Each to His Own Kind

    Yanzi came to the state of Chu as an ambassador．The men of the state of Chu knew him to be a short man so they specially¹ opened a little door next to the main entrance and asked him to enter．Yanzi refused．“An ambassador to a country of dogs would enter by a dog's door，”he pointed² out，“I am now an ambassador to the state of Chu and it is not right for me to enter by this door．”
    The men sent to receive him had to lead him in through the maindoor，instead of going the way they originally intended．When Yanzi called on the king，the king asked him，“Is there no one in the state of Qi？Is that why you are sent to be the ambassador？”
    “In Linzi，the capital city of the state of Qi，”replied Yanzi，“there are over seven thousand households．If everyone stretched out his sleeve，the sun would be blotted³ out．If everyone wiped off his drops of perspiration，it would be like rain falling．Men in the streets had to rub shoulders with one other，their toes coming up against an other's heels．How could there be no one in the state of Qi？”
    “Then why are you sent as the ambassador？”
    “In appointing ambassadors，”replied Yan zi，“the state of Qi takes into account the sort of the country one is sent to．Able men aresent to states with able rulers．Incompetent⁴ men are sent to states with incompetent rulers．I am the most incompetent of all，so I am sent to the state of Chu．”
    Exercises：
    判断对（T）、错（F）：
    ①The men of the state of Chu opened a little door next to the main entrance for Yanzi because he was short．②Yanzi was the most incompetent of all，so he was sent to the state of Chu．

1 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

2 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

3 blotted   

涂污( blot的过去式和过去分词 )； （用吸墨纸）吸干

参考例句：

• She blotted water off the table with a towel. 她用毛巾擦干桌上的水。
• The blizzard blotted out the sky and the land. 暴风雪铺天盖地而来。

4 incompetent   

adj.无能力的，不能胜任的

参考例句：

• He is utterly incompetent at his job.他完全不能胜任他的工作。
• He is incompetent at working with his hands.他动手能力不行。