Lesson 10 老子

Question 1

老子

Answer 1

lao3zi3

a book attributed to 老聃

Question 2

大道

Answer 2

da4dao4

the ultimate way

Question 3

廢

Answer 3

fei4

to abolish, to be abolished by….

Question 4

慧智

Answer 4

hui4zhi4

intelligence

Question 5

出

Answer 5

chu1

to emerge

Question 6

偽

Answer 6

wei3

falsehood, hypocrisy

Question 7

六親

Answer 7

liu4qin1

the six kinds of closest relatives

Question 8

和

Answer 8

he2

harmonious

Question 9

孝

Answer 9

xiao4

filial piety

Question 10

慈

Answer 10

ci2

parental love

Question 11

國家

Answer 11

guo2jia1

state

Question 12

昏

Answer 12

hun1

dark, confused, disorderly

Question 13

臣

Answer 13

chen2

minister

Question 14

忠臣

Answer 14

zhong1chen2

a loyal minister

Question 15

莫

Answer 15

mo4

no one, nothing, nobody

Question 16

柔

Answer 16

rou2

soft

Question 17

堅

Answer 17

jian1

hard

Question 18

強

Answer 18

qiang2

strong

Question 19

其

Answer 19

qi2

its

Question 20

易

Answer 20

yi4

to replace

Question 21

剛

Answer 21

gang1

hard

Question 22

行

Answer 22

xing2

to practice, to do

Question 23

聖人

Answer 23

sheng4ren2

the sage

Question 24

受

Answer 24

shou4

to receive, to be subjected to

Question 25

垢

Answer 25

gou4

humiliation

Question 26

社

Answer 26

she4

deity of land

Question 27

稷

Answer 27

ji4

deity of grain

Question 28

社稷

Answer 28

in ancient China every ruler had to sacrifice to the local deity of grain and of land. So combined together it means ‘national altars’ in a general sense, and represents ‘state sovereignty’ figuratively

Question 29

不祥

Answer 29

bu4xiang2

bad luck, disaster

Question 30

正言若反

Answer 30

zheng4 yan2 ruo4 fan3

positive words may sound like negative ones

Question 31

小國寡民

Answer 31

make the state small, make the people few

Question 32

什百

Answer 32

shi2 bai3

ten times and a hundred times

Question 33

器

Answer 33

qi4

tool

Question 34

什百之器

Answer 34

shi2bai3 zhi1 qi4

tools which are tenfold or a hundred-fold more efficient that the normal ones

Question 35

重死

Answer 35

zhong4si3

to take death seriously

Question 36

輿

Answer 36

yu2

chariot, carriage

Question 37

乘

Answer 37

cheng2

to mount, to ride on

Question 38

甲

Answer 38

jia3

armor

Question 39

兵

Answer 39

bing1

weapon

Question 40

陳

Answer 40

chen2

to display

Question 41

結繩

Answer 41

jie2sheng2

to keep a record by making knots with a rope (like the Incas did)

Question 42

甘

Answer 42

gan1

sweet; to regard something as sweet

Question 43

服

Answer 43

fu2

clothes

Question 44

安

Answer 44

an1

to feel comfortable with

Question 45

居

Answer 45

ju1

dwelling place

Question 46

樂

Answer 46

le4

to feel happy with

Question 47

俗

Answer 47

su2

customs

Question 48

鄰國相望

Answer 48

lin2 guo2 xiang1 wang4

(people of) neighboring states can see each other

Question 49

雞犬之聲相聞

Answer 49

ji1 quan3 zhi1 sheng1 xiang1 wen2

the crowing of roosters and the barking of dogs can be heard mutually (by the people of either state)

Question 50

至

Answer 50

zhi4

till

Question 51

往來

Answer 51

wang3lai2

to visit each other, to have contact