g Himself Be Caught
（姜太公钓鱼）
What a wise man!
Jiang Ziya (Chinese: 姜 , Pinyin: Jiāng Zǐyá) (dates of birth and death unknown) was a Chinese historical and legendary figure(人物) who resided(居住) next to the Weishui River about 3,000 years ago. The region was the feudal(封建制度的) estate(身 份) of King Wen of Zhou. Jiang Ziya knew King Wen was very ambitious, so he hoped to get the king's attention and gain a position in his court.
Word of his outlandish(古怪的) way of fishing spread and it soon reached King Wen, who sent a soldier to bring Jiang to him. Jiang noticed the soldier coming, but paid no attention to him. He just continued with his fishing, and was saying , "Fishing, fishing, no fish has been hooked—but shrimp(虾；矮小的人) is up to tomfoolery(愚蠢的举动)." The soldier reported this back to King Wen, who became more interested in Jiang.
After conversations King Wen realized Jiang might be a great genius so he went to invite Jiang personally, and brought many magnificent gifts with him. Jiang saw the king’s earnest(诚挚的) interest in him and agreed to work for him.
Then King Wen went by himself and greeted him courteously and then asked:“ Do you take pleasure in fishing?” Jiang said: " Man of true worth takes pleasure in realizing his ambitions ; the common man takes pleasure in doing his best for his affairs. My fishing is very much like it."
King Wen then sent a bureaucrat(官员) to invite Jiang to appear at court. But again Jiang paid no attention to the invitation. He simply carried on fishing, saying, "Fishing, fishing, the big fish has not been hooked—but a small one is up to mischief."
Jiang aided King Wen and his son in their overthrow of the Shang Dynasty; they established the Zhou Dynasty in its stead. Jiang was given the title hao (roughly analogous to a European marquis, although it can also mean “lord” or “nobleman” in a generic sense) of Taigong so people called him Jiang Taigongwang(太公望). This was later shortened to Jiang Taigong. His treatise on military strategy, Six Secret Strategic Teachings, is considered one of the Seven Military Classics of Ancient China.
He often went angling(钓鱼) at the Weishui River, but he would fish in a bizarre(奇异的) way. He hung a straight hook, with no bait, three feet above the water. He over and over again said to himself, “Fish, if you are desperate to live, come and gulp(吞咽) down the hook by yourself."