成语典故(中英版)--边学英语，边学古文化

rosyhorse · 2009-1-13 15:28:53

洛阳纸贵　luò    yáng zhǐ guì


English
            晋代文学家左思，小时候是个非常顽皮、不爱读书的孩子。父亲经常为这事发脾气，可是小左思仍然淘气得很，不肯好好学习。
      有一天，左思的父亲与朋友们聊天，朋友们羡慕他有个聪明可爱的儿子。左思的父亲叹口气说：“快别提他了，小儿左思的学习，还不如我小时候，看来没有多大的出息了。”说着，脸上流露出失望的神色。这一切都被小左思看到听到了，他非常难过，觉得自己不好好念书确实很没出息。于是，暗暗下定决心，一定要刻苦学习。
      日复一日，年复一年，左思渐渐长大了，由于他坚持不懈地发奋读书，终于成为一位学识渊博的人，文章也写得非常好。他用一年的时间写成了《齐都赋》，显示出他在文学方面的才华，为他成为杰出的文学家奠定了基础。这以后他又计划以三国时魏、蜀、吴首都的风土、人情、物产为内容，撰写《三都赋》。为了在内容、结构、语言诸方面都达到一定水平，他潜心研究，精心撰写，废寝忘食，用了整整十年，文学巨著《三都赋》终于写成了。
            《三都赋》受到谅也评，人们把它和汉代文学杰作《两都赋》相比。由于当时还没有发明印刷术，喜爱《三都赋》的人只能争相抄阅，因为抄写的人太多，京城洛阳的纸张供不应求，一时间全城纸价大幅度上升。
      故事出自《晋书·文苑·左思传》。成语“洛阳纸贵”，称颂杰出的作品风行一进。


  Overwhelming    Popularity of a New Work Causes Shortage of Printing Paper
      In the Jin Dynasty (265-420) there was a famous    writer whose name was Zuo Si who, however, was very naughty and did not like to study when    he was a small kid.His father often got angry, and yet young Zuo Si was as naughty as ever    and would not study hard.
      One day, Zuo Si's father was chatting with his    friends. his friends envied him his clever and loverly son. Hearing this, Zuo si's father    sighed, "Please do not mention him. My son Zuo si does not study as well as I did    when I was young, although I did not study well enough myself. It appears that he is    actually a good-for-nothing." So saying, he looked disappointed. All this was    witnessed by young Zuo Si. He felt very sad, feeling intensely that he would not be able    to have a bright future if he did not study hard. So he was determined to study    assiduously from then on. Day after day and year after year, Zuo Si gradually grew up.    Because of his unremitting afforts in hard study, he became an erudite scholar and wrote    very excellent essays. The "Ode to the Capital of the State of Qi", which took    him one year to write, showed his brilliant literary talent and laid the foundation for    his becoming an outstanding writer. then he planned to write an "Ode to the Capitals    of the Three Kingdoms of Wei, Shu Han and Wu" with the local conditions and customs    as well as the produce of the three capitals as its content. In order to achieve the    desired effect in content, structure and language, he applied himself to research work    with great concentration, and was so absorbed in creative writing as to forget food and    sleep. It took him ten whole years to finish the writing of "Ode to the Capitals of    the Three Kingdoms of Wei, Shu Han and Wu", a literary masterpiece.
      The "Ode to the Capitals of the Three    Kingdoms of Wei, Shu Han and Wu" was well received by the broad masses of readers    after it made its appearance to the public, and people considered it as superbly written    as the "Ode to the Western Capital (Changan) and to the Eastern Capital    (Luoyang)" written by Ban Gu (32-92) and the "Ode to the Western Capital and to    the Eastern Capital" written by Zhang Heng of the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. to A.D.220).    As the art of printing had not been invented at that time, people who were fond of this    "Ode" had to make handwritten copies of it themselves. As there were so many    people who vied with each other in making handwritten copies, the supply of writing paper    fell short of the demand in Luoyang went up greatly.
      This story comes from "The life of Zuo    Si" in the book "Literary Field" of The History of the Jin Dynasty. Based    on this story, people have coined the set phrase "the price of writing paper went up    greatly", meaning the overwhelming popularity of a new work causes shortage of    printing paper, to show how popular an outstanding piece of literary work is.

rosyhorse · 2009-1-13 15:29:24

草木皆兵　cǎo mù jēi bīng

　English

东晋时代，秦王苻坚控制了北部中国。公元383年，苻坚率领步兵、骑兵90万，攻打江南的晋朝。晋军大将谢石、谢玄领兵8万前去抵抗。苻坚得知晋军兵力不足，就想以多胜少，抓住机会，迅速出击。

      谁料，苻坚的先锋部队25万在寿春一带被晋军出奇击败，损失惨重，大将被杀，士兵死伤万余。秦军的锐气大挫，军心动摇，士兵惊恐万状，纷纷逃跑。此时，苻坚在寿春城上望见晋军队伍严整，士气高昂，再北望八公山，只见山上一草一木都像晋军的士兵一样。苻坚回过头对弟弟说：“这是多么强大的敌人啊！怎么能说晋军兵力不足呢？”他后悔自己过于轻敌了。
      出师不利给苻坚心头蒙上了不祥的阴影，他令部队靠淝水北岸布阵，企图凭借地理优势扭转战局。这时晋军将领谢玄提出要求，要秦军稍往后退，让出一点地方，以便渡河作战。苻坚暗笑晋军将领不懂作战常识，想利用晋军忙于渡河难于作战之机，给它来个突然袭击，于是欣然接受了晋军的请求。
            谁知，后退的军令一下，秦军如潮水一般溃不成军，而晋军则趁势渡河追击，把秦军杀得丢盔弃甲，尸横遍地。苻坚中箭而逃。
            故事出自《晋书·苻坚·载记》。成语“草木皆兵”，形容神经过敏、疑神疑鬼的惊恐心理。

