Wrong interpretation of the text and blind interpretation of words - the homophones of the ancients and the evolution of common sayings

? The development of Internet culture and strong dissemination in recent years have made homophonic memes suddenly popular. Although the rate of bad memes is quite high, the ones with good quality can often make people smile.

? From cross talk and sketches to talk shows, advertising slogans, and even epidemic prevention copywriting, all cannot escape the clutches of homophonic memes.

? In fact, ancient Chinese people seem to be more fond of using homophonic memes than modern people, and there are even a large number of homophonic memes that are still in use today.

? Most of the homophonic memes passed down from our ancestors use objects as metaphors to express expectations and blessings for a better life. The most common ones are: gourds are likened to fortune; goldfish are likened to gold and jade; cabbage is likened to wealth. There are also things like becoming a marquis (monkey) immediately, giving birth to a noble son with lotus (lotus), walking like a blue cloud (pin), having more than one (fish) every year, etc.

? Such homophonic memes have become a culture, accepted by all walks of life from poor people to princes and nobles, and used in daily life. I have to say the wonder of Chinese language and the unique charm it displays.

? In addition, some common sayings have been passed down by the ancients. Due to the homophony of Chinese characters, they have changed a lot today. In some cases, the main idea remains unchanged, but the words have changed, while in others, even the original meaning has been completely changed.

? There is a saying called "If you marry a chicken, follow the chicken; if you marry a dog, follow the dog." The original text should be "If you marry a beggar, follow the beggar; if you marry an old man, follow the old man." It comes from "The Oil Seller" in "Eternal Words to Awaken the World" Exclusively the Oiran".

? The curse "bastard" was first called "forgetting eight principles", which are "filial piety, brotherhood, loyalty, trustworthiness, propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame". It talks about the eight basic principles of being a human being.

Before the Song Dynasty, turtles and tortoises seemed to have no verifiable derogatory meanings. Turtles were even a symbol of longevity. In the Tang Dynasty, there were historical celebrities such as Li Guinian and Cui Wengui.

? Later, the "New History of the Five Dynasties" written by Ouyang Xiu said that Wang Jian was a rogue when he was young, slaughtering cattle and stealing donkeys, and was called a bastard of thieves. Bastard has become a curse word.

? Like three scumbag generals (cobblers) who can stand up to Zhuge Liang, who can’t lull the wolf without giving up their shoes (children). The former is because many people are confused about what kind of official a general is, and it is not as easy to understand as a cobbler and is more vivid. The latter is simply a change caused by dialect pronunciation.

? Although the individual words of the above are different, the ideas expressed have not changed much. However, some sayings have completely different meanings as they continue to spread and evolve.

? "There is no business without crooks" was originally "No business without being sharp". It’s about a grain merchant who not only has to fill buckets of rice to sell grain, but also has to stand out to be a conscientious merchant. It originally means that in business, one must be generous and not just profit-seeking. It also means that the way to do business is to make more profits.

? Another most controversial thing is the sentence "A person who is petty is not a gentleman, and a person who is not poisonous is not a husband." Many people say that "a man who is too small is not a gentleman, and a man who is too generous is not a husband." It means that a gentleman and a real man should be measured, tolerant and courteous, and broad-minded.

? From a semantic and literal perspective, this is correct, but two points have been ignored. First of all, "Du" used here is very awkward and does not conform to the rules of Chinese flat and oblique. Secondly, there is no documentary support for the theory that "there is no limit to one's husband".

? On the contrary, "hate small non-gentlemen, non-toxic and non-husbands" frequently appeared in books of the Yuan Dynasty.

? I think "no poison, no husband" is full of negative energy and inconsistent with Confucianism, and it is not conducive to the education of the people. Therefore, literati in the past dynasties wanted to guide and correct it, so they simply used one word in both sentences. Changing "hate" to "quantity" can better correspond to "degree".

? It’s just that with the development now, the first half of the sentence has changed, but the second half has strong vitality. I don’t know if it’s because it’s more in line with public consciousness or something else.

? Actually, I don’t think this kind of guided blackmail is necessary. The main thing is where the term “non-toxic and non-husband” is used.

Uncle Lei Feng once said, "Be as ruthless and ruthless as the cold winter towards your enemies." Why can't we treat imperialist economic coercion in kind and retaliate in kind?

? Moreover, even if you are "extremely unfaithful", there must be a limit. If you go too far, you will lose your principles, or you will become a bit "holy mother".