S6E01 | That Darn Mulberry Tree!
Saying: “Point at the Mulberry Tree and scold the locust tree”
Pinyin: Zhǐ Sāng Mà Huái
Chinese: 指桑骂槐
The CSP is back for another season! We're coming out of the starting gate nice and strong for the Sixth Season opener with one of the great all-time classics: Point at the Mulberry Tree and Scold the Locust Tree. Zhǐ Sāng Mà Huái 指桑骂槐. This one has a double provenance, coming to us from both The Thirty-Six Strategems and Dream of the Red Chamber. This Chinese Saying is quite useful and strongly favored by lovers of the art of passive aggression. Nine more good ones lined up for this season. Enjoy!
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Terms in Episode
| Pinyin/Term | Chinese | English/Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Zhǐ Sāng Mà Huái | 指桑骂槐 | To point at the Locust Tree and scold the Locust Tree - Point at one but attack another; make oblique accusations; indirect criticism |
| Zhǐ | 指 | to point at |
| Sāng | 桑 | White mulberry tree, Morus alba |
| Mà | 骂 | To scold or curse |
| Huái | 槐 | Japanese Pagoda tree or Sophora japonica |
| Zuì Huái | 罪槐 | Scholar Tree or Guilty Scholar Tree |
| Jǐngshān Park | 景山公园 | Coal Hill Park in Beijing. Jingshan is a name of a hill located inside the park |
| Ming Chóngzhēn Emperor | 明崇祯帝 | The final emperor of the Ming Dynasty, reigned 1628-1644 |
| Sānshíliù Jì | 三十六计. | The Thirty-Six Stratagems, a Chinese essay used to illustrate a series of stratagems used in politics, war and civil interaction |
| Sūnzǐ | 孙子 | Also known as Sun Wu 孙武, (lived c. 500 BC),Zhou era general, military strategist and philosopher, believed to be the author of the military treatise: The Art of War |
| Southern and Northern Dynasties | 南北朝 | The Northern and Southern Dynasties Period, 420 - 598 AD |
| Tián Rǎngjū | 田穰苴 | also known as Sīmǎ Rǎngjū 司马穰苴, lived c. 800 BC, military strategist of Qi State and author of the military treatise "Methods of Sima" 司马法, one of the Seven Military Classics of ancient China (武经七书) |
| Jiāng Zǐyá | 姜子牙 | Lived c. 1100 BC, partly mythical sage advisor to King Wen of Zhou and purported author of the "Six Secret Teachings" (六韬). One of the Seven Militarey Classics of ancient China. |
| Duke Jǐng of Qí | 齐景公 | Ruler of the State of Qí who reigned 547 to 490 BC |
| Spring and Autumn Period | 春秋时代 | The Spring and Autumn Period of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. Lasted approxmiately from 770-476 BC |
| Kingdom of Qí | 齐国 | The State of Qi in Shandong province |
| Shāndōng | 山东 | Coastal province in northern China |
| Zhuāng Jiǎ | 庄贾 | A favorite of the Duke Jing of Qi, famously put to death for being late to a meeting. |
| Dàlíng xiǎozhě, jǐngyǐ yòuzhī | ‘大凌小者, 警以诱之. 刚中而应, 行险为顺.’ | ’Control those under you by providing a suitable deterrent for bad behaviour. Demonstrating an appropriate amount of force can turn a precarious situation into an advantageous one’ |
| Cáo Xuěqín | 曹雪芹 | 1715-1764, believed to be the author of the Ming era classic novel "Dream of the Red Chamber" 红楼梦. |