Every Bush and Tree Looks Like an Enemy

      During the Eastern Jin Dynasty,    Fu Jian, king of the State of Qin, controlled northern China. In the year383, Fu Jian led    900,000 infantry and cavalry troops to assault the State of Jin which was south of the    Yangtze River. Xie Shi and Xie Xuan, senior generals of the Jin army, led 80,000 troops to    offer resistance. Knowing that the Jin army was short of men, Fu Jian wanted to seize this    opportunity of being much more numerous in armed forces to stage a quick attack.
      Unexpectedly, the van of Fu    Jian's army of 250,000 troops was defeated in the Shouchun area by an  ingenious    military move of the Jin army and suffered heavy losses. The senior general of the van of    Fu Jian's army was killed, and there were heavy casualties of more than 10,000 soldiers.    Fu Jian's army was dispirited and its morale was shaken. Many soldiers were in such a    great panic that they waited for opportunities to run away. Standing on the city wall of    the Shouchun City, Fu Jian and his brother Fu Rong saw that the ranks of the Jin army were    in good order and that the morale of the Jin army was high. Turning to his brother, Fu    Jian said, "What a powerful enemy this is! Why did people say that the Jin army was    short of men?" He deeply regretted that he had taken the enemy too lightly.
      Overshadowed by the disastrous    defeat, Fu Jian ordered his troops to be deployed in battle formation on the north side of    the Feishui River, in an attempt to regain the initiative by relying on the superior    geographical conditions. Then Xie Shi and Xie Xuan, the senior generals of the Jin army,    suggested that Fu Jian's army retreat a little bit, leaving some space, so that the Jin    army could cross the river to conduct ooperations. Fu Jian thought that his chance had    come, believing that the senior generals of the Jin army did not have the elementary    knowledge of warfare. It was his plan to stage a sudden attack while the troops of the Jin    army was busy crossing the river, and he was sure that his plan would word. So he    willingly accepted the suggestion of the Jin army.
      Unexpectedly, the moment the    order to retreat was given, Fu Jian's troops were utterly routed and could by no means be    controlled. Taking advantage of this favorable situation, the Jin army crossed the river,    pursuing and attacking the enemy. The trooops of Fu Jian's army threw away everything in    headlong flight, and the field was littered with the corpses of the soldiers of Fu Jian's    army. Fu Rong was killed in the tangled fighting, and Fu Jian was hit by an  arrow    and ran away. The Jin army won a brilliant victory by defeating a big army with its    limited armed forces.
      This story comes from "The    Life of Fu Jian" in the volume "Records" of The History of the Jin Dynasty.    The set phrase "every bush and tree looks like an enemy" is subsequently used to    refer to a state of extreme nervousness.

rosyhorse · 2009-1-13 15:29:46

按图索骥　àn tú suǒ yì

English

春秋时候，秦国有个叫孙阳的人，擅长相马，无论什么样的马，他一眼就能分出优劣。他常常被人请去识马、选马，人们都称他为伯乐（“伯乐”本是天上的星名，据说负责管理天马）。

      有一次，孙阳路过一个地方，忽见一匹拖着盐车的老马冲他叫个不停，走近一看，原来是匹千里马，只是年龄稍大了点。老马拉着车艰难地走着，孙阳觉得太委屈了这匹千里马，它本是可以奔跑于疆场，可以发挥更大作用的宝马良驹，现在却默默无闻地拖着盐车，慢慢地消耗着它的锐气和体力，实在可惜！孙阳想到这里，难过得落下泪来。
            为了让更多的人学会相马，使千里马不再被埋没，也为了自己一身绝技不至于失传，孙阳把自己多年积累的相马经验和知识写成了一本书，配上各种马的形态图，书名叫《相马经》。
      孙阳有个儿子，看了父亲写的《相马经》，以为相马很容易，就拿着这本书到处找好马。他按照书上所绘的图形去找，一无所获。又按书中所写的特征去找，最后发现有一只癞蛤蟆很像书中写的千里马的特征，便高兴地把癞蛤蟆带回家，对父亲说：“爸爸，我找到一匹千里马，只是蹄子稍差些。”父亲一看，哭笑不得，没想到儿子竟如此愚笨，便幽默地说：“可惜这马太喜欢跳了，不能用来拉车。”接着感叹道：“所谓按图索骥也。”
   　　故事出自明朝杨慎的《艺林伐山》。成语“按图索骥”，比喻机械地照老办法办事，不知变通；也比喻按照某种线索去寻找事物。

Looking for a Steed with the Aid Of Its Picture

      During the Spring and Autumn    Period, there was a man in the State of Qin whose name was Sun Yang. Sun Yang was very    expert in looking at horses and judging their worth. Whatever the horse might be, he could    tell whether it was good or bad at first sight. People called him Bo Le (Bo Le was the    name of one of the celestial bodies and was fabled to be in charge of heavenly steeds),    and he was often asked to appraise and select horses.
      One day, when Sun Yang was    passing a place, an old horse pulling acart loaded with salt suddenly neighed to    him without stopping. He came near, and saw that it was a horse that really could cover a    thousand Li a day, and that the only problem with it was that it was a little too old. The    old horse was pulling the heavy cart with difficulties and hardships. Sun Yang felt    acutely that the horse was really unjustly treated, for it might have been a fine steed    galloping on the battlefield. It was a great pity that it was pulling the cart loaded with    salt without attracting public attention, which had taken the edge off its spirit and    consumed its energy. When he thought of this, he was so grieved that he shed tears.
      In order to help more people    learn how to appraise horses so that fine horses which could cover a thousand LI a day    would no longer fall into oblivion, and also in order to ensure that his unique skill in    judging horses would not be lost, Sun Yang worte a book entitled The Art of Looking at    Horses and Judging Their Worth, based on his experiences and knowledge accumulated over    the years. The book was also illustrated with the pictures of various horses.
      Sun Yang had a son who, after    reading his father's The Art of Looking at Horses and Judging Their Worth, thought it was    very esay to appraise horses. So he took the book with him to look for fine horses    everywhere. At first he searched according to the pictures in the book, and accomplished    nothing. Then he searched according to the characteristics of a toad fit very well the    characteristics described in the book. So he happily took the toad back home, and said to    his father, "Father, I have found a horse that can cover a thousand Li a day, only    its hoofs are not good enough." Looking at the toad, Sun Yang did not know whether he    should laugh or cry. Knowing that his son was stupid, Sun Yang said humourously.    "It's a pity that this horse is too fond of jumping to pull a cart." Then he    sighed, "That is just what we call looking for a steed with the aid of its    picture."
      Later, people have used the set    phrase "look for a steed with the aid of its picture" to refer to handling    affairs mechanically in the outmoded ways without being flexible. Somethimes it is also    used to refer to trying to locate something by following up a clue. This set phrase    originates in Lumbering in the Forest of Art written by Yang Shen in the Ming Dynasty （1368-1644）.

rosyhorse · 2009-1-13 15:30:17

后来居上

English

汲黯是西汉武帝时代人，以刚直正义、敢讲真话而受人尊重。他为人和做官都不拘小节，讲求实效。虽然表面上不那么轰轰烈烈，却能把一个郡治理得井井有条，因此，朝廷把他从东海太守调到朝廷当主爵都尉——一种主管地方吏任免的官职。

      有一次，汉武帝说要实行儒家的仁义之政，为老百姓办好事了。没等皇帝把话说完，汲黯就说：“陛下内心里那么贪婪多欲，表面上却要装得实行仁政，这是何苦呢？”一句话把皇帝噎了回去。汉武帝登时脸色大变，宣布罢朝，满朝文武都为汲黯捏着一把汗，担心他会因此招来大祸。武帝回到宫里以后，对身边的人说，汲黯这个人也未免太粗太直了。
      从此以后，汲黯的官职再也没有提升。他当主爵都尉的时候，公孙弘、张汤都还是不起眼的小官，后来，他们一个劲儿住上升，公孙弘当上了丞相，张汤做上了御史大夫，可他汲黯还蹲在原地没动窝。有一天，汲黯对武帝说，陛下使用群臣，跟码劈柴一样，是“后来者居上”啊！汉武帝当然听得出这是发牢骚。于是，转脸对臣下们说：“人真是不能不学习啊！你们听汲黯说话，越来越离谱了！”
            故事出自《史记·汲郑列传》。成语“后来居上”，往往指后起的可以胜过先前的。和汲黯说这话的原意，大不相同。

