<p class="ql-block">原文：</p><p class="ql-block">先到为君，后到为臣。莫道君行早，更有早行人。莫信直中直，须防仁不仁。山中有直树，世上无直人。自恨枝无叶，莫怨太阳偏。万般皆由命，半点不由人。</p><p class="ql-block">Original text: </p><p class="ql-block">First to be the king, then to the minister. Don't say you leave early; there are even more early travelers. Don't believe in straightforwardness, but guard against benevolence and unkindness. There are straight trees in the mountains, and there are no upright people in the world. I regret that the branches have no leaves; do not blame the sun for leaning against the sun. Everything is up to fate, and not a single bit is up to people</p> <p class="ql-block">注释：</p><p class="ql-block">“先到为君，后到为臣”是一句源自中国民间谚语的俗语，字面意思是“抢先一步就能当上君王，后到一步只能称作臣子”。其核心思想是强调抢占先机的重要性，与“早起的鸟儿有虫吃”类似，指在竞争或机遇中，行动迅速者往往能占据优势地位。</p><p class="ql-block">Note: </p><p class="ql-block">"First to be the king, then to the minister" is a proverb derived from the Chinese folk proverb, which literally means "one step ahead can become a king, and one step later can only be called a courtier". Its core idea is to emphasize the importance of seizing opportunities, similar to "early birds have worms to eat", which means that in competition or opportunity, those who act quickly can often occupy an advantageous position</p><p class="ql-block">该说法与明朝嘉靖皇帝朱厚熜继位的传说密切相关。明武宗朱厚照驾崩后，内阁首辅杨廷和与皇太后密诏三位亲王进京，约定“先到为君，后到为臣”。朱厚熜通过假扮钦犯、日夜兼程的策略率先抵达，最终登基为帝，而晚到的两位亲王只能臣服。这一事件后来演变为民间谚语，用以形容先发制人的智慧。其深层含义是告诉我们竞争中的主动权尤为重要，在政治、商业等领域，抢占先机往往能决定成败。</p><p class="ql-block">This statement is closely related to the legend of the succession of Zhu Houxi, the Jiajing Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. After the death of Emperor Wuzong of the Ming Dynasty, Yang Tinghe, the chief assistant of the cabinet, and the empress dowager secretly issued an edict for the three princes to enter Beijing, agreeing that "the first to be the king, and the second to be the minister". Zhu Houxi arrived first through the strategy of pretending to be a criminal and traveling day and night, and finally ascended the throne as emperor, while the two late princes could only surrender. This event later evolved into a folk proverb to describe the wisdom of preemptive strikes. Its deep meaning is to tell us that the initiative in competition is particularly important, and in politics, business, and other fields, seizing the opportunity can often determine success or failure</p><p class="ql-block"><br></p> <p class="ql-block">时间与机遇的关联在《增广贤文》中有“莫道君行早，更有早行人”的呼应，提醒人们不可自满，需持续努力。反映传统社会中“先入为主”的潜规则，如张俊彪小说中提到的“先到长安为君”的典故。</p><p class="ql-block">The connection between time and opportunity In "Zengguang Xianwen", there is an echo of "Mo Dao Jun is early, and there are more early pedestrians", reminding people not to be complacent and to continue to work hard. It reflects the unspoken rules of "preconceived notions" in traditional society, such as the allusion of "first going to Chang'an as the king" mentioned in Zhang Junbiao's novel</p><p class="ql-block">“莫道君行早，更有早行人”，是旨在通过对比揭示社会竞争中的普遍现象——总有人比你更努力或更早行动。它在劝诫人要谦逊避免自满，提醒人们即使付出努力，也不应沾沾自喜，因为总有更优秀或更勤奋的人存在。例如，在学习或工作中，自以为领先时可能忽略他人的付出。倡导“行动趁早”的理念，强调拖延会导致机会被他人抢占。如商业竞争中，抢先一步可能决定成败。