Born in 192, Cao Zhi was the third son of the powerful warlord Cao Cao and Emperess Bian.
曹植生于公元192年，是曹操之妻卞氏所生第三子。
Cao Zhi could recite the Shi Jing, or Book of Songs, Analects and more than ten thousand verses worth of poems before he even turned ten.
年仅10余岁时，便能诵诗文词赋数十万言。
His literary talent made him a favorite son of Cao Cao in the early stage of his life.
其文学才华使他早年深得曹操宠信。
However, Cao Zhi was an impetuous man with little self-discipline.
但是曹植行为放任，
He was also a heavy drinker.
酗酒成性。
On the other hand, his elder brother Cao Pi was a shrewd man who knew how to feign emotions at the right times.
与之相反，他的哥哥丕则为人精明，深谙矫情自饰之道。
Cao Pi's also enjoyed a closer relationship to the servants and subjects around Cao Cao, and they spoke well for him.
加之他与曹操身边的内侍、人臣交往甚密，众皆为其美言。
In 217, Cao Cao eventually picked Cao Pi to succeed himself.
公元217年，曹操终于立曹丕为太子，
This aggravated Cao Zhi’s eccentric behavior.
这使得曹植的行为更加怪异。
After the death of Cao Cao, Cao Zhi failed to turn up for the funeral.
曹操死后，他甚至未在葬礼上露面。
Men sent by Cao Pi found Cao Zhi drunk in his own house.
曹丕的人在曹植家里找到他时，发现他已酩酊大醉。
Cao Zhi was then bound and brought to Cao Pi.
于是绑了他，去见曹丕。
When Emperess Bian, their common birth mother, heard of this, she went to Cao Pi and pled for the life of her younger son.
卞太后（曹丕和曹植的生母）听说后，立即去找曹丕，让他放过曹植。
Cao Pi agreed.
曹丕答应了母亲的请求。
However，Cao Pi’s Chief Hua Xin then convinced him to put Cao ZhiJs literary talent to a test.
但谋士华歆却劝他借机试试曹植的文才。
If Cao Zhi failed the test, it would be excuse enough to put him to death.
如果他没能通过测试，便可将其处死。
Cao Pi agreed and held audience with Cao Zhi,
曹丕欣然同意，立即召见曹植。
who in great trepidation bowed low and confessed his faults.
此刻，曹植惶恐不安，低头认错。
Cao Pi then told his brother to make a poem based on their fraternal relationship, without using the word "brother", within seven paces.
曹丕命他以“兄弟”为题，在七步之内赋诗一首，但诗中不能出现兄弟二字。
Cao Zhi took seven paces as instructed, and the poem was already formulated in his heart.
曹植遵命，果然在七步内成诗一首，
Literally, it carries the following meaning ：
诗曰：
To fry beans is to burn beanstalks ；
“煮豆燃豆萁，
Thus beans are crying when fried ；
豆在釜中泣。
Grown out of the same root,
本是同根生，
Why are we burned together?
相煎何太急。”
。