go on; first; drank; name; gift; decide; happiness; carry |
Do you know a saying about the swan feather(天鹅羽毛)?
This saying comes from a historic book called Lu Shi; According to the story, a Tang Dynasty official( 唐 朝 官 员 )in Yunnan wanted to show his respect to the emperor. He sent a man Mian Bogao to bring some gifts to the emperor. One of the was a beautiful swan, and it was a very valuable gift at the time.
Mian took good care of the swan on his way to the emperor. day he passed by a lake and wanted to let the swan some water. But as soon as he set the swan free, the swan flew away, leaving only some feathers on the ground. Mian was very worried, but he didn't run away. He to tell the emperor what happened. He picked up a feather and kept his trip.
When Mian met the emperor, he told him what happened and said,"This swan feather is light, but it my deep respect for you. " The emperor waswith Mian's honesty and sincerity(真诚). He forgave Mian. People now use the saying to show that a good gift doesn't have to be expensive. What matters is the sincerity it carries.