</p><p class="ql-block">"Don't say that you go early, there are more early pedestrians" is aimed at revealing the common phenomenon in social competition through comparison - there are always people who work harder or act earlier than you It exhorts people to be humble and avoid complacency, and reminds people not to be complacent even if they put in the effort, because there are always better or harder people. For example, in study or work, you may ignore the efforts of others when you think you are ahead Advocate the concept of "act early", emphasizing that delay will lead to opportunities being preempted by others. For example, in business competition, taking the lead may determine success or failure</p><p class="ql-block"><br></p> <p class="ql-block">“莫信直中直，须防仁不仁”这句话核心含义为不可轻信表面标榜正直之人，需警惕伪装仁义的伪善者。该谚语通过辩证表达揭示人性复杂性，强调人际交往中应保持审慎态度。“直中直”：指刻意强调自身正直品质的人真正刚直者往往无需自我标榜。“仁不仁”：指利用道德外衣掩盖不良意图的伪善者，需通过行为而非表象判断其本质。明清小说如《醒世姻缘传》《水浒传》都曾借此刻画人物心理。这句话与“山中有直树，世上无直人”并列，共同构成对人性局限的认知，提醒人们避免轻信表面道德标签，需通过长期观察验证他人言行。至今为至它仍被广泛引用，作为传统处世智慧的典型代表。</p><p class="ql-block">The core meaning of the sentence "Don't believe in straightness and straightness, you must guard against benevolence and unkindness" is that you should not trust people who flaunt integrity on the surface, and you need to be wary of hypocrites who disguise benevolence and righteousness. The proverb reveals the complexity of human nature through dialectical expression, emphasizing the need to maintain a prudent attitude in interpersonal communication. "Straight in the middle": refers to people who deliberately emphasize their own integrity Those who are truly upright often do not need to advertise themselves. "Benevolence and unkindness": refers to hypocrites who use moral cloaks to cover up bad intentions, and need to judge their essence through behavior rather than appearance. Ming and Qing novels such as "The Legend of Marriage in the Awakening World" and "Water Margin" have used this to portray the psychology of the characters. This sentence, juxtaposed with "there are straight trees in the mountains, but there are no straight people in the world", together constitutes a cognition of the limitations of human nature, reminding people to avoid gullibility in superficial moral labels and to verify the words and deeds of others through long-term observation. It is still widely cited as a typical representative of traditional wisdom</p><p class="ql-block">南宋时期，正直的考官陈之茂主持进士考试时，丞相秦桧（陷害岳飞的权臣）以"询问考试情况"为名召见他，实则要求将孙子秦埙内定为状元。陈之茂当场严词拒绝：“我权责有限，只知道按照考试规章办事！”最终他坚持公正阅卷，录取了才华横溢的陆游，而秦桧的阴谋未能得逞。这一事件生动诠释了表面”仁厚”的权臣（秦桧）与真正正直的官员（陈之茂）的对比。</p><p class="ql-block">During the Southern Song Dynasty, when the upright examiner Chen Zhimao presided over the Jinshi examination, Prime Minister Qin Hui (a powerful minister who framed Yue Fei) summoned him in the name of "inquiring about the examination", but in fact asked his grandson Qin Xun to be designated as the champion. Chen Zhimao sternly refused on the spot: "I have limited power and responsibility, and I only know how to act in accordance with the examination regulations!" In the end, he insisted on fair reading and admitted the talented Lu You, but Qin Hui's conspiracy failed. This incident vividly illustrates the contrast between the superficially "benevolent" powerful minister (Qin Hui) and the truly upright official (Chen Zhimao)</p> <p class="ql-block">战国庞涓陷害孙膑，鬼谷子弟子庞涓在魏国得势后，表面以”同门情谊"邀请孙膑共事，实则因嫉妒其才能，设计陷害孙膑，使其遭受膑刑（挖去膝盖骨）和黥刑（脸上刺字）。庞涓以”直率“示人，却暗藏杀机，印证了"莫信直中直”的警示。在我们现实生活中也有例子，现代某些企业常以"诚信经营”为幌子，实际通过虚假宣传、以次充好等手段牟利。例如承诺”优质服务”的商家，可能在合同中设置陷阱条款，最终损害消费者权益。这类行为正是“须防仁不仁”的现实写照。