Fishing Hookless

◎涂淑梅

Track 3

“太公釣魚，愿者上鉤”是民間傳說，記載于《武王伐紂平話》，后用于比喻甘心上當或自愿去做某事。

Jiang Ziya often went fishing at the Weishui River about 3,000 years ago.But he fished in an unusual way.He hung a straight fish hook, without1)bait,and the rod was one meter above the water.He often said to himself, “Fish, if you don’t want to live any more, come and swallow the hook yourself.”

Finally, his strange way of fishing was reported to Ji Chang.Ji sent a soldier to fetch him.Jiang2)ignored the soldier and just went on with his fishing.He was saying to himself, “Fishing, fishing.No fish has been hooked.A shrimp is up to3)mischief.”

The soldier reported to Ji Chang, and Ji sent an official to invite Jiang this time.But Jiang again ignored the official.He just carried on fishing, and was saying, “Fishing, fishing.The big fish has not been hooked.A small one is up to mischief.”

Then Ji Chang realized Jiang must be a great talent, so he went to invite Jiang himself and brought many generous gifts with him.

Jiang saw Ji’s sincere desire and decided to work for him.

1) baitn.餌；誘餌

2) ignorev.不理睬；忽視

3) mischiefn.惡作劇；搗亂

大約3000 多年前，姜子牙經常垂釣于渭水之上。但是他的釣法很奇特：直鉤，不用誘餌，釣竿離水面有1 米高。他經常一邊釣魚一邊自言自語：“不想活的魚兒呀，你們愿意的話，就自己上鉤吧?！?/p>

姜子牙奇特的釣魚方法，最終傳到了姬昌那里。姬昌知道后，派了一名士兵去請他來。但姜子牙并不理睬這個士兵，只顧自己釣魚。他自言自語道：“釣啊，釣啊，魚兒不上鉤，蝦兒來胡鬧!”

姬昌聽了士兵的稟報后，改派一名官員去請姜子牙?？墒墙友酪廊徊淮罾恚呩炦呎f：“釣啊，釣啊，大魚不上鉤，小魚別胡鬧！”

姬昌這才意識到，這個釣者必是位賢才，于是他帶著厚禮，親自去請姜子牙。

姜子牙見姬昌誠心誠意來請自己，便答應為他效力。

True or False:

Due to the Ji Chang’s sincere desire, Jiang Ziya finally decided to work for him.

Know More

Jiang Taigong, whose given name was Shang and courtesy name was Ziya, was an outstanding strategist and statesman in ancient China.He helped the young King Wu, the son of Ji Chang, overthrow the Shang Dynasty and establish the Zhou Dynasty.

姜太公，名尚，字子牙，是中國古代一位杰出的韜略家和政治家。他幫助姬昌之子——年輕的周武王推翻商朝的統治，建立起周朝。