塞翁失马新解 A New Take on the Old Man Who Lost His Horse

两千liǎngqiān年nián前qián，边塞biānsài住着zhùzhe一位yí wèi老人lǎorén，人们rénmen叫jiào他tā塞翁Sàiwēng；有一天yǒu yì tiān，他tā的de马mǎ无缘无故wú yuán wú gù跑丢pǎodiū了le。

Two thousand years ago, an old man lived at the frontier; people called him Saiweng, and one day his horse ran off for no reason at all.

邻居línjū纷纷fēnfēn前来qiánlái安慰ānwèi，他tā却què淡淡dàndàn地de说shuō：“这zhè未必wèibì是shì坏事huàishì。”

His neighbors came one after another to console him, but he said mildly: 'This is not necessarily a bad thing.'

后来hòulái，那匹nà pǐ马mǎ带回dàihuí一匹yì pǐ骏马jùnmǎ，他tā的de儿子érzi骑马qímǎ摔断shuāiduàn了le腿tuǐ，战争zhànzhēng爆发bàofā时shí，瘸腿quétuǐ的de儿子érzi免于miǎnyú征兵zhēngbīng，保住bǎozhù了le性命xìngmìng。

Later, the horse returned leading a fine steed; his son broke his leg riding it; and when war broke out, the lame son was spared from conscription and kept his life.

教科书jiàokēshū告诉gàosu我们wǒmen，这个zhège故事gùshi的de寓意yùyì是shì“祸福相依huò fú xiāng yī”。

The textbooks tell us the moral of the story is that 'fortune and misfortune depend on each other.'

但dàn在我看来zài wǒ kànlái，塞翁Sàiwēng真正zhēnzhèng的de过人之处guò rén zhī chù，并非bìngfēi预知yùzhī未来wèilái，而是érshì拒绝jùjué匆忙cōngmáng下结论xià jiélùn。

But in my view, Saiweng's real gift was not foreseeing the future — it was his refusal to jump to conclusions.

如今rújīn，我们wǒmen刷到shuādào一条yì tiáo新闻xīnwén，几jǐ秒钟miǎozhōng内nèi就jiù急于jíyú点赞diǎnzàn或huò愤怒fènnù，给gěi每件事měi jiàn shì贴上tiēshàng“好hǎo”与yǔ“坏huài”的de标签biāoqiān。

Today we scroll past a piece of news and within seconds rush to like it or rage at it, slapping a label of 'good' or 'bad' on everything.

生活shēnghuó却què是shì一部yí bù漫长màncháng的de电影diànyǐng，而ér我们wǒmen总zǒng想xiǎng凭píng一张yì zhāng截图jiétú评判píngpàn整部zhěng bù剧情jùqíng。

Yet life is a long film, and we keep trying to judge the entire plot from a single screenshot.

塞翁Sàiwēng的de“未必wèibì”二字èr zì，是shì一种yì zhǒng罕见hǎnjiàn的de心理xīnlǐ留白liúbái，给gěi时间shíjiān留出liúchū了le解释jiěshì的de余地yúdì。

Saiweng's two little words — 'not necessarily' — are a rare kind of mental white space, leaving time itself room to explain.

下次xiàcì命运mìngyùn敲门qiāomén时shí，不妨bùfáng学学xuéxue那位nà wèi老人lǎorén：先xiān别bié鼓掌gǔzhǎng，也yě先xiān别bié叹气tànqì。

The next time fate knocks at your door, take a page from the old man: don't applaud just yet — and don't sigh just yet either.

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

边塞biānsàifrontier fortress

骏马jùnmǎfine steed

征兵zhēngbīngconscription

寓意yùyìmoral; implied meaning

祸福相依huò fú xiāng yīfortune and misfortune are intertwined

留白liúbáiblank space; deliberate emptiness

Grammar note 语法点

未必

'not necessarily' — a softer, more literary way to deny certainty than 不一定. 这未必是坏事。

贵的东西未必好。— Expensive things are not necessarily good.

不妨

'might as well; there is no harm in' — politely suggests trying something. 不妨学学那位老人。

你不妨换个角度想想。— You might as well look at it from another angle.

Check yourself 小测验

1. Why was Saiweng's son spared from conscription?

2. According to the author, what was Saiweng's real gift?

3. The author compares life to what?

塞翁失马新解Sài wēng shī mǎ xīn jiěA New Take on the Old Man Who Lost His Horse

Key words 生词

Grammar note 语法点

Check yourself 小测验

More HSK 6 reading practice