</p><p class="ql-block">Pang Juan framed Sun Bin in the Warring States period, and after Pang Juan, a disciple of Guiguzi, gained power in the Wei state, he ostensibly invited Sun Bin to work with him with "fellow disciples", but in fact, out of jealousy of his talents, he designed to frame Sun Bin, so that he would be punished (digging out his kneecaps) and tattooing (tattooing on his face). Pang Juan showed people with "straightforwardness", but hid murderous intentions, confirming the warning of "don't believe in straightness". There are also examples in our real life, and some modern enterprises often use the guise of "honest management" to actually make profits through false publicity, shoddy and other means. For example, merchants who promise "quality service" may set trap clauses in the contract, which ultimately harms consumer rights. This kind of behavior is a realistic portrayal of "must be guarded against benevolence and unkindness</p><p class="ql-block"><br></p> <p class="ql-block">自恨枝无叶,莫怨太阳偏”，字面上讲树木枝叶稀疏是因自身养分不足，不要埋怨阳光未均匀照耀；其核心含义是强调遇到问题时需先反思自身不足，而非抱怨外部条件不公。 该句通过自然现象隐喻处世哲学，倡导自我反省与责任担当。</p><p class="ql-block">Literally say that the sparse branches and leaves of trees are due to insufficient nutrients, don't complain that the sun does not shine evenly; Its core meaning is to emphasize the need to reflect on one's own shortcomings when encountering problems, rather than complaining about the unfairness of external conditions This sentence uses natural phenomena as a metaphor for the philosophy of life, advocating self-reflection and responsibility</p> <p class="ql-block">顾况《过山农家》中“莫嗔焙茶烟暗，却喜晒谷天晴”同样体现接纳现实与把握积极面的智慧。实际运用中，可借鉴“匡衡凿壁借光”的精神，在资源有限时主动创造解决方案，而非等待条件完美。需注意的是该理念并非教人认命，而是强调主观能动性。冯梦龙“富贵本无根，尽从勤里得”等观点进一步说明，改变始于自我负责的态度。例如减肥失败时，与其归因于基因，不如坚持科学饮食与运动。这与孔子“不怨天，不尤人”的思想一脉相承，体现儒家“反求诸己”的处世智慧。后文“万般皆由命，半点不由人”则进一步点明宿命观，但本句更侧重主观能动性。</p><p class="ql-block">Gu Kuang's "Mountain Farmer's Home" also reflects the wisdom of accepting reality and grasping the positive side. In practical application, we can learn from the spirit of "Kuangheng chiseling walls and borrowing light", and take the initiative to create solutions when resources are limited, rather than waiting for perfect conditions. It should be noted that this concept does not teach people to accept their fate, but emphasizes subjective initiative. Feng Menglong's views such as "wealth has no roots, everything is obtained from diligence" further illustrates that change begins with the attitude of self-responsibility. For example, when weight loss fails, it is better to stick to a scientific diet and exercise than to attribute it to genes. This is in line with Confucius's idea of "not complaining about heaven and not blaming others", and reflects the wisdom of Confucianism to "seek oneself". The later sentence "everything is up to fate, not at all" further points out the concept of fate, but this sentence focuses more on subjective initiative</p><p class="ql-block"><br></p> <p class="ql-block">万般皆由命，半点不由人，这一句源自明代冯梦龙《警世通言》的谚语，其核心含义是强调人生际遇由命运主导，个人难以掌控。用“万般”（总括性词汇）与“半点”（极微量词）的对比，强调命运对人生的绝对支配地位。其核心观点认为人的生死、贫富及一切遭遇均由上天预先安排，人力难以改变。深层含义上，它反映了中国传统文化中劝诫世人坦然接受得失的处世哲学，常被用作人生失意者的自我安慰方式，这与儒家“天命观”和道家“自然无为”思想相关，属于客观唯心主义哲学范畴。