雪中送炭

Xuě Zhōng Sòng Tàn

在别人最困难、最需要的时候，伸出手去帮助他。

Bringing charcoal in the snow — helping someone exactly when they need it most.

宋sòng朝cháo的de宋sòng太tài宗zōng，是shì一yī位wèi心xīn地dì很hěn善shàn良liáng的de皇huáng帝dì。他tā常cháng常cháng想xiǎng到dào住zhù在zài京jīng城chéng外wài的de穷qióng苦kǔ百bǎi姓xìng，担dān心xīn他tā们men过guò得de不bù好hǎo。

有yǒu一yī年nián冬dōng天tiān，特tè别bié冷lěng。大dà雪xuě下xià了le一yī夜yè又yòu一yī夜yè，屋wū檐yán下xià挂guà满mǎn了le冰bīng柱zhù，河hé水shuǐ也yě结jié成chéng了le厚hòu厚hòu的de冰bīng。街jiē上shàng很hěn少shǎo有yǒu人rén走zǒu动dòng，穷qióng人rén家jiā没méi有yǒu柴chái火huǒ，只zhǐ能néng缩suō在zài被bèi窝wō里lǐ发fā抖dǒu。

这zhè天tiān早zǎo上shàng，宋sòng太tài宗zōng站zhàn在zài宫gōng里lǐ，望wàng着zhe外wài面miàn的de大dà雪xuě，心xīn里lǐ很hěn难nán过guò。他tā立lì刻kè叫jiào来lái大dà臣chén说shuō：“这zhè样yàng冷lěng的de天tiān，外wài面miàn一yī定dìng有yǒu许xǔ多duō人rén家jiā没méi有yǒu衣yī服fú穿chuān，没méi有yǒu炭tàn烧shāo。快kuài派pài人rén把bǎ粮liáng食shí和hé木mù炭tàn，送sòng到dào那nà些xiē最zuì穷qióng的de人rén家jiā去qù！”

于yú是shì，官guān吏lì们men冒mào着zhe风fēng雪xuě，挨āi家jiā挨āi户hù把bǎ米mǐ、衣yī服fú和hé一yī筐kuāng筐kuāng的de木mù炭tàn送sòng到dào穷qióng人rén的de门mén口kǒu。老lǎo百bǎi姓xìng捧pěng着zhe热rè乎hū乎hū的de炭tàn火huǒ，眼yǎn里lǐ含hán着zhe泪lèi，心xīn里lǐ暖nuǎn得de不bù得dé了le。

后hòu来lái人rén们men就jiù用yòng“雪xuě中zhōng送sòng炭tàn”，来lái形xíng容róng在zài别bié人rén最zuì困kùn难nán、最zuì需xū要yào帮bāng助zhù的de时shí候hòu，去qù帮bāng他tā一yī把bǎ。

Emperor Taizong of the Song dynasty was a kindhearted ruler. He often thought of the poor people living outside the capital and worried about how they were getting by.

One winter was especially cold. Snow fell night after night, icicles hung from every roof, and the rivers froze into thick ice. Few people dared go out. In poor homes there was no firewood, and families could only curl up shivering under thin quilts.

That morning, the emperor stood in his palace looking at the heavy snow and felt deeply troubled. He called for his ministers: “On a day this cold, many families must have no clothes and no charcoal. Send grain and charcoal at once to the poorest homes!”

Officials set out through the wind and snow, going door to door, carrying rice, warm clothes, and basket after basket of charcoal. When the common people held the warm coals in their hands, tears filled their eyes — their hearts were warmer still.

Today “sending charcoal in the snow” means helping someone exactly at the moment they are struggling and need it most.