PART 1 Sentences
1. Determination of character, we are told, is a great virtue, but a qualification is necessary : so much depends upon what a man is determined to do.
2. But there is not one "Man of Destiny" who does not appear slightly pathetic in the contemplation of future historians a man caught in the prison of his ambition, a victim of his own dream, which grew and expanded and then burst like a bubble.
3. The relation of the people's support to the ruler may be likened to that of the roots to a tree, oil to the lamp, water to the fish, rice fields to the farmer, and capital to the businessman.
PART 2 Expressions
1. The "Bull-headed Premier" brooked no opposition from any quarter, friends or foes.
not brook sth/ brook no sth: (v.) formal, to not allow or accept something
He would brook no criticism, even from his beloved daughter.
brook: （n.）小溪
2. The more important charge of the opposition was that he wanted to "shut up the mouths of all people"; i.e., muzzle all free criticism of the government.
muzzle:(n.) （防止動物咬人的）口套诲泌； （v.）給（動物）帶上口套逢渔；使緘默, to prevent someone from saying that they think in public
an attempt by the government to muzzle the country's media
3. The bickerings and dissensions at the court now were increased by the peculiar Sung system of government.
bickering: (n.) 爭吵厉碟；口角 argument over sth, usually very unimportant?
bicker: (v.) eg.? They kept bickering over who should answer the phone.
dissension: (n.) 糾紛陨帆；不和 disagreement among a group of people
This move sowed dissension within the party ranks.
dissent: (v.)? eg. Few historians would dissent from this view.
4.The tragedy of Wang Anshih comes from the fact that he was not in any way self-indulgent or corrupt himself, and that his hand was forced.
force sb's hand: to make sb do sth unwillingly or earlier than they had intended
They're reluctant to sell the house yet but the right offer could force their hand.
5. But the arch supporters of Wang Anshih were two extremely active and persuasive talkers of great scheming ability, Tseng Pu and Lu Huiching, particularly the latter, who eventually double-crossed Wang Anshih in an effort to supersede him.
double-cross: (v.) to cheat someone, especially after you have agreed to do something dishonest with them 出賣旨椒；欺騙
The guy you wanted to double-cross screw you first.
double cross: (n.)
double-crosser: (n.) 出賣者
6. Wang Anshih and Szema Kuang, while uncompromising in their fight over government policies, were both sincere in their convictions and above reproach in their private lives.
reproach (n./v.) 責備；謾罵
above/ beyond reproach: impossible to criticize SYN perfect
His behavior throughout this affair has been beyond reproach.
sth is a reproach to sb/ sth: sth that should make a person, society etc feel bad or ashamed
These derelict houses are a reproach to the city.
7. This is an inexorable law from whose consequences no ruler can hope to escape.
inexorable: [?n?eks?r?bl] not to be persuaded or stopped 鐵面無私的毯侦；不可動搖的；不可阻擋的
the inexorable decline of Britain's manufacturing industry
the seemingly inexorable rise in crime
inexorability: (n.)?
He is aware of the inexorability of change.
8. I do not presume to know what the founders of this dynasty, the Imperial Ancestors, had in mind as the means to check the dangers of overcentralization.
presume to do sth: formal, to behave without respect or politeness by doing sth that have no right to do 擅自做某事
I would never presume to tell you what to do.
presume that: formal, to accept sth as being true and base sth else on it, SYN presuppose
I presume that someone will be there to meet us when we arrive.
presume on/ upon sb's friendship/ generosity etc: to unfairly ask sb for more than you should, because they are your friend are generous etc
I would be presuming on his generosity to ask him for money.