</p><p class="ql-block">This sentence originates from the proverb of Feng Menglong's "Warning of the World" in the Ming Dynasty, and its core meaning is to emphasize that life encounters are dominated by fate and difficult for individuals to control. The contrast between "all kinds" (umbrella words) and "half a point" (very small quantifiers) is used to emphasize the absolute dominance of fate over life. Its core view is that people's life and death, wealth and poverty and all encounters are arranged in advance by God, and it is difficult for manpower to change. In a deep sense, it reflects the philosophy of life in traditional Chinese culture that admonishes the world to accept gains and losses calmly, and is often used as a way of self-comfort for those who are frustrated in life, which is related to the Confucian "view of destiny" and the Taoist idea of "natural non-action", and belongs to the category of objective idealist philosophy</p><p class="ql-block"><br></p> <p class="ql-block">这似乎是千百年来中国普通百姓面对生活起伏时的精神慰藉。要理解这句话的深意，需从历史渊源、文化内涵、现实意义三个维度展开探讨。从历史源流来看，这种命运观可追溯至先秦时期的“天命”思想。《尚书》中“天命靡常”的记载，反映了古人对超自然力量的敬畏。汉代董仲舒提出“天人感应”学说，将个人命运与天道运行相联系，形成了“死生有命，富贵在天”的集体认知。唐宋时期，随着佛教因果轮回观念的传入，命定思想与业报理论相互融合，使“一饮一啄，莫非前定”的说法深入人心。明代《了凡四训》通过袁了凡改命的故事，表面上强调行善积德可改变命运，实则暗含命运轨迹既定需外力干预才能扭转的预设，这种矛盾性恰恰体现了古人对命运既敬畏又不甘的复杂心态。</p><p class="ql-block">This seems to be the spiritual comfort of ordinary Chinese people in the face of the ups and downs of life for thousands of years. To understand the deep meaning of this sentence, it is necessary to discuss it from three dimensions: historical origin, cultural connotation, and practical significance. From the perspective of historical origins, this view of fate can be traced back to the idea of "destiny" in the pre-Qin period. The record of "the mandate of heaven is impermanent" in the Book of Documents reflects the awe of supernatural forces of the ancients. Dong Zhongshu of the Han Dynasty put forward the theory of "heaven and man induction", which linked personal destiny with the operation of heaven, forming a collective cognition of "life and death are fated, and wealth is in heaven". During the Tang and Song dynasties, with the introduction of the Buddhist concept of causal reincarnation, the idea of destiny and the theory of karma were integrated with each other, making the saying "one drink and one peck, it is predetermined" is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. Through the story of Yuan Lifan's change of life, the Ming Dynasty's "Four Teachings" emphasizes that doing good and accumulating virtue can change fate, but in fact it implies the premise that the trajectory of fate requires external intervention to be reversed, which just reflects the complex mentality of the ancients who were both in awe and unwilling to fate at all</p><p class="ql-block">在文化内涵层面，这句话折射出中国传统社会的三重精神结构。其一是农耕文明孕育的被动性。在靠天吃饭的农业生产中，旱涝虫灾等不可抗力使人们将丰收与否归结为“天意”，这种生存经验升华为“谋事在人，成事在天”的处世哲学。其二是儒家“知命”思想的发展。孔子言“不知命，无以为君子”，将接受命运安排视为君子的修养，这种观念经程朱理学强化，形成“尽人事听天命”的行为准则。其三是道家“顺其自然”的处世智慧。《庄子》中“安时而处顺，哀乐不能入”的主张，与命运观形成互文，共同构成传统文人面对逆境时的精神防波堤。值得注意的是，这种命运观并非彻底的消极主义，而是强调在承认客观限制的前提下发挥主观能动性，正如王夫之所言“命可革而不可违”。</p><p class="ql-block">At the level of cultural connotation, this sentence reflects the triple spiritual structure of traditional Chinese society. The first is the passivity of farming civilization. In agricultural production that relies on the sky for food, force majeure such as drought, flood and insect disasters make people attribute the harvest to "providence", and this survival experience is sublimated into the philosophy of "planning things in people, and doing things in heaven". The second is the development of Confucian "knowing fate" thought. Confucius said, "If you