Living in lies – Lance Armstrong and his quotes about doping and cheating, Chinese idiom story, proverb 水能载舟,亦能覆舟 shui neng zai zhou , yi neng fu zhou

Lance Armstrong, the founder of Livestrong (a charity that supports cancer survivors), was found guilty of doping (using performance-enhancing drugs). Let learn some Chinese lesson from him.
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兰斯·阿姆斯特朗 (1971年9月18日- ),美国职业公路自行车运动员,1992年开始职业自行车生涯,他因从睾丸癌中康复过来后连续7次(1999年-2005年)获得环法自行车赛冠军而成为环法历史上的传奇人物。2012年8月23日,美国反兴奋剂机构(USADA)宣布剥夺阿姆斯特朗七个环法自行车赛头衔,并且终身禁赛。2012年10月22日,国际自行车联盟(UCI)宣布支持美国反兴奋剂机构(USADA)的决定,剥夺其七届环法赛事冠军头衔,并终身禁赛。
Lánsī – āmǔsītèlǎng (Yī jiǔ qī yī nián jiǔ yuè shí bā rì – ) , měiguó zhíyè gōnglù zìxíngchē yùndòng yuán , yī jiǔ jiǔ èr nián kāishǐ zhíyè zìxíngchē shēngyá , tā yīn cóng gāowán ái zhōng kāngxià guòlai hòu liánxù qī cì ( yī jiǔ jiǔ jiǔ nián – èr líng líng wǔ nián ) huòdé huán fǎ zìxíngchē sài guànjūn ér chéngwéi huán fǎ lìshǐ shàng chuánqí rénwù . èr líng yī èr nián bā yuè èr shí sān rì , měiguó fǎn xīngfènjì jīgòu ( USADA) xuānbù bōduó āmǔsītèlǎng qī ge huán fǎ zìxíngchē sài tóuxián , bìngqiě zhōngshēn jīnsài. èr líng yī èr nián shí yuè èr shí èr rì , guójì zìxíngchē liánméng ( UCI) xuānbù zhīchí měiguó fǎn xīngfènjì jīgòu ( USADA) de juédìng , bōduó qí qī jiè huán fǎ sàishì guànjūn tóuxián , bìng zhōngshēn jīnsài.

Lance Armstrong (September 18, 1971) was an American professional road racing cyclist. In 1992, he started his professional cycling career. After Armstrong recovered from testicular cancer, he won the Tour de France for seven consecutive times between 1999 and 2005 and became a legend in the history of the Tour de France.
In August 23, 2012, the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) stripped stripped Amstrong’s seven Tour de France titles and declared a lifetime ban on him. In October 22, 2012, the International Cycling Union (UCI) announced its support USADA’s decision and stripped his seven Tour de France titles and gave him a lifetime ban.

Just like many good things in the world, sports can give people great achievements if everything went well; however, due to humans’ physical or mental weakness, sometimes, we saw hellish destruction happened due to sports too. There is a Chinese idiom which carries the meaning about that everything philosophically has both positive and negative sides —

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载舟覆舟 zài zhōu fù zhōu or the more detailed version
水能载舟,亦能覆舟 shuǐ néng zài zhōu , yì néng fù zhōu .

“水能载舟,亦能覆舟” 原是魏征纳谏太宗的话,唐太宗李世民常用告诫人,久之成了李世民的名言。这句话的含义很直白,就是把一个政权看作“舟”,而百姓是“水”。“水能载舟,亦能覆舟”的意思,大致等同于“得民心者得天下,失民心者失天下”。
” shuǐ néng zài zhōu , yì néng fù zhōu ” yuán shì Wèi Zhēng nàjiàn tài zōng de huà , Táng tàizōng Lǐ Shìmín cháng yòng gàojiè rén , jiǔ zhī chéng le Lǐ Shìmín de míng yán . zhè jù huà de hányì hěn zhí bái , jiùshì bǎ yī ge zhèngquán kànzuò ” zhōu ” , ér bǎixìng shì ” shuǐ ” . ” shuǐ néng zài zhōu , yì néng fù zhōu ” de yìsi , dàzhì děngtóng yú ” děi mínxīn zhě dé tiānxià , shī mínxīn zhě shī tiānxià ” .

“Water can float a boat, but it can also sink a boat.” It originally is Wei Cheng’s words of remonstration to Emperor Taizong. Emperor Taizong of Tang ((599-649), reigned 626-649), Li Shimin, often used it to admonish people, thus, as times went by, it became Li Shimin’s famous saying. The implied meaning of this sentence is very direct and clear — it sees a regime as a boat and people as water. The meaning of “Water can float a boat, but it can also sink a boat” approximately equal to “The one who won over the hearts of people will get the world, and the one who lost the hearts of people will lose the world.”

Thus, this proverb / idiom — The water that bears the boat is the same that swallows it up– also carries these meanings:

If something is used correctly, it will be of benefit. If used incorrectly, it will do harm.
The same knife cut bread and finger.
Everything philosophically divides two: the positive and the negative.

Lance Armstrong’s quotes / memorable statements from his interview with Oprah Winfrey:

1. I’m not the most believable guy in the world right now.
2. I know the truth. The truth isn’t what was out there. The truth isn’t what I said, and now it’s gone — this story was so perfect for so long.
3. I viewed this situation as one big lie that I repeated a lot of times.
4. I thought, surely I’m running low [on testosterone] but there’s no true justification.
5. My ruthless desire to win at all costs served me well on the bike but the level it went to, for whatever reason, is a flaw. That desire, that attitude, that arrogance.
6. Yes, I was a bully. I was a bully in the sense that I tried to control the narrative and if I didn’t like what someone said I turned on them.
7. This is not a good time but it isn’t the worst part of my life. You can’t compare this to an advanced diagnosis. That sets the bar. It is close but I’m an optimist and I like to look forward. This has caused me to look back and I don’t like that.
8. The Foundation is like my sixth child and to make that decision and to step aside was big. It was the best thing for the organization but it hurt like hell. That was the lowest.
9. If you’re asking me if I want to compete again, the answer is hell yes, I’m a competitor.
10.The biggest hope and intention was the wellbeing of my children. The older kids need to not be living with this issue in my life.
11. I deserve to be punished. Not sure I deserve a death penalty.
12. I’m deeply sorry for what I did. I can say that thousands of times. It may never be enough to come back.

In life, lies not only bring pains to the people who were lied to, but also the liar himself or herself and even the liar’s families. Sometimes, some pains or regrets will come and go and got healed by time; however, some deeper ones may stay forever. Hope you will never have forever pains or incurable wounds in all your life. Live the best you can and be strong!

Lance Armstrong on Telling His Son the Truth

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