The Latecomers Surpass the Old-timers

      This set phrase is    derived from the complaints Ji An made to the emperor.
      Ji Anlived at the    time of Emperor Wudi of the Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D.24). He was respected for    being upright and just and for daring to speak the truth. He did not bother about amall    matters in personal behaviour and in being an official. He was particular about actual    effects and ,although he did not cause a stir ,he could keep the prefecture he governed in    perfect order. Because of this. the imperial court transferred him to the central    government from being the perfect of the Donghai Prefecture to being a commander in charge    of the appointment and dismissal of the local officals.
      Once,Emperor Wudi    said that he would implement the policy of benevolence and justice of Confucianism and    would do good turns to the people.Emperor Wudi Had hardly finished his remards when Ji An    said that there was no need for the emperor to say so.Why should the emperor bother,Ji An    said, about pretending to implement the policy of benevolence and justice since he was so    greedy and avaricious within himself? This choked the emperor off. The emperor suddenly    Changed his countenance and declared the meeting over. All the civilian and military    officers at court were breathless with anxiety for fear that Ji An might bring disaster    upon himself because of this. After returning, Emperor Wudi said to the people around him    that Ji An was a little too rude and too straightforward.
      For this reason ,Ji    An was never promoted again. When he was the commander in charge of the appointment and    dismissal of the local officials, both Gongsun Hong and Zhang Tang were low -ranking    lfficials of little importance. Later ,they were promoted continuously. Gongsun Hong    became the prime minister and Zhang Tang became the imperial censor. However, JiAn's post    remained thesame. One day, Ji An said to Emperor Wudi that the way the emperor used his    ministers was just like piling up firewood, which meant that the latecomers surpassed the    old-timers. Of course, Emperor Wudi could see that Ji An was complaining. So,turning to    his ministers, Emperor Wudi said, "It is true that no one can stop learning.You see,    Ji An is making more and more indiscreet remarks."
      This story comes    from The Historical Records. Later generations use the set phrase "the latecomers    surpass the old-timers " to indicate that successors can cxcel the predecessors,    which is quite different from the original idea when Ji An said that the latecomers    surpassed the old-timers.

rosyhorse · 2009-1-13 15:30:51

邯郸学步

English

　　相传在两千年前，燕国寿陵地方有一位少年，不知道姓啥叫啥，就叫他寿陵少年吧！
　　这位寿陵少年不愁吃不愁穿，论长相也算得上中等人材，可他就是缺乏自信心，经常无缘无故地感到事事不如人，低人一等——衣服是人家的好，饭菜是人家的香，站相坐相也是人家高雅。他见什么学什么，学一样丢一样，虽然花样翻新，却始终不能做好一件事，不知道自己该是什么模样。

   　　家里的人劝他改一改这个毛病，他以为是家里人管得太多。亲戚、邻居们，说他是狗熊掰棒子，他也根本听不进去。日久天长，他竟怀疑自己该不该这样走路，越看越觉得自己走路的姿势太笨，太丑了。
   　　有一天，他在路上碰到几个人说说笑笑，只听得有人说邯郸人走路姿势那叫美。他一听，对上了心病，急忙走上前去，想打听个明白。不料想，那几个人看见他，一阵大笑之后扬长而去。
   　　邯郸人走路的姿势究竟怎样美呢？他怎么也想象不出来。这成了他的心病。终于有一天，他瞒着家人，跑到遥远的邯郸学走路去了。
   　　一到邯郸，他感到处处新鲜，简直令人眼花缭乱。看到小孩走路，他觉得活泼、美，学；看见老人走路，他觉得稳重，学；看到妇女走路，摇摆多姿，学。就这样，不过半月光景，他连走路也不会了，路费也花光了，只好爬着回去了。
   　　故事出自《庄子·秋水》。成语“邯郸学步”，比喻生搬硬套，机械地模仿别人，不但学不到别人的长处，反而会把自己的优点和本领也丢掉。


   　　Imitating    Another without Success and Losing What Used to Be One'sOwn Ability
   　　Tradition has it that more than    2,oooyears ago,there lived a young man in the Shouling area of the State of Yan.As his    name is not known ,we just call him Shouling young man for convenience's sake.
   　　self confident He was at a loss    as to how to behave all the time.
   　　His family members advised him    to overcome this shortcoming,but he thought they were fond of poking their noses into his    business and were unwilling to provide him with tuition fee.His relatives and neighbours    sneered at him,saying that he would never be able to learn anything.Asthe days went by,he    even began to doubt whether he should walk the way he did,for he felt more and more that    his walking gestures were too clumsy and awkward.
   　　One day,he met some people on    the road who werechattingand laughing.One of themsaid that people in Handan walked most    gracefully.And thatwas just what he was most concerned about,so he hurreed towards themand    wanted to make further inquiries.To his surprise,when these people saw him,they stalked    off laughing.
   　　He could not picture to himself    in what way their walking gestures were graceful,no matter how hard he racked his parents    one day.He went to Handanwhich was far away to learn how to walk.
   　　As soon as he arrived in    Handan,he was dazzled to find that everything was novel.He learned from the children there    how to walk,because he thought that the children's walking gestures were lively and    pleasing to the eye.He learnd from the old people there how to walk,because he thought the    old people's walking gestures were steady .He learnd from the women there how to    walk,because he thought the women' swaying walking gestures were beautiful.That being the    case with him ,in less than half a month he even forgot how to walk.As he had already used    up his traveling expenses,he had to crawl back home.
   　　Thisstory come from the    article"Autumn Water"in The Works of Xhuang Zi(Zhuang Zi was a famous ancient    Chinese philosopher of about 300B.c.).Later the set phrase"initating another without    success and losing what used to be one's own ability"is used to refer to acts of    copying others mechanisally in disregard of specififc conditions.

rosyhorse · 2009-1-13 15:32:06

如火如荼

English

　　春秋时代末期，吴国国王夫差连续征服了越国、鲁国和齐国，雄心勃勃，又继续向西北进军，打算一鼓作气征服晋国。
　　可正在这个时候，越王勾践抄了吴王的后路。他带领军队一直打到吴国的国都姑苏（苏州），又派人马占据淮河，把吴王的退路切断了。

