火雷噬嗑Shì Hé · Biting Through
离上 · 震下Fire over Thunder
卦辞The Judgement
噬嗑：亨，利用狱。Shì Hé. Prosperous and smooth. Favorable to administer justice.
前进的路上有障碍——可能是人、事、规则、矛盾。下震为雷属木居东方，上离为火属火居南方——雷上火下，木生火，本来是顺的。但中间卡着一个硬物，像嘴里有根骨头，咬不碎就吞不下去。雷电交加，就是要劈开这个东西。要果断处理、强力突破，不能回避或拖延。“噬嗑”就是咬碎硬骨头——分明是非，不留情面。
There's an obstacle on the road ahead — a person, a matter, a rule, a conflict. The lower trigram Zhèn is Thunder, element Wood, in the east; the upper trigram Lí is Fire, element Fire, in the south — thunder below, fire above, Wood generating Fire, which should run smoothly. But something hard is jammed in between, like a bone caught in the mouth: bite it apart or you can't swallow. Thunder and lightning together are there to split the thing open. You have to deal with it decisively and break through with force; you can't dodge or delay. "Biting through" means crunching the hard bone — drawing the line clearly between right and wrong, showing no leniency.
大象The Image
《象》曰：雷电，噬嗑；先王以明罚敕法。Thunder and lightning together: the image of Biting Through. The ancient kings, accordingly, made punishments clear and put the laws in order.
六爻The Six Lines
初九，屦校灭趾，无咎。Feet locked in stocks, the toes are hurt. No fault.
刚出问题的时候，给一点小教训就够了——比如轻微的责罚、警告。震木初爻，脚趾刚迈出去——在此处卡住，是最小的代价。早期的小痛能让人长记性，避免酿成大祸。
When a problem first appears, a small correction is enough — a light reprimand, a warning. Zhèn's Wood, first line, the toe just stepping out — to be stopped here is the smallest cost. A small pain early on teaches the lesson and prevents a disaster later.
六二，噬肤，灭鼻，无咎。Biting through tender flesh, the nose is buried. No fault.
处理麻烦时下手稍重了一点（咬肉咬到了鼻子），离火在二爻之位——火刚开始烧，热度还没调好，烧过了点，但没大问题。重点是问题解决了，过程中的小过失可以原谅。
Handling the trouble, you came down a bit hard (biting all the way to the nose), Lí's Fire at the second line — the fire just starting up, the heat not yet dialed in, burning a touch past the mark, but no real problem. What matters is the problem got solved; the small excess in the process can be forgiven.
六三，噬腊肉，遇毒；小吝，无咎。Biting cured meat and striking something poisonous. Slight regret. No fault.
处理积年的老问题，会发现很多隐藏的恶心事（遇毒）。震木到三爻，根扎得深——老骨头最难啃，腊肉放久了有毒。可能让你不适，但坚持下去就没事——清理脓疮总是难的。
Cleaning up a long-standing problem, you'll uncover plenty of hidden, ugly stuff (the "poison"). Zhèn's Wood at the third line, roots dug deep — the old bone is the hardest to gnaw, and cured meat kept too long turns poisonous. It may turn your stomach, but stay with it and you'll be fine — clearing out an abscess is always unpleasant.
九四，噬干胏，得金矢；利艰贞，吉。Biting dried bony meat. Receiving metal arrows. Favorable to endure hardship and be steadfast. Good fortune.
处理硬骨头一样的难题，但获得有价值的回报（金矢）。离火居中——火候到了，骨头里藏着的金属箭头露出来了。困难的事坚持做、坚守正道，最终会有好结果。
Dealing with a problem hard as bone, but gaining something of real value (the metal arrows) for it. Lí's Fire centered — the heat is right, and the metal arrowhead hidden in the bone comes to light. Keep at the difficult thing, hold to the right path, and the result is good in the end.
六五，噬干肉，得黄金；贞厉，无咎。Biting dried meat. Receiving yellow gold. Steadfastness: adversity. No fault.
处理棘手问题时，能保持中正——六五阴爻居离火中心——火最亮的位置，但不灼人，既不软弱也不暴虐。这种分寸感是最难的，也是最重要的。
Handling a thorny problem while staying centered — the fifth line, yin, in the very heart of Lí's Fire — the brightest spot, yet it doesn't scorch — neither weak nor brutal. This sense of measure is the hardest thing, and the most important.
上九，何校灭耳，凶。Bearing the cangue, the ears are destroyed. Misfortune.
完全不听劝、完全不能改的人，最终会受到最严重的惩罚。离火到极处——火烧过头了，耳朵都被盖住听不见了。这是给所有“听不见”的人的警告——耳朵关闭，灾难就近了。
Those who will not listen, who cannot change, in the end meet the heaviest punishment. Lí's Fire at its extreme — the fire has burned past all bounds, the ears covered over and deaf. This is a warning to all who have closed their ears: when the ears shut, disaster is near.