It is necessary to understand the nature of the political battle because the party strife shadowed Su Tungpo's entire life.
第八章开头的这句话，算是交代了一下为何作者林语堂要在第七第八这两章，花了这么大的笔墨气力来介绍宋神宗在位期间，王安石如何韬光养晦，逐步权倾朝野，并激进推行 “王安石变法” 的前龙后脉。
北宋朝廷的朋党之争，也或直接或间接地影响着当时刚过而立之年，官卑职小的苏东坡。我们在前面的阅读中也了解到苏东坡的一些个性，遇有不惬之事，如蝇在食，吐之方快（spit it out like a fly found in one’s food）。因此在以司马光为首的反对变法派九次上书宋神宗废止新政未果，而反对派官员多被降职罢黜后，苏东坡终是忍不住发声，洋洋洒洒几封奏折，直击变法的不合理之处。而结果也正如其所预料的，因激怒王安石而遭罢黜。
就我个人浅见，王安石的变法初衷是好的，而变法的法案内容也不乏可取之处，但是从结果上来讲，变法是失败的，且因此而导致后续的一系列坏影响，这些也都是显而易见的。所以，到底具体的问题出在了哪里呢？这是我们今天读历史所应持有的态度，在未能获取足够多信息前，先不急着下判断。推荐阅读一些参考资料：
视频：罗辑思维126期：一次体制改革的反面标本（可在优酷上搜索播放）
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTI2NTIzMjE2MA==.html?spm=a2h1n.8261147.reload_121.13!65~A
罗胖的这期有关王安石变法的解析，从五个逻辑点层层剖析整个变法的过程，有赞同有否定，建议大家有时间可以找来看看。视频里推荐的有关王安石变法的《天命不可畏》这本书估计不好找了，不过大家可以找来作者高天流云的《如果这是宋史》第5卷来看，内容其实是一模一样的。
如果这是宋史5-王安石变法卷
另外，还可以看看梁启超，这个极度拥护王安石变法的家伙写的《王安石传》，还有易中天先生的《中华史系列第十八卷：王安石变法》。
王安石传
易中天中华史-18卷：王安石变法
Words and Expressions:
When times changed and it was no longer the fashion to talk about these wonderful “agrarian reformers,” they could keep sheepishly quiet.
sheepishly, 副词，表示 “羞怯地，愚蠢地”，showing or feeling embarrassment especially because you have done something foolish or wrong;
例句：He sheepishly admitted his mistake.
Su Tungpo was getting hot under the collar.
hot under the collar, 口语中表示 “怒气冲冲”，angry or upset；
例句：I don’t understand why people are getting so hot under the collar about it.
仿句：Nowadays people are easier to get hot under the collar about something small.
The letters were long, exhaustive, eloquent and minced no words.
mince no words = not mince (your) words, 习语，表示 “直言不讳”，to say exactly what you think, even if this might offend people；
例句：The report does not mince words, describing the situation as 'ludicrous'.
仿句：She minces no words in stating her opinions, which makes her friends feel uncomfortable sometimes.
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