   　　这消息给吴王夫差当头泼了一盆冷水，他非常震惊，立即召集文臣武将商量对策。大家说，现在退回去等于两关打了败仗，还会两头挨打；如果能打败晋国，就等于在诸候国中当定了霸主，再回去收拾越王勾践也不算晚。
   　　大主意已经拿定，当务之急是尽快征服晋国。考虑再三，决定出奇制胜。
   　　一天傍晚，吴王下达了命令。全军将士吃得饱饱的，马也喂足了草料。从全军中挑出三万精兵强将。每一万人摆成一个方阵，共摆三个方阵。每个方阵横竖都是一百人。每一行排头的都是军官司。每十行，也就是一千人，由一个大夫负责。每项一个方阵由一名将军率领。中间的方阵白盔白甲，白衣服，白旗帜，白弓箭，由吴王自己掌握，称为中军；左边的方阵，红盔红甲、红衣服、红简直就像深不可测；右边的方阵则一水儿黑色。半夜出发，黎明时分到达离晋军仅有一里路的地方。天色刚刚显出亮色，吴军鼓声大作，欢呼之声震天动工地。
   　　晋军从梦中醒来，一看吴军那三个方阵和声威气势，简直都惊呆了：那白色方阵，“望之如荼”——像开满白花的茅草地；那红色方阵，“望之如火”——如像熊熊燃烧的火焰；而那黑色的方阵，简直就象深不可测的大海。
   　　故事出自《国语·吴语》。成语“如火如荼”，形容某种人群或事物阵容之大，气势之盛。


      Like Fire and    Flowering Rush
      In the years around 480    B.C.,China was in the last phase of the Spring and Autumn Period.Fu Chai,King of the State    of Wu,conquered the states of Yue,Lu and Chi one after another.Then Fu Chai,overweeningly    ambitious,led his army marching into the Northwest in an attempt to conquer the State of    Jin in one vigorous effort.
      But just at that time,Gou    Jian,king of the State of Yue,outflanked Fu Chai and attacked him in the rear.Gou Jian's    army fought one battle after another and arrived in Gu Su,capital of the State of Wu,at    last,and took away the big boats of the State of Wu.Gou Jin also sent his troops to occupy    the Huai River immediately,thus cutting off Fu Chai's retreat
      The shocking news reached Fu    Chai,king of the State of Wu,like a head-on blow to him.So he called his civilian    officials and military generals at once to find a way to deal with this serious    situation.His civilian officials and military their troops now would mean defeat,and that    they would be attacked by both the troops of the Jin army and the troops of the Yue    army.But ,if they could defeat the State of Jin,Fu Chai would become a powerful chief of    the princes at that time,and it would not be too late for Fu Chai to settle with Gou Jian    after that.
      Having made this decision,they    knew that a pressing matter of the moment was to conquer th State of Jin as quickly as    possible.After considering over and over again,they decided to try to defeat the Jin army    by a surprise move.
      One day towards    evening,the king of the State of Wu gave his orders.The officers and men of the whole army    ate their fill,and the steeds were well fed with fodder.30,000 officers and men were    chosen from the whole army to from three phalanxes,with 10,000officers and men each.The    solders in the middle phalanx wore white suits of armour,and carried white flags and white    bows and arrows,and they were led by king of the State of Wu Fu Chai himself.The other two    phalanxes were led by senior generals.The soldiers in the left phalanx wore red suits of    armour,and carried red flags and red bows and arrows.The in dealing with the case,because    the empress would certainly blame him and punish him.How could he solve the problem then?    He turned the problem over and over in his mind, and finally thought out a "brilliant    scheme".
      Lai Junchen had a sumptuous    feast prepared,and invited Zhou Xing to his home. The two of them urged each other to    drink,and they talked while drinking.After the wine had gone round three times,I often    come across prisoners who stubbournly refuse to admit they are guilty.I wonder if you have    any effective measures." Hearing this,Zhou Xing said,"Get a big vat,scorch it    hot with charcoal fire all around,and then let the prisoner come into the vat.Will the    prisoner fail to make a comfession of his crime?"Hearing this,LaiJunchen nodded his    head in approval repeatedly.He then ordered his subordinates to bring a big vat ,and had a    charcoal fire lit all around it as Zhou Xing had said.He then turned to Zhou Xing and    said,"Someone in the rebellion.The empress has ordered me to deal with the case    severely.So I beg your pardon,but would you kindly step into the soldiers in the right    phalanx wore black suits of armour,and carried black flags and black bows and arrows.The    whole army set out at midnight,and arrived at dawn at a place within a LI's distance of    the Jin army.When the day was beginning to break,the soldiers of the Wu army began to    berat the drums heavily and their shoutings resounded like rolls of thunder.
      Awakening from their dreams,the    solders of the Jin army were almost stupefied by the imposing manner of the three    phalanxes of the Wu army.The white phalanx was like a field covered with flowering    rush,the red phalanx was like a burning fire,and the black phalanx was simply like a sea    too deep to fathom.
      This story comes from    Comversations from the States.Later generations often use the set phrase "like fire    and flowering rush"to refer to tremendous momentum.

rosyhorse · 2009-1-13 15:32:24

望梅止渴

English

有一年夏天，曹操率领部队去讨伐张绣，天气热得出奇，骄阳似火，天上一丝云彩也没有，部队在弯弯曲曲的山道上行走，两边密密的树木和被阳光晒得滚烫的山石，让人透不过气来。到了中午时分，士兵的衣服都湿透了，行军的速度也慢下来，有几个体弱的士兵竟晕倒在路边。

      曹操看行军的速度越来越慢，担心贻误战机，心里很是着急。可是，眼下几万人马连水都喝不上，又怎么能加快速度呢？他立刻叫来向导，悄悄问他：“这附近可有水源？”向导摇摇头说：“泉水在山谷的那一边，要绕道过去还有很远的路程。”曹操想了一下说，“不行，时间来不及。”他看了看前边的树林，沉思了一会儿，对向导说：“你什么也别说，我来想办法。”他知道此刻即使下命令要求部队加快速度也无济于事。脑筋一转，办法来了，他一夹马肚子，快速赶到队伍前面，用马鞭指着前方说：“士兵们，我知道前面有一大片梅林，那里的梅子又大又好吃，我们快点赶路，绕过这个山丘就到梅林了！”士兵们一听，仿佛已经吃到嘴里，精神大振，步伐不由得加快了许多。
            故事出自《世说新语·假谲》。成语“望梅止渴”，比喻用空想安慰自己或他人。

