- 洗颍川水xǐ yǐng chuān shuǐ
- xǐ yǐng chuān shuǐ: legend says the ruler Yao offered the whole land to the hermit Xu You. Xu You felt the offer had dirtied his ears, so he went to wash them in the Ying River, in today's Henan.洗颍川水：传说尧想把天下让给隐士许由，许由觉得这话弄脏了耳朵，就跑到颍水边去洗耳朵。颍川，颍水，在今天的河南。
- 食首阳蕨shí shǒu yáng jué
- shí shǒu yáng jué: the brothers Bo Yi and Shu Qi opposed the Zhou overthrowing the Shang. They refused to eat Zhou grain, hid on Mount Shouyang eating wild plants, and finally starved. Jué is a wild fern people could eat.食首阳蕨：伯夷、叔齐反对周朝灭商，不肯吃周朝的粮食，躲到首阳山上采野菜吃，最后饿死。蕨，一种山野里的野菜。
- 莫mò
- mò: do not.莫：不要。
- 含光混世hán guāng hùn shì
- hán guāng hùn shì: to hide your own shine and live among ordinary people like one of them.含光混世：把自己的光芒藏起来，像普通人一样混在人群里过日子。
- 贵无名guì wú míng
- guì wú míng: to value having no fame.贵无名：以没有名声为可贵。
- 何用hé yòng
- hé yòng: why should one, what need is there to.何用：何必，为什么要。
- 孤高比云月gū gāo bǐ yún yuè
- gū gāo bǐ yún yuè: to hold yourself proud and apart, as high and pure as clouds and the moon.孤高比云月：把自己看得清高孤傲，好像天上的白云和明月。
- 贤达人xián dá rén
- xián dá rén: people of talent and fame.贤达人：有才能、有名望的人。
- 功成不退gōng chéng bú tuì
- gōng chéng bù tuì: having done great deeds, not stepping down in time.功成不退：立了大功以后，不肯及时离开官场。
- 殒身yǔn shēn
- yǔn shēn: to lose one's life.殒身：丢了性命。
- 子胥既弃吴江上zǐ xū jì qì wú jiāng shàng
- zǐ xū jì qì wú jiāng shàng: Wu Zixu did great service for the state of Wu, but King Fuchai forced him to kill himself, and his body was sewn into a leather bag and thrown into the river. Jì means already.子胥既弃吴江上：伍子胥帮吴国立了大功，后来却被吴王夫差逼死，尸体被装在皮袋里扔进江中。既，已经。
- 屈原终投湘水滨qū yuán zhōng tóu xiāng shuǐ bīn
- qū yuán zhōng tóu xiāng shuǐ bīn: Qu Yuan, a minister of Chu, was driven from court and at last drowned himself in the Miluo River, which flows into the Xiang. Bīn means the water's edge.屈原终投湘水滨：楚国大臣屈原被赶出朝廷，最后投汨罗江而死。汨罗江流进湘水。滨，水边。
- 陆机雄才岂自保lù jī xióng cái qǐ zì bǎo
- lù jī xióng cái qǐ zì bǎo: Lu Ji, a great writer of the Western Jin, got caught in fights between princes and was killed. Qǐ means how could.陆机雄才岂自保：西晋文学家陆机很有才华，后来卷进王族之间的争斗，被杀。岂，哪里能。
- 李斯税驾苦不早lǐ sī tuō jià kǔ bù zǎo
- lǐ sī tuō jià kǔ bù zǎo: Li Si, chief minister of Qin, did not step down while at the top, and was later put to death. Tuō jià means to unhitch the horses, that is, to stop and retire. Kǔ bù zǎo means sadly too late.李斯税驾苦不早：秦朝丞相李斯，位置最高时没有及时退下来，后来被害死。税驾，解下拉车的马，比喻停下来休息、退隐。苦不早，可惜太晚了。
- 华亭鹤唳讵可闻huá tíng hè lì jù kě wén
- huá tíng hè lì jù kě wén: before he died, Lu Ji sighed, "Can I ever hear the cranes cry at Huating again?" Huating, his home, is in today's Songjiang, Shanghai. Lì is a crane's cry. Jù means how.华亭鹤唳讵可闻：陆机临死前叹气说：“家乡华亭的鹤叫声，还能再听到吗？”华亭，在今天的上海松江。唳，鹤叫。讵，哪里，怎么。
- 上蔡苍鹰何足道shàng cài cāng yīng hé zú dào
- shàng cài cāng yīng hé zú dào: before his death Li Si told his son he wished they could once more go hunting out of the east gate of Shangcai, his hometown in today's Henan, with a yellow dog and a grey hawk. But it was too late. Hé zú dào means what is the use of speaking of it.上蔡苍鹰何足道：李斯临死前对儿子说，想和他再牵着黄狗、架着苍鹰，出上蔡东门去打猎，可是再也做不到了。上蔡，李斯的家乡，在今天的河南。何足道，哪里还值得说。
- 君不见jūn bú jiàn
- jūn bù jiàn: have you not seen? A common phrase in old poems to catch the reader's attention.君不见：你没有看见吗？古诗里常用来提醒读者。
- 张翰称达生zhāng hàn chēng dá shēng
- zhāng hàn chēng dá shēng: Zhang Han, a man of the Western Jin who held office in Luoyang, was called someone who saw life clearly. Dá shēng means seeing through life and not being tied up by fame or gain.张翰称达生：西晋人张翰在洛阳做官，被人称为看得开的人。达生，看透人生，不被名利捆住。
- 秋风忽忆江东行qiū fēng hū yì jiāng dōng xíng
- qiū fēng hū yì jiāng dōng xíng: when Zhang Han saw the autumn wind rise, he missed the wild rice stems, water-shield soup and perch of his home in Wu, so he quit his post and went back east of the river.秋风忽忆江东行：张翰看见秋风吹起，想起家乡吴中的菰菜、莼菜汤和鲈鱼，就辞官回了江东老家。
- 且qiě
- qiě: for now, let us just.且：姑且，暂且。
- 何须hé xū
- hé xū: why should we need.何须：何必要。
- 千载名qiān zǎi míng
- qiān zǎi míng: fame that lasts a thousand years.千载名：流传千年的名声。