Historical Tales
历史故事
Fish the Same Way as Jiang Taigong Did, Who Cast a Hookless and Baitless Line for the Fish That Wanted to Be Caught
姜太公钓鱼
Jiang Taigong is a popular name for Jiang Ziya, statesman and strategist.
姜太公就是姜子牙，他是一个政治家也是一个谋略家。
As an adviser of King Wen of the Zhou State in ancient China, he, at the age of 80， helped the young King Wu overthrow the Shang Dynasty and establish the Zhou Dynasty.
作为中国古代周文王的参谋，他在80岁的时候帮助武王推翻了商朝，建立了周朝。
Jiang was a senior official during the reign of King Zhou of the Shang Dynasty.
姜子牙曾是商纣王时期的一位高级官员。
Since the king was muddleheaded and atrocious, and the masses had no means to live, Jiang resigned and lived in seclusion on the shore of the Wei River.
因为纣王既残忍又暴虐，人民都无法存活下去，姜子牙就辞去了官职并隐居在渭河的岸边。
The State Zhou was strong and prosperous.
周国强大而繁荣。
There Ji Chang (King Wen of the Zhou State) was courteous to the wise and condescendent to the scholarly， ruling the state with benevolence and uprighteousness.
姬康（周文王）对于智者和学者以礼相待、十分尊敬，用惩恶扬善的方法来治理国家。
He had long been in search of a virtuous assistant.
文王长期以来苦苦追寻一位正直的助手。
One day Ji Chang went to hunt on the northern shore of the Wei River.
一天，姬康前往渭河北岸打猎，他看见一位老者无视周围经过的人，一直安静地用鱼钩钓鱼。
He saw an old man fishing by the shore who, oblivious of so many people passing by, continued to fish quietly.
意识到这位老人非同寻常，姬康就与他攀谈起来。
That was Jiang.
这位老人就是姜子牙。
It was said he was over 70 then.
据说那个时候他已经七十多岁了。
Ji Chang felt curious so he stepped down from the chariot and walked to the old man, only to find the man's fishhook was not bent, impossible to get any fish.
姬康感到非常好奇，于是迈下御辇走向姜子牙，却发现姜子牙的鱼钩是直的，不可能钓上任何鱼。
Realizing this man was not a common one, Ji Chang began to chat with him.
他发觉这就是自己一直在找寻的人，于是说道：“在我的祖父去世之前，他曾预料说当一位贤人来到我们的国家，周国便会变得非常强盛。您就是那位贤人吗？我的祖父追寻您多年了。”
He found this was the right man he was in quest of, so he said，“Before he died, my grandfather had anticipated that Zhou would become prosperous when a sage came to us. Are you the sage? My grandfather had long expected your arrival?”
姬康称姜子牙为太公。
So he called him Taigong.
姬康与太公一同回国，同坐一匹马车还将太公当做自己的老师。
He returned with Taigong, sharing his carriage with him, and treated him as his mentor.
太公辅佐了姬康。
Taigong assisted Ji Chang.
西周变得更加繁荣，因此其他国家的人们来到周朝，一个接一个的国家祈求与周朝的结盟。
The Western Zhou became more flourishing, so the people of other states came over and pledged allegiance one after another.
姬康去世后，他的儿子姬发（武王）继承了王位。
After Ji Chang passed away, his son Ji Fa (King Wu) succeeded to the throne.
在姜太公的辅佐下，姬发在孟津大会诸侯，他们结成联军共同讨伐商朝。
With Jiang Shang’ s assistance, Ji Fa met the sovereigns of the other states in Mengjin and then they together sent an army to crusade against Shang.
最终，商纣王放火自杀。商朝覆灭之后，姬发创立了周朝。
As a result， King Zhou of the Shang Dynasty burned himself to death.
他就是历史上的周武王并追封自己的父亲谥号为“周文王”。
After the downfall of the Shang Dynasty, Ji Fa established the Zhou Dynasly.
Known as King Wu in history, he honored his father with the posthumous title of King Wen.
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