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My humble abode is not defined by its height, but by the virtue of its inhabitant. Likewise, a body of water need not be deep to be inhabited by a dragon. This is a humble dwelling, yet my character is fragrant. Moss creeps up the steps, turning them a lush green, while the color…
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The district of Chu is entirely surrounded by hills. Among the peaks in the southwest, the forests and valleys are especially beautiful. The one that appears lush, deep, and elegant is Mount Langya. After walking six or seven miles along the mountain path, one gradually hears the gurgling sound of water flowing out between…
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West from the small hill for one hundred and twenty steps, beyond the bamboo grove, I heard the sound of water, like the tinkling of jade pendants, which gladdened my heart. I cut through the bamboo to make a path, and descending, I saw a small pond, the water exceptionally clear and cold. The…
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— by Tao Yuanming (Jin) During the Taiyuan era of the Jin Dynasty, a fisherman from Wuling made his living by fishing. One day, he sailed along a stream, forgetting how far he had traveled. Suddenly, he came upon a grove of peach trees lining both banks for several hundred paces. There were no…
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-by Fan Zhongyan [Song dynasty], translated by Yang Xianyi, Gladys B.Tayler (Gladys Yang) In the spring of the fourth year of the reign of Qingli, Teng Zijing was banished from the capital to be governor of Baling Prefecture. After he had governed the district for a year, the administration became efficient, the people became…