Quenching Thirst by Watching Plums

   　　Cao Cao of the Three Kingdoms    period (220-265) was not only a capable politician in managing state affairs, but also a    strategist good at leading troops in going to war.
   　　One summer, Cao Cao was leading    his troops in a punitive expedition against Zhang Xiu. It was extraordinarily hot. The    burning sun was like a fire, and the sky was cloudless. The soldiers were walking on the    winding mountain paths. The dense forest and the hot rocks exposed to the sun on both    sides of the paths made the soldiers feel suffocated. By noontime the soldiers' clothes    were wet through with sweat, and the marching speed slowed down. Some solders of weak    physique even fainted on the roadside.
   　　Seeing that the marching speed    was slower and slower, Cao Cao was very worried because he feared that he might bungle the    chance of winning the battle. But how could they quicken their speed? Cao Cao at once    callde the guide and asked him on the quiet whether there was a source of water nearby.    The guide shook his head, saying that the spring water was on the other side of the    mountain, which was very far to have to make a detour to reach. Cao Cao realized that time    didn't permit them to make such a detour. After thinking for a moment, he said to the    guide, "Keep quiet. I'll find a way out." He knew that it would be to no avail    to order his troops to quicken the steps. He had a brain wave and found a good solution.    He spurred his horse and came to the head of the column. Pointing his horsewhip to the    front, Cao Cao said, "Soldiers, I know there is a big forest of plums ahead. The    plums there are both big and delicious. let's hurry along, and we will reach the forest of    plums after bypassing this hill." When the solders heard this, they immediately    slobbered. Picturing in their minds the sweet and sour flavour of the plums, the soldiers    felt as if they were actually eating the plums, the soldiers felt as if they were actually    eating the plums themselves. The morale greatly boosted, the soldiers quickened their    steps a great deal automatically.
   　　This story comes from "The    Fake Tangery" in Anecdotes of This World by Liu Yiqing of the Southern Dynasties    period (420-589). From this story, people have derived the set phrase "quenching    thirst by watching plums" to refer to trying to comfort oneself of others by idle    dreams.

rosyhorse · 2009-1-13 15:33:01

探骊得珠

English

　　很久很久以前，有一户人家住在黄河边上，靠割芦苇、编帘子簸箕为生，日子过得非常贫困。
　　有一天，儿子在河边割芦苇，烈日当空，晒得他头昏眼花，于是他就坐下来休息。他望着眼前的河水在阳光下闪耀着粼粼波光，想起父亲说过，在河的最深处有许多珍宝，可是谁也不敢去，因为那里住着一条凶猛的黑龙叫骊龙，他想，要是潜到河底，找到珍宝，我们一家人就用不着像现在这样一天干到晚，三顿还吃不饱，不如豁出去试一试。他把心一横，三下两下脱了衣服，一头扎进冰冷的河里。

   　　开始他还看得见四周的小鱼在游来游去，再往深处，光线变得越来越暗，水也越来越凉，最后，他什么都看不见了，四周一团漆黑。他心里有点害怕，不知该往哪儿游。就在这时，不远处有一个圆圆的物体在闪闪发光，定睛细看，啊，原来是明珠！他憋足一口气游过去，双手抱住明珠，使劲一拽，明珠就到了他怀里。他迅速浮出水面，上岸后撒腿就往家跑。
   　　父亲一见明珠，就问他是从哪儿得到的。他把经过一五一十地向父亲讲述一遍。父亲听了说：“好险哪！这颗价值千金的明珠是长在黑龙下巴底下的，你摘它的时候黑龙必定是睡着了。它要是醒着，你可就没命了。”故事见于《庄子列御寇》。成语“探骊得珠”，比喻写文章能紧扣主题，抓住要点。


      Groping about    the Chin of the Black Dragon to Get a Pearl-Bringing Out the Best
      Long,Long age,there lived a    family by the Yellow River.They lived a very poor lift,depending on cutting reeds,weaving    hanging screens and dustpans for a livelihood.
      One day,the son was cutting    reeds by the riverside.With the scroching sun directly overhead,his head was swimming,so    he sat down to take a rest.Looking at the river water in front which was his father had    once told him.in the depths of the river there were a lot rare treasures,but nobody dared    to get them because a fierce black dragon was residing there.He thought that,if he could    dive into the depts of the river and get the treasures,the whole family would mot have to    toil from morning till night and yet could mot have enough to eat as now.He thought it    would be better to have a try,and he was resolved to try in desperation.So he took off his    clothes nimbly and dived into the cold water with a splash.
      At first,he could see small    fish here and there all around.However,the deeper he dived ,the darker it became,and the    colder the river water.At last,it was pitch-dark all around,and he could see nothing.He    became frightened,and was at a loss where he should swim to.Just at that time,he noticed a    round object which was glittering not far away.He fixed his eyes on it,and saw it was a    bright pearl.He held his breath and swam over there,held the pearl with both hands,pulled    it with a great effort,and the bright pearl come into his arms.He came out from the water    immediately,climbed up the bank,and made off for home at once.
      His father saw the bright    pearl,and asked where he had got it.He told his father the whole story exactly as it had    happened.Hearing this,his father said repeatedly,"How dangerous it was!This precious    pearl was grown on the chin of the black dragon.The black must have been sleeping when you    were pulling the pearl.If the black dragon were awake,you would be dead."When the son    heard this,he considered himself very lucky indeed.
      This story appears in The Works    of Zhuang Zi.From this story,later generations have derived the set phrase "groping    about the chin of the black dragon to get a pearl-- bringing out the best" to    indicate that an article is to the point.

rosyhorse · 2009-1-13 15:33:21

望洋兴叹

English

　　相传很久很久以前，黄河里有一位河神，人们叫他河伯。何伯站在黄河岸上。望着滚滚的浪涛由西而来，又奔腾跳跃向东流去，兴奋地说；“黄河真大呀，世上没有哪条河能和它相比。我就是最大的水神啊！”

   　　有人告诉他：“你的话不对，在黄河的东面有个地方叫北海，那才真叫大呢。”
   　　河伯说：“我不信，北海再大，能大得过黄河吗？”
   　　那人说：“别说一条黄河，就是几条黄河的水流进北海，也装不满它。”
   　　河伯固执地说：“我没见过北海，我不信。”
   　　那人无可奈何，告诉他：“有机会你去看看北海，就明白我的话了。”
   　　秋天到了，连日的暴雨使大大小小的河流都注入黄河，黄河的河面更加宽阔了，隔河望去，对岸的牛马都分不清。这一下，河伯更得意了，以为天下最壮观的景色都在自己这里，他在自得之余，想起了有人跟他提起的北海，于是决定去那里看看。
　　河伯顺流来到黄河的入海口，，突然眼前一亮，海神北海若正笑容满面地欢迎他的到来，河伯放眼望去，只见北海汪洋一片，无边无涯，他呆呆地看了一会儿，深有感触地对北海若说：“俗话说，只懂得一些道理就以为谁都比不上自己，这话说的就是我呀。今天要不是我亲眼见到这浩瀚无边的北海，我还会以为黄河是天下无比的呢！那样，岂不被有见识的人永远笑主。”
   　　故事见于《庄子·秋水》。成语“望洋兴叹”，比喻要做某事而力量不够，感到无可奈何。
      Lamenting One's    Littleness before the Vast Ocean
      Tradition has it that many,many    years ago,there lived on the Yellow River a river god known as He Bo.One day ,He Bo stood    on the riverbank and watched the turbulent waves from the west surging forward to the    east.He said both excitedly and conceitedly:"How big the Yellow River is !No other    river on earth can compare with it.And therefore I am the greatest river god."
      One man said to him,"You    are wrong.There is a place to the east of the Yellow Rivers called the North Sea.The North    Sea is really big."He Bo said,"I don't believe it .Big as the North Sea is, can    it be bigger than Yellow River?"The man said,"Should the water of several Yellow    River flow into the North sea,it could not fill the North Sea,let alone one Yellow River.    "
      He Bo said obstinately,"I    don't believe it,for I have never been to the North Sea."
      Having no alternative,the man    said,"You will not be able to" understand what I mean until you have a chance to    see the North Sea for yourself."
      Winter came,and torrential rain    had been falling for days on end.Rivers big and small emptied themselves into the Yellow    River,making the Yellow River even broader.Standing on one side of the river,people could    hardly tell what animals the oxen and horses on the other side of the river were.Thus He    Bo was even more proud,thinking that all the magnificent sights were accumulated here.Then    ,remembering the North Sea which had been mentioned to him before,he decided to go there    and have a look.
      He went downstream,and arrived    at the river mouth to the sea.Suddenly,the god of the North Sea,whose name was Biennia    Ruo,appeared before his eyes.With a smile,Beihai Ruo was welcoming He Bo to the North    sea.He looked ahead,and saw that the North Sea,with its vast expanse of water,was    boundless.With a dull look in his eyes,He Bo stood there for a while.Finally he said to    Beihai Ruo with deep feeling,"As the common saying goes,some people go so far as to    think that they are more knowledgeable than anybody else when they have got some    knowledge.Actually I am one of such people.If I had not seen with that the Yellow River is    matchless in the world.If I remained like that, I would be laughed at for ever by sensible    people."

