summer
This character refers to summer, the warmest season of the year. It is said that the first dynasty of China is called Xia, because its founders believed that summer represented energy, vitality and life in full swing. The historical concept representing the Chinese nation and civilization is called Hua Xia, in which Hua is used in reference to the “beauty” of traditional Chinese clothing, while Xia signifies the “grandness” of the ceremonial etiquette of China.
夏虫语冰
xià chóng yǔ bīng
Xia is “summer” and chong is “a moth,” while yu refers to “talking,” and bing is “ice.” This proverb, taken literally, means that a summer moth talks about ice. It is used to describe people who are shallow and narrow-minded.
This proverb is derived from the masterpiece Zhuangzi: “You cannot discuss the sea with a frog at the bottom of a well because it is confined to its dwelling place; you cannot discuss ice with a summer moth because it is limited to one season.” Since a summer moth only has a life span of one season, it has no opportunity to witness ice in winter. Talking about ice with a summer moth is like discussing the Tao with a bookworm, who is limited to book knowledge. Therefore, this proverb refers to ignorant people who know nothing aside from their own world and refuse to learn new things.
冬夏青青
dōng xià qīng qīng
Dong xia refers to “winter” and “summer” respectively, while qing qing means the color “cyan.” The common interpretation of this proverb is to describe people who can mantain their integrity and live a life of virtue.
This proverb originates from the Zhuangzi. As is written in the work, “Of those that derive their lives from the earth, only pine and cypress remain green both in winter and in summer. Of those that derive their lives from the heaven, only King Yao and King Shun kept their integrity.” According to the Zhuangzi, people should preserve their primal traits of purity and moral integrity, just like the pine and cypress, which are always green, regardless of the season.
(edited by REN GUANHONG)