Sometimes you come across words that seem ordinary but contain deep history and culture, such as the name "Guo Kui".
You may have tried to pronounce the name in various ways, but the correct pronunciation of "郭隗" is not actually the "guōkuǐ" or "guōguǐ" you are trying.
So, how should "Guo Kui" be read?
The correct pronunciation is "guō wěi".
The key here lies in the pronunciation of the character "隗".
The character has two pronunciations, when pronounced [wěi] it describes the appearance of Gao Jun, and when it is used as a surname, it is pronounced [kuí].
In our story, "Kui" refers to Guo Kui himself, so it should be pronounced "wěi".
In that turbulent era, various countries sought talents in order to dominate the world. And Guo Kui is such a talented person who is favored by King Yan Zhao.
The word "隗始", pronounced "wěi shǐ", means to recruit talents with courtesy.
This can't help but remind us of the good story between Guo Kui and King Yan Zhao.
Guo Kui knew that King Yan Zhao was eager to find talents, but he was confused about how to find real talents. So on that sunny afternoon, Guo Kui said: "There is a king who loves good horses. He sent an envoy with a thousand gold to other countries to buy a famous horse. However, the messenger only brought back the bones of a sick and dead horse.
The king was furious and questioned the reason. But the messenger calmly said, 'O king, I did not buy this horse bone to ride a horse, but to show that you value a good horse. In this way, everyone in the world will know that you love horses as much as your life, and naturally someone will send a good horse to the door. Sure enough, it was not long before good horses from all nations were sent to the king. ”
After Guo Kui finished telling the story, he looked at King Yan Zhao with deep eyes, and continued: "Great King, these horse bones are like the sages in the world, they may not be conspicuous, and sometimes they even seem down-and-out. But as long as we treat each other with sincerity, cherish their value, and give them the respect and status they deserve, then the world's talents will naturally gather under your command. ”
After hearing this, King Yan Zhao suddenly realized, he understood Guo Kui's intentions, and also deeply realized the importance of talents. Since then, he has changed his concept of employing talents, and has begun to recruit talents and select and use talents in an eclectic manner. This transformation not only greatly increased the national strength of Yanguo, but also left a good story for future generations to attach importance to talents and be eager to seek talents.
Chen Ziang wrote in the poem "Guo Kui": "When the time is unique, there is no talent in the past dynasties." Kui Jun was also fortunate to set up the golden platform. This is not only a praise for Guo Kui, but also a reflection on the talent concept of that era. Every era has its own unique talents, and the key is whether we can recognize and cherish them.
Can we, like King Yan Zhao, have enough wisdom and vision to discover and cultivate those talents who can lead the future?
Now, when you hear the name, don't you think it's more intimate and meaningful? Remember, "郭隗" is pronounced as "guō wěi".