Questions:
1. When did Zhou go on a trip? For what?
2. How did he get his ticket?
3. How much did the ticket cost?
Ancient Poems Rewritten
1. A Defeated Ruler
After Li Yu, emperor and poet
Time has nothing to offer but spring blossoms and autumn moon;
It takes away for ever memories of days gone by.
Last night my little mansion received east wind again;
To seek my lost land in bright moon, I was too shy.
Things should be as they were, the carved rails, the marble terraces,
Only my fair may have lost her color.
Don't you ask me how sad I am feeling now,
Behold, with spring flood, east flows the River.
2. An Army General
After Fan Zhongyan, writer and poet
Scenes change as autumn comes to the border land
No mood to stay, geese fly to the warmer climate
All around me, bugles chant their border songs
Among the mountains
A rising column of smoke, a setting sun, a closed solitary town
A cup of poorly brewed wine mirrors a home far
Over the frosty land, tunes of nomad flutes linger
Victory not at hand, I see no date to withdraw
My soul sleepless
A gray-haired man, an army general, tears of a soldier
3. Philosophizing on Life
After Yuan Haowen (1190--1257)
Old trees, deserted terraces
A touching scene of autumn.
Leisurely I drink a cup to myself.
My gray temples
Foretell the senility of autumn
And the haggardness of nature.
A half-worn heart is more prone to feelings.
Seeing grand mansions falling into decay,
I believe only those in the land of drunkenness
Can be happy.
Sailing a vast span of water,
I survey a vast land.
The moon is my candle,
And cloud my tent.
A hundred rivers of brew
Not enough to fill my cup.
What's the use of an empty name?
The ancients were wrong, I am more so.
Monkeys of wilderness! Birds in the mountains! Come and sing:
So long! Bye-bye!
4. Fisherman
Adapting Lu You (1125-1209)
A fishing rod of wind and moon,
A reed coat in smoky rain,
I live to the west where I fish.
My catch is sold but away from the city,
You think I care for a world dusty?
I take my oars when tide is in,
I moor my boat when tide is out,
With tide gone I sing my way home.
They think I am a meditator,
Nay, I am a nameless fisher.
黄州定惠院寓居作
苏 轼
缺月挂疏桐，漏断人初静。谁见幽人独往来，缥缈孤鸿影。
惊起却回头，有恨无人省。拣尽寒枝不肯栖，寂寞沙洲冷。
5. Solitary Abode
Adapting Su Shi, prose writer and poet
A chipped moon on leafless tree,
Quietness reigns as clock drips dry.
Walking in solitude a hermit who sees?
Shadow of a lone goose vague.
Startled, she turns her head,
Her heart felt by no one.
Of the cold branches she chooses none,
Chilly is the lonely land.
Aug. 31, 1997
For days she has gone, where is she now?
she has forgotten her return date,
Not knowing spring's coming to end.
This Clear Bright Day on a road of grass and flower,
To whose tree is her fragrant cart tied?
Tear in eyes, I murmur by the window:
Ever seen her, have you?
There are the twin swallow.
Spring sorrow flies with flower of willow,
In my long dream, her face doesn't show.
Aug. 31, 1997 Fredericton, Canada
Gone with the wind is the dusty fragrance of flowers;
Tired of the mirror is my heart.
When life is no longer the same while things still are,
Tear comes first before a word is said.
Hearing that spring is nice on the Double Stream,
I want to peddle a light boat there,
Only fearing that the tiny boat of the Double Stream,
Can't bear the weight of my sorrow.
Second version:
The dusty fragrance of flowers gone with the wind,
Tired is my heart of the mirror.
When life decays while time lasts,
My words unsaid, my tear is out.
Hearing that scenes are nice on the Double Stream,
A boat I want to row.
Yet I fear the light boat of the Double Steam,
Can't bear so much sorrow.
Sept. 17, 1997
