陈太丘与友期行
An appointment at noon
Read, find evidence, and explain in your own words.
Read
陈太丘与友期行，期日中。过中不至，太丘舍去，去后乃至。元方时年七岁，门外戏。
Chen Taiqiu arranged to travel with a friend at noon. The friend had not arrived after noon, so Chen left. Only then did the friend arrive. Yuanfang, then seven, was playing outside the door.
客问元方：“尊君在不？”答曰：“待君久不至，已去。”友人便怒曰：“非人哉！与人期行，相委而去。”
The visitor asked Yuanfang, “Is your honoured father here?” He answered, “He waited a long time, but you did not come, so he has left.” The friend angrily complained, “How could he! He arranged to travel with me and left me behind.”
元方曰：“君与家君期日中。日中不至，则是无信；对子骂父，则是无礼。”友人惭，下车引之。元方入门不顾。
Yuanfang said, “You arranged to meet my father at noon. Not arriving then breaks your word; insulting a father in front of his child is discourteous.” Ashamed, the friend got down from his carriage and reached towards him. Yuanfang went indoors without looking back.
Explore the text
选自《世说新语·方正》。期是约定，日中是正午，去是离开，顾是回头看。尊君是敬称对方的父亲，家君是称自己的父亲。在不的不读否的音，表示询问。
From A New Account of Tales of the World, Upright Conduct. Qi means arrange; ri zhong means noon; qu means leave; gu means look back. Zun jun politely names the other person’s father, while jia jun means my father. The final bu in zai bu is read fou and forms a question.
元方先说明约定，再指出两件事的问题。朋友最后感到惭愧，原文没有写两人和好。讨论时，可以区分已经发生的结局和你希望补写的结局。
Yuanfang first states the agreement, then explains two problems. The friend feels ashamed, but the text does not say they reconcile. Distinguish the ending on the page from an ending you would like to add.
Words to practise
期日信礼顾