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水滴石穿 (shui3 di1 shi2 chuan1) Art of water torture
By Zhang Ciyun |
August 23, 2009, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
THE power of a single drop of water is, naturally, insignificant. But, the constant dripping of that water will wear away the hardest stone. This universal truth is crystallized in a popular Chinese saying, "shui3 di1 shi2 chuan1," meaning "dripping water wears away the stone."
However, few would know that this saying was first cited as a reason for executing a venal official in the Song Dynasty (960-1279).
Zhang Guaiya was the magistrate of Chongyang County. He was reputedly an upright official who hated the widespread corruption in officialdom at that time.
The magistrate had tried many means to fight wrongful behavior to establish a clean government in the county, but few were successful.
One day, as he was patrolling near the county government office, the magistrate saw an aide coming out of the office in a hurry. Zhang stopped him and asked him what had happened, but the aide hemmed and hawed.
Then the magistrate spotted a coin hidden behind one of the aide's ears. When questioned, the aide admitted that the coin had been stolen from the government office.
The magistrate took the aide immediately into court and decided to punish him. The defendant protested: "I have just stolen only a single coin. There's no reason to make such a big fuss."
The aide even went so far as to challenge the magistrate by saying: "You might punish me by torturing me, but dare you execute me for just stealing a coin?"
The magistrate answered: "Yes, I would. Because if you steal one coin a day, after a thousand days, the money stolen would amount to 1,000 coins. With a single water drop a day, constant dripping will wear away the stone."
Upon saying this, the magistrate drew out his own sword and chopped off the aide's head.
The entire court was stunned by what the magistrate did, but the official explained, "I executed him not just for stealing one coin, but in an attempt to stop widespread corruption in this county."
People still have differing opinions about the magistrate's action, but the illustration he gave for executing the thief has since become a popular Chinese idiom.
Today, the saying "shui3 di1 shi2 chuan1" is used frequently by Chinese to underscore the idea that constant effort brings success.
However, few would know that this saying was first cited as a reason for executing a venal official in the Song Dynasty (960-1279).
Zhang Guaiya was the magistrate of Chongyang County. He was reputedly an upright official who hated the widespread corruption in officialdom at that time.
The magistrate had tried many means to fight wrongful behavior to establish a clean government in the county, but few were successful.
One day, as he was patrolling near the county government office, the magistrate saw an aide coming out of the office in a hurry. Zhang stopped him and asked him what had happened, but the aide hemmed and hawed.
Then the magistrate spotted a coin hidden behind one of the aide's ears. When questioned, the aide admitted that the coin had been stolen from the government office.
The magistrate took the aide immediately into court and decided to punish him. The defendant protested: "I have just stolen only a single coin. There's no reason to make such a big fuss."
The aide even went so far as to challenge the magistrate by saying: "You might punish me by torturing me, but dare you execute me for just stealing a coin?"
The magistrate answered: "Yes, I would. Because if you steal one coin a day, after a thousand days, the money stolen would amount to 1,000 coins. With a single water drop a day, constant dripping will wear away the stone."
Upon saying this, the magistrate drew out his own sword and chopped off the aide's head.
The entire court was stunned by what the magistrate did, but the official explained, "I executed him not just for stealing one coin, but in an attempt to stop widespread corruption in this county."
People still have differing opinions about the magistrate's action, but the illustration he gave for executing the thief has since become a popular Chinese idiom.
Today, the saying "shui3 di1 shi2 chuan1" is used frequently by Chinese to underscore the idea that constant effort brings success.
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