卷二十八

太白山俗语
三秦记
武功太白。去天三百尺。孤云两角。去天一握。山水险阻。
黄金子午。蛇盘乌櫳。气与天通。
A folk saying concerning the great height and vareigated geography of Mount Tai Bai, which was said to have water within it.

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陇头俗歌
三秦记
陇头流水。鸣声幽咽。遥望秦川。心肝断绝。
震关遥望。秦川如带。
Words said about a site, Long Xi, in the western border of China. People from central China often went up to a high military construction to look eastward to their home town. Some people were said to hvae cried to death there because of their extreme homesickness.

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渡海往大秦国者谚
三秦记
心无忧患。不经二句。心若忧患。远离三春。A saying about sea travel to the Roman Empire. If one has no worries in one’s heart and meets tail winds, then one arrives there in twenty days. If one has worries in one’s heart, then one cannot get there even in a few years’ time.

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宁戚饭牛歌
三齐记
南山粲。白石烂。生不遭尧与舜禪。短布单衣適至骭。从昏饭牛薄夜半。长夜曼曼何时旦。
A song sung by Ning Qi to King Huan of the Qi kingdom. The words say that he is sorry not to meet a good king whom he could serve. King Huan employed him after hearing this song.
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成武父老为王谭歌
吴录
王世容。治无双。省徭役。盗贼\空。A song sung by people of Cheng Wu about their mayor, who was praised as unique in his governing skill. He was able to save the people from mandatory labor and to eliminate robbery.

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广陵为陆稠谚
吴录
解结理烦。我国陆君。
A saying by the people of Guang Ling about Lu Chou’s leadership, illustrated by his ability to make his subordinates behave.

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泡鱼蒿猪谚
粤志
朝为泡鱼。暮为蒿猪。朝为嬾妇。暮为奔【豚】。
A folk saying about the transformation of the Pao Fish into a porcupine.
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南土人为牡蠣语
南越志
得合涧一蠔。虽不足豪。亦可以高。A folk saying by natives of Southern China about their love for oysters.

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黄牛滩行者语
荆州记
朝发黄牛。暮宿黄牛。三朝三暮。黄牛如故。
Words said about a section of the Yang-tzi River gorge. One could start one’s journey in the morning at Yellow Cow beach and would still be in the same place by nightfall. This could go on for three days and nights, so difficult is travel in the section of the river.
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盛弘之引楚谚
荆州记
洲不满百。故不出王者。
Since there are only ninety nine island in the rivers of the Jing Zhou area, no emperor will arise. This alludes to the conicidnece of Emperor Jiang Biao’s emergence at the same time as the sudden appearance of an extra island. After his demise, that one hundredth island disappeared.
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麦城谚
荆州记
东驴西磨﹑麦自破。
The two cities, named Donkeys and Mills were built to attack the city of Wheat inbetween. The attack was a success.
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人为太白山横云语
长安志
南山瀑布。非朝则暮。
The clouds up in Tai Bai Mountain look as though they are emitting rain in the morning and evening.

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人为洪堰量水语
长安志
水到龟儿嘴。百二十徼水。
Words said about the amount of water in a reservoir.

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陆机引洛阳俗语
洛阳记
金马门外聚群贤。铜驼街上集少年。
Words said about two districts in the city of Luo Yang. All the intelligent people gather outside the Golden Horse Gate, and the adolescents gather on Bronze Camel Street.

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射的山谚
会稽记
射的白。斛一百。射的玄。斛一千。
A folk saying about how people determine the price of rice. One shoots an arrow at a rock in a cave. If the arrow lands at a dark, shaded part of the rock, then the price of rice will be high.
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五盖山乡人占年谚
湘中记
五盖雪普。米贱如土。雪若不均。米贵如银。A folk saying concerning how people predict the price of rice in the Five Peak Mountains area. If all of the five peaks are covered with snow, then the price of rice will be low.

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占雾谚
湘中记
腊月有雾露。无水做酒醋。
It there are fog and dew in the lunar month of December, then there will be a drought in the following year, so severe that there will be no water with which to make vinegar and wine.

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尧峰院俗语
吴郡图经
尧所基。洪川不能没。上有万眾棲。Words said about the location of Yao Fong Temple. It is high up in a mountain where a river’s flood cannot possibly reach. There are thousands of people living up there, too.

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锡山古谣
常州图经
有锡兵。无锡寧。
A folk saying concering Tin mountain. If there is mining of tin, there is war; if there is no mining of tin, there is peace.
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京口士大夫语
嘉定镇江志
生居洛阳。死葬朱方。
Words said by the intellectuals in the capital city of Luo Yang concerning their choice of burial sites, which were in the southeast coast of China.

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鞭春看灯里谚
至顺镇江志
好男勿鞭春。好女勿看灯。
Concerning customs of the Chinese new year in the Zhen Jiang area: on the first day of spring, men should not go to see the whipping of the cow,since they might be trampled to death by the crowd trying to catch pieces of the animal. Likewise, women should not go to the light show because of the crowd there.