Reading Reflection
苏轼和苏辙的少年英才让人觉得他们科举高中是意料之中的事情，在这一章里，反倒是“苏老泉”对妻子真挚的深情以及在接到诏书要求赴京考试时的举动让我印象很深。我无法得知少年时期苏洵受到了什么事件的启发从而对当时考试、教育制度深恶痛绝以至于晚年听到考试二字就心生厌恶。但是毫无疑问，他在面对迢迢而来的朝廷诏书时，是困惑的，是激愤的——对一个既有个性又有才学的人来说，到了五十岁，居然要他屈服在一纸考卷下，未免太轻视他曾经的少年意气了，如果认可他的才学，索性一道任职传来便是，何必要故弄玄虚用所谓的考核来展示国家政治中枢的气势？如果欧阳修连他作品里毕生的精华都信不过，又如何能在一日的考试中对他产生信任？于是他选择了文人的气节。
苏洵和苏夫人之间的鹣鲽情深也让人动容。他在最后离开眉山对妻子的怀想让我想到了归有光。他在《项脊轩志》中也悼念亡妻，末句说“庭有枇杷树，吾妻死之年所手植也，今已亭亭如盖矣。”苏东坡成亲十一年后，年仅二十七的王弗也早逝，情深不寿。十年后他在《江城子》里记梦：“夜来幽梦忽还乡，小轩窗，正梳妆。相顾无言，惟有泪千行。料得年年肠断处，明月夜，短松冈。” 所有的阴阳永别都只能在回忆往昔中寄托哀思。
Guiding Question
What are the principle incidents happened during Su Tungpo's examination process?
Before Su Tungpo, Tseyu and their father set out for capital, the two young men needed to get married. Therefore, under the arrangement of their parents, the two brothers had early marriage.
On April 8, 1057, both Su brothers passed with high honors. However, there was an unfortunate mistake. The illustrious scholar Ouyang Shiu was so delighted with the brilliant style and content of the paper that he thought it must have been written by Tseng Kung, his friend. In order to avoid criticism he shifted it from the first to the second place, and thus Su Tungpo came out second in the examinations.
Later, Su was appointed as chinshih, but at that time, his mother passed away and according to the custom, he must go into a twenty-seven months' period of mourning before he could return to office. Therefore, they all went home and spent months of compulsory hibernation.
Words & Expressions
1. matrimonial (P34)
The time of the civil service examinations was also the busy season of the matrimonial market.
Matrimonial: means concerning marriage or married people. 婚姻的
matrimonial market即指婚恋市场，公务员考核期间居然也是王公贵族相女婿的婚恋市场时期，挺有意思的~
2. be on good term with (P36)
Eventually, overcome by his enthusiasm, Chang was persuaded to write a letter of introduction to Ouyang Shiu, the first writer of the land, although he was not on very good terms with him.
be on good term with: 与……关系好
e.g There was a time I wasn't on very good terms with my parents, but everything turned ok then.
3. swarm with
The streets swarmed with pedestrians, officials' horse carriages, bull carts, and sedan chairs, which were the general mode of travel, while a few small two-wheeled carts were pulled by men prototypes of the modern rickshaw.
Swarm with: If a place is swarming with people, it is full of people moving about in a busy way. 挤满，聚集
e.g. Every golden vacation, the famous tourist spots swarm with people and it is hardly to enjoy the natural scenery.
swarm另有名词“一大群”的意思，可作量词，比如一群蜜蜂，a swarm of bees
