Walking into the world of Chinese characters, every word is like a small story, full of the weight of history and the profundity of culture. "隅", a seemingly simple Chinese character, actually contains a lot of mysteries.
Let's first solve the mystery of the "shadow". The "隅" in the word "yinyu" is not pronounced as "ǒu", but as "yú".
Here, "隅" means corner, while "yinyu" refers to a corner with a dark back.
Imagine that in the ancient courtyard, those corners of the walls where the sun does not shine always have a mysterious and slightly cold feeling, that is the "yin corner".
And our Confucius once said: "If you take one corner and don't take three corners, you will not be able to do it." The "corner" here also refers to the corner, but Confucius's words contain a deeper philosophy of teaching.
He told us that if a student can't deduce from one corner of the teacher's example to the other three corners, then such a student doesn't need to teach anymore. This is not only a heuristic teaching method, but also a test of students' ability to think independently.
Let's talk about "lost east, harvested mulberry". This is a very philosophical idiom, derived from the ancient peasants' observations of farming and the passage of time.
"East" refers to the rising sun in the east, symbolizing youth and beginning, while "mulberry elm" refers to the afterglow of sunset sprinkled on mulberry and elm trees, representing the end of the day and the arrival of old age. The meaning of this sentence is that although there is something lost in youth, there may be unexpected gains in later life. This is a profound depiction of the ups and downs of life, the transformation of gains and losses, and an expression of sorrow for the irreversible flow of time.
Speaking of fun, imagine if the word "yu" were a lively elf that would trick lost tourists through the ancient courtyard and take them through mysterious corners.
In the "East Corner", it will turn into a ray of morning light, gently waking up the sleeping earth, while in "Mulberry Yu", it will become a touch of sunset afterglow, warming the traveler returning home.
In the world of Chinese characters, "隅" is not just a word for a corner, it carries the ancient people's deep understanding of time, space and life.
Whenever we mention "Yin Yu", "East Corner" or "Mulberry Elm", it seems that we can travel through time and space and share the awe and emotion of the universe and life with the ancients.
The charm of Chinese characters lies in this, a simple character can trigger so many associations and emotions. The next time you see the word "隅", you might as well stop and think about the rich cultural connotation and life philosophy behind it.
And when you stand in the "east" of life, can you also embrace every new beginning with hope, and at the same time, harvest full of wisdom and insight when you are in the "mulberry elm"?