rosyhorse · 2009-1-13 15:33:41

桃李不言，下自成蹊

English

　　西汉时候，有一位勇猛善战的将军，名叫李广，一生跟匈奴打过七十多次仗，战功卓著，深受官兵和百姓的爱戴。李广虽然身居高位，统领千军万马，而且是保卫国家的功臣，但他一点也不居功自傲。他不仅待人和气，还能和士兵同甘共苦。每次朝廷给他的赏赐，他首先想到的是他的部下，就把那些赏赐统统分给官兵们；行军打仗时，遇到粮食或水供应不上的情况，他自己也同士兵们一样忍饥挨饿；打起仗来，他身先士卒，英勇顽强，只要他一声令下，大家个个奋勇杀敌，不握牺牲。这是一位多么让人崇敬的大将军啊！

   　　后来，当李广将军去世的噩耗传到军营时，全军将士无不痛哭流涕，连许多与大将军平时并不熟悉的百姓也纷纷悼念他。在人们心目中，李广将军就是他们崇拜的大英雄。
   汉朝伟大的史学家司马迁在为李广立传时称赞道：“桃李不言，下自成蹊。”意思是说，桃李有着芬芳的花朵，甜美的果实，虽然它们不会说话，但仍然会吸引人们到树下赏花尝果，以至树下都走出一条小路，李广将军就是以他的真诚和高尚的品质赢得了人们的崇敬。

   　　“桃李不言，下自成蹊”这则成语出自《史记·李将军列传》,比喻为人真诚,严于律已,自然会感动别人,自然会受到人们的敬仰。

  Peaches    and Plums Do Not Have to Talk, Yet the World Beats a Path to Them--Natural Attraction

      Duing the Western Han Dynasty(206 B.C.- A.D.24)Period, there was a very famous    general whose name was Li Guang. He was very brave and skillful in battle, and had fought    more than seventy battles with the Huns, an ancient nationality in China.Having made    brilliant achievements in war, he was deeply loved and esteemed by the officers and men as    well as the common people. However,he did not claim credit for himself and become    arrogant,although he held a high post,commanding a big army,and had rendered outstanding    service in defending the county. He was not only polite and amiable, but also shared weal    and woe with the soldiers. He always had the troops under his commandat heart,and whenever    gifts were bestowed to him by the imperial government,he distributed the gifts to his    officers and men. When marching, he endured the torments of hunger and thirst as the    soldiers did when food and water were in short supply. When fighting, he charged at the    head of his men,and ,when he gave the order,every soldier advanced bravely to engage in    fighting,not fearing death.

      When the sad news of the heath of General Li Guang reached the militaty camp,the    officers and men of the whole army wept bitterly.

rosyhorse · 2009-1-13 15:33:57

请君入瓮

English

唐朝女皇武则天，为了镇压反对她的人，任用了一批酷吏。其中两个最为狠毒，一个叫周兴，一个叫来俊臣。他们利用诬陷、控告和惨无人道的刑法，杀害了许多正直的文武官吏和平民百姓。

有一回，一封告密信送到武则天手里，内容竟是告发周兴与人联络谋反。武则天大怒，责令来俊臣严查此事。来俊臣，心里直犯嘀咕，他想，周兴是个狡猾奸诈之徒，仅凭一封告密信，是无法让他说实话的；可万一查不出结果，太后怪罪下来，我来俊臣也担待不起呀。这可怎么办呢？苦苦思索半天，终于想出一条妙计。
      他准备了一桌丰盛的酒席，把周兴请到自己家里。两个人你劝我喝，边喝边聊。酒过三巡，来俊臣叹口气说：“兄弟我平日办案，常遇到一些犯人死不认罪，不知老兄有何办法？”周兴得意地说：“这还不好办！”说着端起酒杯抿了一口。来俊臣立刻装出很恳切的样子说：“哦，请快快指教。”周兴阴笑着说：“你找一个大瓮，四周用炭火烤热，再让犯人进到瓮里，你找一个大瓮，四周用炭火烤热，再让犯人进到瓮里，你想想，还有什么犯人不招供呢？”来俊臣连连点头称是，随即命人抬来一口大瓮，按周兴说的那样，在四周点上炭火，然后回头对周兴说：“宫里有人密告你谋反，上边命我严查。对不起，现在就请老兄自己钻进瓮里吧。”周兴一听，手里的酒杯啪哒掉在地上，跟着又扑通一声跪倒在地，连连磕头说：“我有罪，我有罪，我招供。”
   　　故事见于《资治通鉴·唐则天皇后天授二年》。成语“请君入瓮”，比喻用某人整治他自己。