don't know fate, you can't be a gentleman", and regarded accepting the arrangement of fate as the cultivation of a gentleman, and this concept was strengthened by Zhu Confucianism to form a code of conduct of "doing your best to obey the mandate of heaven". The third is the Taoist wisdom of "going with the flow". The proposition of "being at ease in times and being in order, sorrow and joy cannot enter" in "Zhuangzi" forms an intertextual with the view of fate, and together constitutes the spiritual breakwater of traditional literati in the face of adversity. It is worth noting that this view of fate is not completely negative, but emphasizes subjective initiative under the premise of acknowledging objective limitations, as Wang Fu said, "fate can be changed but cannot be violated</p> <p class="ql-block">进入现代社会，这句话衍生出新的解读维度。心理学研究发现，适度相信命运能增强心理韧性。当个体遭遇重大挫折时，将部分责任归因于不可控因素，可有效缓解自我谴责带来的心理压力。社会学调查显示，当代青年中流行“佛系”“躺平”现象，某种程度上是传统命运观的现代变体——通过降低预期来应对社会竞争压力。但需警惕的是，这种观念若走向极端，可能异化为逃避责任的借口。某高校研究团队对职场人群的追踪调查显示，过度信奉命运决定论者，其职业发展主动性明显低于持辩证认知的群体。</p><p class="ql-block">Entering modern society, this sentence derives a new dimension of interpretation. Psychological research has found that moderate belief in fate can enhance mental resilience. When individuals encounter major setbacks, attributing part of the blame to uncontrollable factors can effectively alleviate the psychological pressure caused by self-condemnation. Sociological surveys show that the phenomenon of "Buddhism" and "lying flat" among contemporary youth is to some extent a modern variation of the traditional view of fate - to cope with social competitive pressure by lowering expectations. However, it should be vigilant that if this concept goes to extremes, it may be alienated as an excuse to avoid responsibility. A follow-up survey of the working population by a university research team showed that those who overly believe in fate determinism have significantly lower career development initiative than those with dialectical cognition</p><p class="ql-block">图片</p><p class="ql-block">在现实应用层面，这句话的智慧体现在三个维度。面对不可抗力时，如自然灾害、重大疾病等，承认命运的不可控性有助于接纳现实，避免陷入“为什么是我”的痛苦反刍。明代医家张景岳在《类经》中记载的疫病应对策略，就强调“知命者不立危墙之下”的务实态度。在个人发展方面，香港富豪李嘉诚曾坦言：“小富由勤，大富由天”，揭示出努力与机遇的辩证关系。而在社会认知层面，理解命运的存在能培养宽容心态。北宋宰相吕蒙正《寒窑赋》中“时遭不遇，只宜安贫守份”的劝谕，今日读来仍具启示意义。</p><p class="ql-block">At the level of practical application, the wisdom of this sentence is reflected in three dimensions. In the face of force majeure, such as natural disasters and major illnesses, acknowledging the uncontrollability of fate helps to accept reality and avoid falling into the painful rumination of "why me". The Ming Dynasty physician Zhang Jingyue's epidemic response strategy recorded in the "Class Classics" emphasized the pragmatic attitude of "those who know their fate do not stand under the dangerous wall". In terms of personal development, Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing once said frankly: "Small wealth comes from diligence, and big wealth comes from the sky", revealing the dialectical relationship between hard work and opportunity. At the level of social cognition, understanding the existence of fate can cultivate a tolerant attitude. The exhortation in the Northern Song Dynasty Prime Minister Lü Mengzheng's "Cold Kiln Fu" that "sometimes you are not encountered, you should only be content with poverty and keep your duty" is still enlightening to read today</p>