical strength, and it is impossible to wait with an ordinary horse. Why not ask it to travel thousands of miles?

If you don't follow the way, you can't make the best use of it, but if you sing it, you can't understand its meaning. If it is implemented, we must face it and say, "There are no horses in the world!" Oh! Is it really innocent? I really don't understand horses!

Translation:

There is Bole in the world (first), and then there is a swift horse. There are often swift horses, but Bole is not often. Therefore, even if there is a precious horse, it is only humiliated in the hands of servants and died in the trough (like ordinary horses), and it is not called a swift horse. A horse that has traveled thousands of miles can sometimes eat a stone of grain after a meal. People who feed horses don't know that they can travel thousands of miles to feed them (like ordinary horses).

Such a horse, even if it has the ability to travel thousands of miles a day, is not full of food and lacks strength, and its talent and excellent quality cannot be shown. If it wants to be like an ordinary horse, how can it be required to walk thousands of miles a day?

If you don't whip a swift horse in the right way, but you can't try your best to feed it, you can't understand its meaning by listening to its neighing. You face it with a whip and say, "There is no swift horse in the world!" " Alas! Is there really no maxima? Probably I really don't know Maxima!