Only the state officials are allowed to set fires, and the people are not allowed to use electric li

It is recorded that in the Song Dynasty, there was a man named Tian Deng who became a state official, because the "Deng" in his name was homophonic with "lamp". In order to avoid his name, he did not allow the people around him to say any word with the same sound as "Deng" in conversation. The common people of the whole state have no choice but to call "lamp" "fire", and "lighting" can only be called "ignition".

This year, the Lantern Festival is approaching. According to the past practice, lanterns and lanterns are lit during the Lantern Festival to celebrate. The government puts lanterns, and the people watch and appreciate the lanterns, which has become a well-known custom.

For this reason, the government yamen should post notices in advance to inform the people, so that the people can come to watch it when the time comes.

After racking his brains, the person who wrote the notice decided to change the word "lamp" to "fire" according to the usual practice. As a result, the people of the whole city read such a proclamation that "will be passed on to future generations": During the Lantern Festival, "according to the rules in this state, set fire for three days".

When everyone finally understood what was going on, everyone laughed and laughed. People not only ridiculed Tian Deng as a "state arsonist", but also complained about the proclamation that "only state officials are allowed to set fires, and the people are not allowed to light lamps". This is the origin of the idiom "only the governor is allowed to set fires, and the people are not allowed to light lamps".

Experts said that "only state officials are allowed to set fires, and the people are not allowed to light lamps" has become a classic phrase that ridicules and criticizes those in power who oppress the people and do evil, and it has been passed down to this day.

According to reports, in addition to various celebrations during the Lantern Festival, Chinese folk also have religious activities, that is, "walking a hundred diseases", also known as "roasting a hundred diseases" and "scattering a hundred diseases", which is a folk activity that is loved by women.

In the Song Dynasty, there was a state official named Tian Deng, who was deeply suspicious of people using his name. Because "lamp" and "deng" have the same sound, it is impossible to light the "lamp" with words, and it must be said to light the "fire". If people don't want to offend, Tian Dengfu is furious.

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the whole state celebrates the Lantern Festival and puts lanterns on a large scale as usual. When the government posted notices, it used the word "lamp" and wrote "set fire to the state for three days according to the regulations" on all the notices. Many outsiders were surprised when they saw this, and after asking the reason, they sarcastically said

It is really only allowed to be set on fire by the state officials, and not allowed the people to light the lamps! ”

The metaphor is that rulers can do evil, and the people are subject to restrictions on what they can do.

Only state officials are allowed to set fires, and people are not allowed to light lamps, which means: officials are allowed to set fires and do misdeeds, and ordinary people are not allowed to light lamps and illuminate. It means that the powerful can do whatever they want, but the common people are restricted from even their legitimate activities.

From Song Lu You's "Notes on Lao Xue'an" volume 5: "Tian Deng is a county, and he deceives his name, and those who touch it will be angry, and many officials are flogged." So the whole state called the lamp a fire. Shangyuan put out the lantern to allow people to enter the state to govern the tour, and the officials then unveiled the book list in the city and said: 'Benzhou set fire for three days according to the regulations'. ”

Translation: When Tian Deng was a state official, he stipulated that his name should be avoided, and anyone who mistakenly violated his name would be angry, and most of the officials were punished for this. So people have to call "lamp" "fire".

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, lanterns were set up to allow the people to enter the city**, and the officials wrote a notice and published it in the market: "According to the custom in this state, fire will be set on fire for three days." Therefore, he said, "Only the governors are allowed to set fires, and the people are not allowed to light lamps." "That's it.

Only state officials are allowed to set fires, and people are not allowed to light lamps" from "State Officials Set Fire" in Lu You's "Notes on Lao Xue'an" in the Song Dynasty.

The meaning of the book is to allow the arson of officials to do misdeeds, and not to allow the common people to light up the lights, pointing out that the powerful state can call people to do misdeeds at their own losses, but the common people must be restricted even from legitimate activities.