買東西,為什麼不說買南北

南宋理學大家朱熹在未出仕前,家鄉有叫盛溫和的好友,此人亦是博學多才的人,一天兩人相遇於巷子內,盛手中拿著一個竹籃子...

朱熹問他:「你去那裡?」
盛回答說:「我要去買點東西。」

朱熹是以窮理致知研究學問的人,他聽盛的話,很好奇,
隨即問道:「你說買東西, 為什麼不說買南北呢?」

盛溫和反問朱熹:「你知什麼是五行嗎?」
朱熹答:「我當然知道,不就是金、木、水、火、土嗎?」

盛說:「不錯,你知道了就好辦,現在我說給 你聽,東方屬木,西方屬金,南方屬火,北方屬水,中間屬土。我的籃子是竹做的,盛火會燒掉,裝水會漏光,只能裝木和金,更不會盛土,所以叫買東西,不說買南北呀。」 朱熹聽後唉了一聲說:「原來是這樣!」

原來買東西這個名詞還有這樣一個典故,未收到這篇故事前,還真是搞不懂,買東西的由來,為何會說買東西而不說買南北,看了這篇故事後才知道原來還有這樣一段插曲呢,古人的智慧真是蘊藏在我們的生活的點點滴滴中。

26 who am I - questions:

  lock

May 25, 2010 at 5:29 PM

假如我要買火水, 是不是要說: 去買南北? 呵呵!

  Skyhawk

May 25, 2010 at 5:58 PM

Hahaha...原来如此!!

  thomas

May 25, 2010 at 7:09 PM

哈哈,看過了。。。中文就是那麼博大精深。。。

  Jasper

May 25, 2010 at 7:28 PM

古人真是博学多才,我想现在的老师未必都知道这些。。哈哈!

  JasonEthanLee

May 25, 2010 at 7:32 PM

这典故还真有意思。

  Kelvin

May 25, 2010 at 8:08 PM

Agreed with u.

  单身汉

May 25, 2010 at 8:19 PM

第一次来,喜欢你的部落格。

  JN

May 25, 2010 at 10:27 PM

好像有點道理噎。。。

  Paul Figaro J

May 25, 2010 at 10:33 PM

wow!!! thanks for sharing!!!

  Pluboy2

May 25, 2010 at 11:22 PM

hahaha because "dong xi" here is not East West.. hence you cannot buy "nan bei" :P

  Anonymous

May 26, 2010 at 12:49 AM

yeah amazing right? :)

  董百勤

May 26, 2010 at 1:44 AM

啊啊啊啊啊。古人rocks!!!

哈哈

  木子

May 26, 2010 at 8:54 AM

wow ... now only i know the meaning behind ... thanks for sharing ^^

 

May 26, 2010 at 9:57 AM

kio, :S

lock, haha~ but 火水 will be packed up in bottles, and bottles belong to things wo... so u cannot say 南北 lo~

 

May 26, 2010 at 9:58 AM

skyhawk, yup...so desu~

thomas, u r really a smart guy~ have to meet u sometime and ask u to refer some nice book for me :)

 

May 26, 2010 at 9:59 AM

jasper, teacher nowadays are useless bump...

jasonehan, yup... of course :) welcome

 

May 26, 2010 at 10:00 AM

kelvin, not agree with me la~ is the guy in the past who explained this :)

singleman, hi hi~ i love ur blog too~

 

May 26, 2010 at 10:00 AM

justin, sure lo~ abothen? :P

paul, you're welcome paulina~ :)

 

May 26, 2010 at 10:01 AM

takashi, apa u cakap la~ ? lolz...

thglo, totally amazing :) the greatness of chinese word and language

 

May 26, 2010 at 10:03 AM

dongbaile, haha~ yea wo... geng lo~

muzi, you're welcome :)

  杰胜

May 26, 2010 at 10:12 AM

jasper, teacher nowadays are useless bump...

你们两个给我小心,谁说现在老师不知道的?
我知道这典故啊!

 

May 26, 2010 at 11:46 AM

haha, uncle jayson angry liao :P

  董百勤

May 26, 2010 at 1:15 PM

我是baiqin ,not baile...TT

 

May 26, 2010 at 2:34 PM

haha, paiseh.... typo error :P

  Kg Folk

May 30, 2010 at 3:35 PM

Wow, you really have the keen interest to find out.

How you got this kind of stories uncovered?

 

May 31, 2010 at 8:45 AM

kg folk, jst got it from an email :)