English Edition | C#59 那場持續了 20 年的午覺：你以為的人生，可能只是一場夢？ | 《南柯一夢》[Read on my website] Have you ever had a dream that felt so real, it seemed like you lived an entire lifetime… only to wake up and realize it was all just a dream? Let me take you back to the Tang Dynasty, to the story behind the Chinese idiom “南柯一夢” (nán kē yī mèng)—literally, “A dream of Nanke.” A man surnamed Chun was drinking with friends under a tree outside his home. He drank so much that he passed out. But little did he know, this nap would become a lifetime in a dream. Half-awake, Chun suddenly saw two men in purple robes kneeling before him. Tey said, “Our king invites you to visit.” Groggy and confused, he followed them into a hole beneath the tree—and there, he discovered an entirely new world: a whole kingdom! The king honored him and even married him to the princess. In a blink, Chun went from a drunken man on the street to a royal son-in-law. He became a high-ranking official in the southern branch of the kingdom, respected by all, wealthy, and living the dream life. His children thrived, his family prospered—it was the ultimate “life success story.” But dreams have their limits. The princess fell ill and passed away. Chun resigned and returned to the capital. Soon, he visited his hometown to see his family, only to discover… he was still lying under the tree where he first fell asleep. The two purple-robed messengers were calling his name, and everything—his friends, the half-finished drinks, the servants cleaning the yard—was exactly as it had been. It was all a dream. Yet when Chun dug beneath the tree, he found an ant colony that mirrored the kingdom in his dream. From this, he realized a profound truth: wealth, status, and worldly success are fleeting illusions. Life’s ups and downs pass in the blink of an eye. After this experience, he no longer chased riches or power. Since then, the story has been included in a Tang Dynasty chronicle, and people began using “南柯一夢”(nán kē yī mèng)—to describe life itself: a dream. Sometimes we are lucky and become wealthy or powerful, feeling unstoppable. Other times, we may have nothing at all. No matter what you gain or lose, it’s all like that kingdom in the ant hill—a fleeting illusion. What really matters isn’t how dazzling your dream is, but whether you can live freely and gracefully once the illusion fades. So next time life feels overwhelming, think of Chun under the tree. Those endless tasks and pressures we stress over? Centuries from now, they might look like a funny dream. And if we zoom out even further… what would we truly see? Are all these pursuits really necessary, or can we slow down, find clarity, and live in our own calm and freedom? In next episode, I want to talk with you about this—what do you see when you take a step back and look at the bigger picture? Do we really have to keep chasing after everything in life? Or is it possible to slow down a bit, and find a sense of ease and clarity that truly belongs to us? Phrase of the Week南柯一夢 (nán kē yī mèng) Meaning: Something that seems real or important but is ultimately an illusion. Examples:
2. 這段短暫的成功對他來說，像是南柯一夢。
3. 很多人的野心最後都是南柯一夢。
4. 他醒來才發現，原來那些擔憂都是南柯一夢。
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