春秋时，有一位著名的哲学家和思想，他姓李，名耳，字 聃。据说他刚生下来的时候，就是一个白头发。白胡子的小老头儿； 所以人们称他“老子”；还说他是在一棵李树下出世的，所以姓李；又 因为他耳朵长得特别大，所以名“耳”。
其实，老子是人们对他的尊 称。 老于对当时的现实不满，并反对当时社会上出现的革新浪潮， 想走回头路。他怀恋着远古的原始社会，认为物质的进步和文化的 发展毁坏了人民的淳朴，给人们带来了痛苦，所以渴望出现“小国寡 民”的理想社会。
老于是这样描绘他所设想的“小国寡民”社会的： 国家很小，人民稀少。即使有许许多多的器具，也不去使用它 们。不要让人民用生命去冒险，也不向远处迁移，即使有车辆和船 只，也无人去乘坐它们，即使有兵器装备，也无处去使用它们。要使 人民重新使用古代结绳记事的方法，吃得很香甜，穿得很舒服，住得 很安适，满足于原有的风俗习惯。邻近各国互相望得见。鸡鸣狗叫互 相听得见，但是人们直到老死，也不互相往来。
Today’s phrase reflects our very best wishes for you in the New Year. It refers to a prosperous and contented life. The Chinese reads: An Ju Le Ye, literally meaning “live and work in peace and contentment.” It comes from the words of a great thinker who lived during the Spring and Autumn period, about 2,600 years ago.
He was a famous philosopher named Li Er. He was so erudite and well-known that people admiringly called him Lao Zi. Many non-Chinese people have heard of Lao Zi. He is, of course, said to be the founder of Daoism.
Lao Zi was very dissatisfied: he opposed the social changes that he saw happening around him, and missed the old days. He believed that material prosperity and the development of a complicated culture contaminated people’s minds, and would only bring them pain.
Lao Zi dreamed of small countries, with few people, leading simple, contented lives, like those of their ancestors. Such people would not feel the need for lots of possessions. They might have vehicles, but would rarely use them, for they would lead quite solitary lives, and rarely go and visit people in other places. The people would not want to go out in search of adventure, or move to another country. Even if they had weapons, there was no need or desire to use them.
There should be no barriers between countries. People could even hear the cries of hens and dogs of neighboring states.
From Lao Zi’s utopian ideas, people drew the idiom An Ju Le Ye – to live in peace and be contented with one’s life and work. Now it is used to describe people enjoying a happy, prosperous life. So if someone asks you how you are, I hope you can reply with a smile, An Ju Le Ye, whose tone pattern is first, first, fourth, fourth.
(Source:english.cri.cn)
