①On the Stork Tower
by Wang Zhihuan
The sun beyond the mountain glows;
The Yellow River seawards ________.
You can enjoy a grander sight;
By climbing to a greater height.
(Translated by Xu Yuanchong)
②This poem is only 20 characters long, but its perfect mixture of beauty and philosophical (哲理的) thinking has made it a classic for centuries. The first two lines of the poem describe scenery, while the last two lines show the poet’s feelings.
③Wang Zhihuan used clever wordplay to write this poem. The first and second lines match in terms of their sound and meaning, as do the third and fourth lines.
④The first line describes the setting sun in the west, while the second line describes the river flowing towards the east. Together, they make for a grand (宏伟的) view. The third and fourth lines point out the fact that the higher one stands, the farther one can see. This not only shows the poet’s great aspirations (抱负), but also encourages people to keep moving ahead and not to let success or failure go to their heads.
⑤Wang Zhihuan (688-742) was a Tang Dynasty poet. He was a brave man. He liked to travel across China, drinking and waving his sword around while singing. He was good at writing quatrains (绝句). Most of Wang’s poems describe natural scenery and life in the frontier (边塞). Wang was good friends with frontier poets GaoShi and Wang Changling.
【小题1】Which word may be the best to fill in the blank?| A．runs | B．swims | C．flows | D．walks |
| A．shy but talented | B．aspiring and brave | C．unfriendly and lonely | D．sad but humorous |
| A．Wang Zhihuan translated the poem. |
| B．This poem doesn’t encourage people to keep moving ahead. |
| C．The first line of the poem describes the rising sun in the east. |
| D．The last two lines of the poem point out the fact that the higher one stands, the farther one can see. |
| A．①/②③④/⑤ | B．①②/③④/⑤ | C．①/②③/④⑤ | D．①②③/④/⑤ |
