为什么水变油:闻鸡起舞的主角是谁？

闻鸡起舞的主角是祖逖和刘琨。
　　闻鸡起舞，原意为听到鸡啼就起来舞剑，后来比喻有志报国的人即时奋起。《晋书·祖逖传》记述：传说东晋时期将领祖逖年轻时就很有抱负，每次和好友刘琨谈论时局，总是慷慨激昂，满怀义愤，为了报效国家，在半夜一听到鸡鸣，就披衣起床，拔剑练武，刻苦锻炼。

　　祖逖（266～321），字士雅。河北范阳逎县（今河北涞水）人（有传言他是在燕山上出生），汉族。中国东晋初有志于恢复中原而致力北伐的大将。父亲祖武，任过上谷（今河北怀来县）太守。父亲去世时，祖逖还小，生活由几个兄长照料。祖逖的性格活泼、开朗。好动不爱静，十四五岁了，没读进多少书。几个哥哥为此都很忧虑。但为人豁落，讲义气，好打不平，深得邻里好评。常常以兄长的名义，把家里的谷米、布匹捐给受灾的贫苦农民，可实际上哥哥们并没有这个意思。著名的“闻鸡起舞”就是其和刘琨的故事。313年，以奋威将军、豫州刺史的身份进行北伐。当北渡长江，船至中流之时，眼望面前滚滚东去的江水，感慨万千。想到山河破碎和百姓涂炭的情景，想到困难的处境和壮志难伸的愤懑，豪气干云，热血涌动，于是敲着船楫朗声发誓：“祖逖不能清中原而复济者，有如大江”！（中流击楫）意思是若不能平定中原，收复失地，决不重回江东！祖逖所部纪律严明，得到各地人民的响应，数年间收复黄河以南大片土地，使得石勒不敢南侵，进封镇西将军。后因朝廷内乱，北伐失败。文天祥《正气歌》有一句：或为渡江楫，慷慨吞胡羯。即是指祖逖。
　　刘琨（271－318），字越石，中山魏昌（今河北无极）人。中国西晋时期名将。汉中山靖王之后，美姿仪，弱冠以文采征服京都洛阳，“人称洛中奕奕，庆孙越石”。厕身以帅哥才子闻名的文学政治团体“金谷二十四友”之中，因年纪最小，排名最后。为司州主簿时，与祖逖闻鸡起舞，八王之乱又经永嘉之乱，神州陆沉，北方沦陷，只有刘琨坚守在并州，是当时北方仅存的汉人地盘。后因爱慕刘琨发兵帮助的鲜卑首领拓跋猗卢被兄弟杀死，没有兵力与各族争斗，投奔辽北，后因辽北内部争权而死。诗仅存4首，却与左思齐名。

晋代的祖逖

闻鸡起舞

晋代的祖逖是个胸怀坦荡、具有远大抱负的人。可他小时候却是个不爱读书的淘气孩子。进入青年

时代，他意识到自己知识的贫乏，深感不读书无以报效国家，

于是就发奋读起书来。他广泛阅读书籍，认真学习历史，于

是就发奋读起书来。从中汲取了丰富的知识，学问大有长进。

他曾几次进出京都洛阳，接触过他的人都说，祖逖是个能辅

佐帝王治理国家的人才。祖逖24岁的时候，曾有人推荐他去

做官司，他没有答应，仍然不懈地努力读书。

后来，祖逖和幼时的好友刘琨一同担任司州主簿。他与刘琨感情深厚，不仅常常同床而卧，同被而眠，

而且还有着共同的远大理想：建功立业，复兴晋国，成为国家的栋梁之才。

一次，半夜里祖逖在睡梦中听到公鸡的鸣叫声，他一脚把刘琨踢醒，对他说：“别人都认为半夜听见

鸡叫不吉利，我偏不这样想，咱们干脆以后听见鸡叫就起床练剑如何？”刘琨欣然同意。于是他们每天

鸡叫后就起床练剑，剑光飞舞，剑声铿锵。春去冬来，寒来暑往，从不间断。功夫不负有心人，经过长

期的刻苦学习和训练，他们终于成为能文能武的全才，既能写得一手好文章，又能带兵打胜仗。祖逖被

封为镇西将军，实现了他报效国家的愿望；刘琨做了都督，兼管并、冀、幽三州的军事，也充分发挥了

他的文才武略。

故事出自《晋书·祖逖传》。成语“闻鸡起舞”，形容发奋有为，也比喻有志之士，及时振作。

Rising Up upon Hearing the Crow of a Rooster to Practise Sword Playing Zu Ti of the Jin

Dynasty（265-420）was a big-hearted and farsighted person who, however, was very naughty and

did not like to study when he was a small kid. When he became a young man, he felt acutely

that his knowledge was inadequate and that he could not serve his country well if he did not

study hard. So he put all his energies into his study. He read extensively, seriously studied

history from which he absorbed rich knowledge, and made good progresss in his studies. He had

been to the capital city Luoyang several times, and all the people who had to the capital city

Luoyang several times, and all the people who had come into contact with him said that Zu Ti

was a talented person who was capable of assisting the emperor in governing the country.

When he was 24,someone recommended hem to be an official, but he refused the post. He was

still making a sustained effort in his studies. Later, both Zu Ti and Liu Kun, his close

frined since early childhood, were appointed chief clerks responsible for document

administration in the Sizhou Prefecture. he and Liu Kun cherished a deep affection for each

other. They not only often shared the same bed in sleeping, but also shared the same lofty

ideals; to render meritorious service in rejuvenating the Jin Dynasty and play the part of

the pillars of the state. Once, Zu Ti heard a cock crow in the wasteland in his dream at

midnight. He kicked Liu Kun a wake, saying to him: "People say it is inaupicious to hear a

cock crow in the wasteland. I don's think so. What about getting up and practicing sword

playing the moment we hear the cock crow form now on?" Liu Kun agreed readily. So every day

when the cock crow, they got up and practied sword playing, the cold steel of the swords

glinting and flashing. Day by day and year in, year out, they never stopped As the saying

goes, constant effort yields sure success. Through long periods of hard study and training,

they finally becaome versatile persons versed in both civil and military affairs. They could

write good essays, and were capable of leading troops in fighting victoriously. Zu Ti was

invested with the title the General for Guarding the Western Regions, thus realizing his

wish of rendering meritorious service to the country. Liu Kun became a governor, and at same

time was in charge of the military affairs of the three prefectures of Bingzhou, Jizhou and

Youzhou. In discharging his duties, Liu Kun also fully displayed his talent in both polite

letters and martial arts. This stroy appears in "The Life of Zu Ti" in The History of the

Jin Dynasty.From this story people have coined the set phrase" rising up upon hearing the

crow of a rooster to practise sword playing' to signify that someone is exerting himself

to do something worthwhile. It is also used to signify that a person of noble aspirations

exerts himeself in time.

祖逖和刘琨

祖逖

祖逖