成语趣谈（一）：人走茶凉 About Chinese Idioms (1): No Sooner Has the Person Gone Away Than the Tea Cools Down

Idioms in Chinese are the crystallization of ancient wisdom, containing rich connotations and profound philosophy. Today, let's talk about idioms - No sooner has the person gone away than the tea cools down.

The Chinese are very hospitable. If a guest comes to visit, the host must brew a pot of hot tea to entertain him. In most cases, especially in rural areas, a large teapot is used to make tea. The host and guests sit together, and then the host keeps adding hot tea to the guests' tea cups. But once the guests leave, the host will no longer add hot tea to the tea cups in front of the guests, and the tea in the cups will gradually cool down.

This is the original meaning of this idiom, later used to refer to the cold and indifferent nature of the world and human relationships. Once a person is no longer in their position or loses their usefulness, they will no longer be valued, neglected, or even forgotten by people. For this reason, people tend to perceive that inconstancy of human relationships is common and emotions are as thin as paper, even cursing the impermanence and decline of this world.

Flowers bloom and fade. Cold and heat succeed each other. The moon has wax and wane. Which one can remain eternal and unchanged? Who can guarantee that the tea in the teacup in front of them will always be hot? It can be said that the cooling of tea after one leaves is a normal natural phenomenon, which depends entirely on the mentality of the parties involved.

Imagine that you are no longer a guest at someone else's place and have already left. Do you still expect them to keep adding hot tea to your teacup?

If you feel that the host is sincere and enthusiastic, you can take some time to visit and have a chat, regardless of the quality or temperature of the tea. If you feel that there is no need to visit again, you can leave and never return, so there is no need to worry.

During his tenure in Hangzhou, Su Dongpo visited Moganshan mountain for sightseeing. Passing by a temple, he went in to pay his respects. The abbot in the temple saw Su Dongpo's plain appearance and poor dress, and casually said to him, “Sit down.” He also ordered the young monk next to him, “Tea.”

After Su Dongpo donated incense money, he picked up his pen and wrote, "One hundred taels of incense money." Upon seeing this, the abbot immediately became enthusiastic and said to Su Dongpo, “Please sit down.” He also said to the young monk, “Serve tea.”

When Su Dongpo wrote "Su Shi, a layman of Dongpo" on the signature, the abbot was startled. Su Shi was a famous scholar at that time, so he bowed to Su Dongpo and gestured for him, "Please take a upper seat." He quickly ordered the young monk, "Serve good tea.”

This is the origin of the allusion “Tea, serve tea, serve good tea; sit down, please sit down, please take a upper seat.”

This can only be dismissed with a smile, and there is no need to take it seriously.
The Ming Dynasty poet Yang Shen was sent to Yunnan to serve as a soldier. While passing by Jiangling in Hubei, he happened to see a fisherman and a woodcutter cooking fish and drinking alcohol by the Changjiang river, chatting and laughing happily. Yang Shen was deeply moved and wrote the poem “Immortal by the River”:

The white-haired fisherman and woodcutter sail on the stream with ease,
　　Accustomed to the autumn moon and vernal breeze.
　　A pot of wine in hand, they talk as they please.
　　How many things before and after
　　All melt into gossip and laughter!

Meeting old friends, having a cup of turbid wine, and having a great conversation, how can we care about whether the tea is hot or cold? As long as the hearts are connected, it is forever, and that cup of tea will always be hot, because it is a heartfelt feeling.

汉语中的成语都是古人智慧的结晶，蕴含着丰富的内涵和浑厚的哲理。今天，我们就来谈一下成语——人走茶凉。

中国人很是好客，如有客人来访，主人定是沏上一壶热茶来招待的。大多数情况下，尤其是在农村，是用一把大茶壶沏茶，主人、客人围坐在一起，然后主人不停地给客人的茶杯子里添热茶。可一旦客人离去，主人不会再向客人前面的那个茶杯添热茶，那么杯子里的茶水也就渐渐凉了。

这是这个成语的原始意义，后来便用来指世态炎凉和人情冷漠，一旦一个人不在其位或者失去了利用的价值，那么这个人便不再受到人们的重视，遭受冷落，甚至被人遗忘了。为此，世人便感概：人走茶凉，世态炎凉，情薄如纸；甚至大骂这世道的无常和沦丧。

花开花落，寒来暑往，阴晴圆缺，哪一样能够永恒不变？又有谁能够保证自己前面的那个茶杯里的茶水永远是热的？人走茶凉，可以说，是一种正常的自然现象，完全取决于当事人的心态。

试想一下，你都不在人家那里做客了，都已离开了，你还奢望人家不停地向你的茶杯里添热茶吗？

如果你觉得主人真诚热情，你可以抽时间再去拜访，畅谈一番，而无关乎茶的优劣和冷热了。如果你觉得再无拜访的必要，便可一去不返，大可不必计较。

苏东坡在杭任职时，到莫干山游玩。途径一座寺庙便进去拜会，寺庙里方丈见苏东坡相貌平平、打扮穷酸，漫不经心地对苏东坡说：“坐。”并招呼旁边的小和尚：“茶。”

后苏东坡捐香火钱，提笔写道：“香火钱百两。”方丈见状，马上热情了起来，对苏东坡说：“请坐。”并且对小和尚说：“上茶。”

当苏东坡在落款处写上“东坡居士苏轼”时，方丈吓了一跳，苏轼可是当时有名的大学士啊，于是向苏东坡行了一个大礼，并且示意他：“请上座。”连忙吩咐小和尚：“上好茶。”

这便是“茶，上茶，上好茶；坐，请坐，请上座。”典故的由来。

对此，只能是一笑了之，而大可不必认真。

明朝诗人杨慎，被发配到云南充军，路过湖北江陵时，正好看到，一个渔夫和一个樵夫在江边煮鱼喝酒，谈笑风生。杨慎很是感慨，写下了那首《临江仙》：

白发渔樵江渚上，惯看秋月春风。一壶浊酒喜相逢。古今多少事，都付笑谈中。

老友相逢，浊酒一杯，相谈甚欢，怎计较茶热茶凉？只要心相通，便是永远，那杯茶便永远是热的，因为这种感悟是在心里。

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