Love Me, Love My Dog

Long ago, at the end of the Shang Dynasty, King Zhou of Shang was very cruel. People hated him a lot. At the same time, King Wen of Zhou, Ji Chang, became strong in the west. He wanted to end King Zhou's bad rule.

After King Wen died, his son Ji Fa, King Wu of Zhou, took the throne. With the help of Jiang Taigong and other good ministers, King Wu led an army and defeated the Shang Dynasty. King Zhou burned himself, and the Shang Dynasty ended.

But King Wu had a problem. He didn't know what to do with the Shang Dynasty's officials. So, he asked Jiang Taigong, Zhaogong, and Zhougong for ideas. Jiang Taigong said to kill all the officials. Zhaogong said to kill the bad ones and keep the good ones. Zhougong said to let them go home and farm, and then be kind to the people. King Wu thought Zhougong's idea was the best.

This story teaches us that we should be smart and fair when we deal with people. Don’t like or dislike others just because of someone we like or dislike. This is the origin of the saying “Love me, love my dog”. It means if you love someone, you should also accept the people and things connected with them.

爱屋及乌

很久以前，商朝末年，商纣王十分残暴。百姓都非常痛恨他。与此同时，周文王姬昌在西方势力日渐强大，他想要终结纣王的暴政。

周文王去世后，他的儿子姬发，也就是周武王，继承王位。在姜太公和一众贤臣的辅佐下，周武王率领军队，打败了商朝。商纣王自焚而死，商朝就此灭亡。

但是周武王遇到了一个难题：他不知道该如何处置商朝遗留的官员。于是他向姜太公、召公和周公征求意见。姜太公说把所有官员都杀掉；召公说杀掉坏人、留下好人；周公则提议放他们回家务农，并且善待百姓。周武王认为周公的办法最好。

这个故事告诉我们：与人相处时，我们应当明智、公正。不要因为喜欢或者讨厌某一个人，就连带喜欢或者讨厌和他相关的其他人。这就是谚语 “爱屋及乌” 的由来。它的意思是，如果你喜爱一个人，也应当接纳和他有关的人和事物。

重点短语（附音标）

1. at the end of /æt ði end ɒv/ 在…… 末尾
2. take the throne /teɪk ðə θrəʊn/ 继位，登基
3. lead an army /liːd ən ˈɑːmi/ 率领军队
4. defeat the dynasty /dɪˈfiːt ðə ˈdɪnəsti/ 击败王朝
5. what to do with …  /wɒt tuː duː wɪð/ 如何处理……
6. ask sb. for ideas /ɑːsk sʌmbədi fɔː aɪˈdɪəz/ 向某人征求意见
7. let sb. do sth. /let sʌmbədi duː sʌmθɪŋ/ 让某人做某事
8. be kind to … /bi kaɪnd tuː/ 对…… 友善
9. deal with people /diːl wɪð ˈpiːpl/ 和人相处；处理人事
10. just because of /dʒʌst bɪˈkɒz ɒv/ 仅仅因为
11. the origin of /ði ˈɒrɪdʒɪn ɒv/ …… 的起源

阅读理解问答题

Questions:

1. What was King Zhou of Shang like at the end of the Shang Dynasty?
2. Who helped King Wu of Zhou beat the Shang Dynasty?
3. What was Zhougong’s advice for the Shang officials?
4. Whose idea did King Wu think was the best?
5. What does the saying “Love me, love my dog” mean?

Keys:

1. He was very cruel.
2. Jiang Taigong and other good ministers helped him.
3. He advised King Wu to let the Shang officials go home and farm and be kind to the people.
4. King Wu thought Zhougong’s idea was the best.
5. It means if you love someone, you should also accept the people and things connected with them.

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