Kindly Step into the Vat--Try What You Have Devised against Others

      In order to    suppress those who were against her, Wu Zetian, the empress of the Tang Dynasty (618-907),    appointed a few merciless persons to be judges. Two of them were extremely brutal; one was    called Zhou Xing and the other was called Lai Junchen. They killed many upright civil and    military officials as well as ordinary people by framing up cases against tham and by    administering inhuman corporal punishment to them.
      Once, Wu Zetian    received a letter which informed against Zhou Xing. The letter aside that Zhou Xing was    plotting a rebellion in collaboration with others. Wu Zetian was furiously angry when she    read the letter, and immediately ordered Lai Junchen to deal with the case severely.    Hearing the order, Lai Junchen had misgivings about it. He knew that Zhou Xing could not    be forced to tell the truth merely by using a letter informing against him because he was    very sly and crafty. Lai Junchen also knew that he would not be for given if he should    fail in dealing with the case, because the empress would certainly blame him and punish    him. How could he solve the problem then? He turned the problem over and over in his mind,    and finally thought out a "brilliant scheme".
      Lai Junchen had a    sumptuous feast prepared, and invited Zhou Xing to his home. The two of them urged each    other to drink, and they talked while drinking. After the wine had gone round three times,    Lai Junchen pretended to sigh, "When Ihandle cases in ordinary times, I often com    across prisoners who stubbournly refuse to admit they are guilty. I wonder if you have any    effetive measures." Hearing this, he took a sip of the wine. Lai Junchen immediately    pretended to be very earnest, saying, "Oh, please do tell me at once." Smiling    insidiously, Zhou Xing said, "Get a big vat, scorch it hot with charcoal fire all    around, and then let the prisoner come into the vat. Will the prisoner fail to make a    confession of his crime?" Hearing this. LaiJunchen nodded his head in approval    repeatedly. He then ordered his subordinates to bring a big vat, and had a charcoal fire    lit all around it as Zhou Xing had said. He then turned to Zhou Xing and said,    "Someone in the imperial court has informed against you, saying that you are plotting    a rebellion. The empress has ordered me to deal with the case severely. So I beg your    pardon, but would you kindly step into the "Someone in the imperial court has    informed against you, saying that you are plotting a rebellion. The empress has ordered me    to deal with the case severely. So I beg your pardon, but would you kindly step into the    vat?" Hearing this, Zhou Xing dropped his wine cup to the ground and the cup broke    with a crash. Then he knelt down with a flop, nodded repeatedly and said, "I am    guilty. I confess I am guilty."
      This story appears    in A General History as a Mirror of Past Events by Sima Guang of the Song Dynasty. From    this story, people have derived the set phrase "kindly step into the vat -- try what    you have devised against others".

rosyhorse · 2009-1-13 15:34:25

高山流水

English

      春秋时代，有个叫俞伯牙的人，精通音律，琴艺高超，是当时著名的琴师。俞伯牙年轻的时候聪颖好学，曾拜高人为师，琴技达到水平，但他总觉得自己还不能出神入化地表现对各种事物的感受。伯牙的老师知道他的想法后，就带他乘船到东海的蓬莱岛上，让他欣赏大自然的景色，倾听大海的波涛声。伯牙举目眺望，只见波浪汹涌，浪花激溅；海鸟翻飞，鸣声入耳；山林树木，郁郁葱葱，如入仙境一般。一种奇妙的感觉油然而生，耳边仿佛咯起了大自然那和谐动听的音乐。他情不自禁地取琴弹奏，音随意转，把大自然的美妙融进了琴声，伯牙体验到一种前所未有的境界。老师告诉他：“你已经学了。”
      一夜伯牙乘船游览。面对清风明月，他思绪万千，于是又弹起琴来，琴声悠扬，渐入佳境。忽听岸上有人叫绝。伯牙闻声走出船来，只见一个樵夫站在岸边，他知道此人是知音当即请樵夫上船，兴致勃勃地为他演奏。伯牙弹起赞美高山的曲调，樵夫说道：“真好！雄伟而庄重，好像高耸入云的泰山一样！”当他弹奏表现奔腾澎湃的波涛时，樵夫又说：“真好！宽广浩荡，好像看见滚滚的流水，无边的大海一般！”伯牙兴奋色了，激动地说：“知音！你真是我的知音。”这个樵夫就是钟子期。从此二人成了非常要好的朋友。
   　　故事出自《列子·汤问》。成语“高山流水”，比喻知己或知音，也比喻音乐优美。



      Understanding and Appreciative Friends

  During the Spring    and Autumn Period（770-476B.C.）.there was a man whose name was Yu Boya.Yu boya famous    music master at that time, having a good command of the temperament and superb skills in    playing the musical instrument.He was bright and eager to learn when he was young.He had    formally acknowledged several experts as his teachers,and his skills in playing the    musical instrument had already reached a fairly high level.But he still felt that he could    not superbly express the various things which had deeply impressed him.Knowing what was in    his mind,his teacher took him to the penglai Island,a fabled abode of immortals,on the    East China Sea by boat.On the island,his teacher let him enjoy the natural scenarios and    listen to the roaring of the great waves.looking into the distance,Boya saw that the waves    were turbulent and that the white breakers leapt skywards.Sea birds were circling in the    air,and their crying was very pleasant to the ear.Trees were green and intriguing feeling    welled up in his mind,as if he had heard the harmonious and charming music of nature.He    couldn't help taking his musical instrument and playing it .He followed his inclinations    while he was playing,and incorporated the beautiful nature with his music,thus reaching a    realm of thought he had never experienced before.Seeing this,the teacher said to    hime,''You have mastered the art of playing."

  Once,on the 15th    day of the 8th lunar month,he was boating for sight-seeing.The moon was bright and a cool    breeze was blowing gently.With myriads of thoughts welling up in his mind,he began to play    the musical instrument.The melodious music became more and more beautiful when a man on    the bank shouted "bravo!"Hearing the shouting,Boya came out of the boat,and saw    a woodcutter standing on the bank.He knew that this man was keenly appreciative of his    talents,because he understood his music.He immediately invited the woodcutter to his boat    and ,full of zest,he played the musical instrument for him.When Boya played a piece of    music eulogizing the high mountains,the woodcutter said,"wonderful!The melody is as    magnificent and dignified as Mount Tai which reaches to the sky!"When he played a    piece of music depicting the turbulent waves,the woodcutter said,"Wonderful!The    melody is as vast and mighty as the great rivers!"Boya was excited,and    siad,"Bosom friend!You are really my bosom friend!"That woodcutter was Zhong    Ziqi.Since then,they had been very good friends.

  This story appears    in The Works of Lie Zi.From this story,people havederived the set phrase"high    mountain and running water" to refer to understanding and appreciative friends.This    set phrase is also used to refer to melodious music.

rosyhorse · 2009-1-13 15:34:43

胸有成竹

English

　　北宋画家文同，字与可。他画的竹子远近闻名，每天总有不少人登门求画。文同画竹的妙诀在哪里呢？原来，文同在自己家的房前屋后种上各种样的竹子，无论春夏秋冬，阴睛风雨，他经常去竹林观察竹子的生长变化情况，琢磨竹枝的长短粗细，叶子的形态、颜色，每当有新的感受就回到书房，铺纸研墨，把心中的印象画在纸上。目积月累，竹子在不同季节、不同天气、不同时辰的形象都深深地印在他的心中，只要凝神提笔，在画纸前一站，平日观察到的各种形态的竹子立刻浮现在眼前。所以每次画竹，他都显得非常从容自信，画出的竹子，无不逼真传神。

