水旱

水旱

1. floods and droughts

   • 故無水旱昆蟲之災，民無凶饑妖孽之疾。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
     故无水旱昆虫之灾，民无凶饥妖孽之疾。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]

     From: The Book of Rites, c. 4^th – 2^nd century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Gù wú shuǐhàn kūnchóng zhī zāi, mín wú xiōngjī yāoniè zhī jí. [Pinyin]

     Thus it was that there were no plagues of flood, drought, or insects, and the people did not suffer from bad grass or famine, from untimely deaths or irregular births.

   • 天下之水，莫大於海，萬川歸之，不知何時止而不盈；尾閭泄之，不知何時已而不虛；春秋不變，水旱不知。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
     天下之水，莫大于海，万川归之，不知何时止而不盈；尾闾泄之，不知何时已而不虚；春秋不变，水旱不知。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]

     From: Zhuangzi, circa 3^rd – 2^nd centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Tiānxià zhī shuǐ, mò dà yú hǎi, wàn chuān guī zhī, bùzhī héshí zhǐ ér bù yíng; wěilǘ xiè zhī, bùzhī héshí yǐ ér bù xū; chūnqiū bùbiàn, shuǐhàn bùzhī. [Pinyin]

     Of all the waters under heaven there are none so great as the sea. A myriad streams flow into it without ceasing, and yet it is not filled; and afterwards it discharges them (also) without ceasing, and yet it is not emptied. In spring and in autumn it undergoes no change; it takes no notice of floods or of drought.

   • 農民生產很起勁，雖然去年的水旱風災比過去幾年中哪一年都大，但是全國的糧食仍然增產。 [MSC, trad.]
     农民生产很起劲，虽然去年的水旱风灾比过去几年中哪一年都大，但是全国的粮食仍然增产。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 1957, 毛澤東 (Mao Zedong), 《關於正確處理人民內部矛盾的問題》 (On the Correct Handling of Contradictions Among the People), 《毛澤東選集》. English translation based on the Foreign Languages Press edition

     Nóngmín shēngchǎn hěn qǐjìn, suīrán qùnián de shuǐhàn fēngzāi bǐ guòqù jǐnián zhōng nǎ yī nián dōu dà, dànshì quánguó de liángshí réngrán zēngchǎn. [Pinyin]

     The peasants are working with a will, and last year there was an increase in the country's grain output despite the worst floods, droughts and gales in years.