PART 3 Thoughts
這一周讀的這兩章內(nèi)容我個人不太感興趣米死，也有點不太贊同林語堂的觀點。不太感興趣是因為覺得政治斗爭和權(quán)謀離我的生活太遙遠了贮庞，很難找到共感的地方哲身。另一方面，我也不太贊同林語堂對王安石的評價贸伐。后人讀到的歷史大都是被加工過的歷史勘天，是非真相，即使是親歷者捉邢，也未必都能了解脯丝。王安石的變法是以失敗告終了，但假若他當時的變法成功了伏伐，那么他在史冊里肯定是另一番模樣了吧宠进。有一句話說，“成者為王敗者為寇”藐翎，成功者的歷史由成功者自己書寫材蹬，而失敗者的歷史由他的對手來書寫。更何況吝镣，王安石的變法直接觸動了士大夫的利益堤器，那些書寫史冊的士大夫自然不會對他筆下留情。就這本書而言末贾，林語堂對王安石的厭惡之情躍然于紙上闸溃，字里行間充滿著對他的不屑和鞭撻。雖然林語堂也肯定了王安石的人品拱撵，比如他不為私利辉川，不貪女色等。然而林語堂把王安石定位為一個缺乏政治判斷力拴测、頑固不化乓旗、空談?wù)`國的政治家，而對蘇氏父子的定位則是體恤民情集索、善于識人屿愚、有政治遠見和才干的人。蘇氏父子誠然是一等一的文人墨客和學(xué)問家抄谐，但是否真的是好的政治家是存疑的渺鹦。其次，王安石是否是紙上談兵蛹含、罔顧現(xiàn)實也是很難說清的毅厚。戰(zhàn)國的商鞅變法，日本的明治維新和清朝末年的戊戌變法浦箱，每逢大的變革總會遭遇巨大的反對浪潮吸耿，甚至于舉國的反對祠锣。然而如果掌權(quán)者沒有壯士斷腕的魄力和破釜沉舟的堅定，變法根本沒有成功的可能性咽安。我不認為宋神宗是被王安石等人蒙蔽了雙眼伴网，更不是輕信小人和佞臣，而只是基于當時的國情和時局做了一個自己的判斷和選擇妆棒，雖然那個選擇最后沒有達到他的預(yù)期甚至背道而馳澡腾。在林語堂的筆下，王安石變法的失敗從一開始就是注定的糕珊，那是因為林語堂已經(jīng)知道了結(jié)果然后順藤而上地去追溯源頭动分，但是如果真的站在當時那個時局里是很難判斷對錯的。朱熹等人把北宋覆滅的黑鍋扣在王安石頭上红选，我覺得這個論斷是有失偏頗的澜公。宋神宗那時代的北宋王朝早已是山雨欲來風滿樓，內(nèi)憂外患不斷喇肋。不管王安石到底是功是過坟乾，大廈之將傾非一人之力所致，更非一人之力可以挽回蝶防∩趼拢回過頭來說，功不掩過慧脱，瑕不掩瑜渺绒，無論王安石是否是一個好的政治家，他的人品和學(xué)問還是令人崇敬的菱鸥。我記得這本書的后半部分有寫道蘇軾晚年在貶謫地與同樣落魄潦倒的王安石重逢，兩人盡釋前嫌躏鱼，把酒言歡的場景氮采。政治是喧囂的，而喧囂過后一切又歸于平靜染苛。借用王安石《明妃曲》里的兩句詩來評他本人的人生感覺非常合適：“漢恩自淺胡恩深鹊漠，人生樂在相知心〔栊校可憐青冢已蕪沒躯概，尚有哀弦留至今∨鲜Γ”
PS: 感謝楚汐的視頻分享娶靡。視頻里主持人老羅的分析非常獨到和有啟發(fā)性。有這樣幾句話印象深刻：“王安石的過錯是把大宋的天下變成了一個黨爭的天下看锉，這里面誰都不正確姿锭，一個正確上臺塔鳍，另一個正確就在臺下等著，把你推翻呻此，我正確轮纫。在這場斗爭當中，到底是王安石對焚鲜，還是蘇東坡對掌唾，還是司馬光對，已經(jīng)變成了一鍋稀粥忿磅，誰都不對郑兴。”
