Ji Anlived at the time of Emperor Wudi of the Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D.24). He was respected for being upright and just and for daring to speak the truth. He did not bother about amall matters in personal behaviour and in being an official. He was particular about actual effects and ,although he did not cause a stir ,he could keep the prefecture he governed in perfect order. Because of this. the imperial court transferred him to the central government from being the perfect of the Donghai Prefecture to being a commander in charge of the appointment and dismissal of the local officals.
汲黯是西漢武帝時代人，以剛直正義、敢講真話而受人尊重。他為人和做官都不拘小節，講求實效。雖然表面上不那麽轟轟烈烈，卻能把壹個郡治理得井井有條，因此，朝廷把他從東海太守調到朝廷當主爵都尉——壹種主管地方吏任免的官職。
Once,Emperor Wudi said that he would implement the policy of benevolence and justice of Confucianism and would do good turns to the people.Emperor Wudi Had hardly finished his remards when Ji An said that there was no need for the emperor to say so.Why should the emperor bother,Ji An said, about pretending to implement the policy of benevolence and justice since he was so greedy and avaricious within himself? This choked the emperor off. The emperor suddenly Changed his countenance and declared the meeting over. All the civilian and military officers at court were breathless with anxiety for fear that Ji An might bring disaster upon himself because of this. After returning, Emperor Wudi said to the people around him that Ji An was a little too rude and too straightforward.
有壹次，漢武帝說要實行儒家的仁義之政，為老百姓辦好事了。沒等皇帝把話說完，汲黯就說：“陛下內心裏那麽貪婪多欲，表面上卻要裝得實行仁政，這是何苦呢？”壹句話把皇帝噎了回去。漢武帝登時臉色大變，宣布罷朝，滿朝文武都為汲黯捏著壹把汗，擔心他會因此招來大禍。武帝回到宮裏以後，對身邊的人說，汲黯這個人也未免太粗太直了。
For this reason ,Ji An was never promoted again. When he was the commander in charge of the appointment and dismissal of the local officials, both Gongsun Hong and Zhang Tang were low -ranking lfficials of little importance. Later ,they were promoted continuously. Gongsun Hong became the prime minister and Zhang Tang became the imperial censor. However, JiAn's post remained thesame. One day, Ji An said to Emperor Wudi that the way the emperor used his ministers was just like piling up firewood, which meant that the latecomers surpassed the old-timers. Of course, Emperor Wudi could see that Ji An was complaining. So,turning to his ministers, Emperor Wudi said, "It is true that no one can stop learning.You see, Ji An is making more and more indiscreet remarks."
從此以後，汲黯的官職再也沒有提升。他當主爵都尉的時候，公孫弘、張湯都還是不起眼的小官，後來，他們壹個勁兒住上升，公孫弘當上了丞相，張湯做上了禦史大夫，可他汲黯還蹲在原地沒動窩。有壹天，汲黯對武帝說，陛下使用群臣，跟碼劈柴壹樣，是“後來者居上”啊！漢武帝當然聽得出這是發牢騷。於是，轉臉對臣下們說：“人真是不能不學習啊！妳們聽汲黯說話，越來越離譜了！”
指鹿為馬
In Qin dynasty, there was a powerful and evil counselor named Zhao Gao。
在秦朝，有個很得勢的*臣叫趙高。
Zhao Gao wanted to rebel, but he didn't know how many people in the court would stand by his side。
趙高想造反，但是又不知道群臣中有多少人會支持他。
So he worked out a way to test the people。
於是他想了個辦法來測試。
He presented a deer as a tribute to the emperor in front of the court, and said that it was a swift horse。
他在群臣面前送了壹頭鹿給皇上，並說這是壹匹千裏馬。
The emperor not accepting his statement said, "This is obviously a deer."
皇上不信，說“這明明是鹿啊。”
Then, Zhao Gao took this opportunity to ask the court, "Is this a deer or a horse?"
然後趙高借機問各位大臣，“這是鹿還是馬?”
In the court, those who didn't dare to go against Zhao Gao agreed with him and said that it was a horse, those who dared to go against Zhao Gao said that it was a deer。
在大臣中，不敢反抗趙高的都贊同說是馬，敢於反對趙高的說是鹿。
Later, Zhao Gao remembered the counselors who didn't agree with him and persecuted them to solidify his power。
後來，趙高記住了這些反對他的人並加以迫害，以鞏固自己的勢力。
This story is still popular even today. People use this idiom to describe someone who calls white black。
這個故事流傳至今，人們用這個成語來形容壹個人顛倒黑白。
子罕拒玉
A farmer in the state of Song once got a piece of stone with jade init.
宋國人有個農夫得到壹塊含寶玉的石頭後，將它獻給了相國子罕。
He presented this stone to Prime Minister Zi Han. But Zi Han refused toaccept it. xiaogushi8.com The farmer explained, “It looks like just a stone, butthere is jade inside. It actually is a piece of treasure and suitable forhonorable men like you, not for us common people.”
子罕拒絕接受這塊石頭，農夫解釋說：“表面上它是塊石頭，但裏面含有寶玉，是個寶物，適合您這樣的貴人使用，我們普通百姓用它就不合適了。”
“I know there is jade inside,” Zi Han said,” but I disagree with you.xiaogushi8.com I think to have the virtue of declining things that do not belongto oneself is the real treasure. ”
子罕說：“我知道裏面是寶玉。但我的觀點和妳不同，我認為具有不接受不應得的東西的品德才是真正的寶玉。”