   　　当人们夸奖他的画时，他总是谦虚地说：“我只是把心中琢磨成熟的竹子画下来罢了。”
   　　有位青年想学画竹，得知诗人晁补之对文同的画很有研究，前往求教。晃补之写了一首诗送给他，其中有两句：“与可画竹，胸中有成竹。”
   　　故事出自北宋苏轼《文与可yún    dāng谷偃竹记》。“胸有成竹”，比喻做事之前已作好充分准备，对事情的成功已有了十分的把握；又比喻遇事不慌，十分沉着。

　　Having Had Ready Plans Or Desingns In One's Mind

      In the song Dynasty    (960-1279),there was a scholar whose name was Wen Tong and who styled himself Yuke. He was    not only admired by others for his great learning, but also enjoyed widespread renown for    his bamboo drawing. Every day there were always quite a few peoply who called at his house    to ask for one of his bamboo drawings.
      As a matter of fact,there were    quite a few painters contemporary with him who could draw bamboos fairly well. But how did    it happen that Wen Tong drew better than anybody else? Of this point Su Shi and Chao    Buzhi, buth of whom were Wen Tong's good friends, gave vivid explanations in their    respective poetic and prose works.
      Actually, Wen Tong loved    bamboos so much that he had grown various bamboos everywhere around his house. No matter    what season it was and no matter whether it was sunny or rainy, he used to go to the    bamboo forest to observe how they were growing. He pondered over the lenght and breadth of    the bamboo poles as well as the shapes and colours of the leaves. Whenever he had gained a    new understanding, he went back to his study, spread a piece of paper and prepareed some    ink by rubbing an ink stick on an ink slab, and drew what was in his mind on the paper.    Through accumulation over a long period of time, the images of the bamboo in different    seasons, under different weather conditions and at different moments were deeply imprinted    in his mind.So whenever he stood before the paper and picked up a painting brush with    concentrated attention, the various forms of the bamboo which he had observed at ordinary    times at once rose before his eyes. And so every time he was drawing bamboos he appeared    confident and at ease, and all the bamboos he had painted were very vivid and true to    lift.
      When people spoke highly of his    paintings, he always said modestly that he had just put the images of the bamboo imprinted    in his mind on the paper.
      A young man wanted to learn    bamboo drawing; when he knew that Chao Buzhi had made a profound study of Wen Tong's art    of drawing, he went to Chao Buzhi for instruction. Chao Buzhi wrote a poem to him. In the    poem, there are the following two lines:
      When Yuke was painting the    bamboos,
      He bad their images ready in    his bosom.
      Later people have summarized    the lines as " having had the images of the bamboo ready in one's bosom," which    means having had ready plans or designs in one's mind before doing a certain job so that    its success is guaranteed. It is also used go mean being calm and cool - headed in dealing    with things.
      This story comes from an    article writted by Su Shi concerning Wen Yuke's art of bamboo drawing.

rosyhorse · 2009-1-13 15:35:06

唇亡齿寒

English

　　春秋时候，晋献公想要扩充自己的实力和地盘，就找借口说邻近的虢（guó）国经常侵犯晋国的边境，要派兵灭了虢国。可是在晋国和虢国之间隔着一个虞国，讨伐虢国必须经过虞地。“怎样才能顺利通过虞国呢？”晋献公问手下的大臣。大夫荀息说：“虞国国君是个目光短浅、贪图小利的人，只要我们送他价值连城的美玉和宝马，他不会不答应借道的。”晋献公一听有点舍不得，荀息看出了晋献公的心思，就说：“虞虢两国是唇齿相依的近邻，虢国灭了，虞国也不能独存，您的美玉宝马不过是暂时存放在虞公那里罢了。”晋献公采纳了荀息的计策。

   　　虞国国君见到这两们珍贵的礼物，顿时心花怒放，听到荀息说要借道虞国之事时，当时就满口答应下来。虞国大夫宫之奇听说后，赶快阻止道：“不行，不行，虞国和虢国是唇齿相依的近邻，我们两个小国相互依存，有事可以自彼帮助，万一虢国灭了，我们虞国也就难保了。俗话说：‘唇亡齿寒’，没有嘴唇，牙齿也保不住啊！借道给晋国万万使不得。”虞公说：“人家晋国是大国，现在特意送来美玉宝马和咱们交朋友，难道咱们借条道路让他们走走都不行吗？”宫之奇连声叹气，知道虞国离灭亡的日子不远了，于是就带着一家老小离开了虞国。
   　　果然，晋国军队借道虞国，消灭了虢国，随后又把亲自迎接晋军的虞公抓住，灭了虞国。       故事出自《左传·僖公五年》。成语“唇亡齿寒”，比喻双方关系密切，相互依存。

If the Lips Are Gone, the Teeth Will Be Cold

      During the Spring    and Autumn Period (707 - 476 B.C.), Duke Xian of the State of Jin Wanted to expand his    position of  strength and sphere of influence. Therefore he would like to send his    troops to destroy the State of Guo on the pretest that the State of Guo often encroached    on theborders of the State of Jin. But there was a third state, the State of Yu,between    the State of Jin and the State of Guo, and the Jin army had to cross the State of Yu    before it could reach the State of Guo . "How can my army cross the State of Yu    without a hitch?" Duke Xian of the State of Jin asked his ministers.Xun Xi , one of    the ministers, said, "The monarch of the State of Yu is short - sighted and    covets small advantages. If we give him priceless precious stones and fine horses, it is    not unlikely that he will allow our army to pass through his country. " Seeing that    Duke Xian of the State of Jin was a little bit grudging, Xun Xi continued to say,    "The State of Yu and the State of Guo are neighbor stated as closely related as lips    and teeth. The State of Yu cannot exist independently if the state of Guo is destroyed.    Your precious stones and fime hores are just left in the care of the monarch of the State    of Yu." So Duke Xian of the State of Jin accepted Xun Xi's plan. When the monarch of    Yu saw the precious gifts, he was elated,and readily promised to let the Jin army pass    through his state. Hearing the news, Gong Zhiqi, one of the ministers as the State of Yu,    hastened to admonish the monarch, saying," That won't do.For the State of Yu    and the State of Guo are neighbor states as closely related as lips and teeth. Our two    small states are interdependent, and can help cach other when problems crop up .If the    State of Guo were destroyed, it would be difficult for our State of Yu to continue to    exist. As the common saying goes, if the lips are gone ,the teeth will be cold, The teeth    can hardly be kept if the lips are gone. So it won't do at all to allow the Jin army pass    our state." The monarch of the State of Yu said," The State of Jin is a big    state. Now they here specially to present gifts to us with the intention of being on    friendly terms with us. Under suchcircumstances, how can we refuse to allow them to pass    through our state?" Hearing this, Gong Zhiqi sighed repeatedly. Knowing that the    State of Yu would soon be destroyed, Gong Zhiqi left the State of Yu together with his    whole family.
      As expected, the    troops of the State of Jin, allowed to pass through the State of Yu, destroyed the State    of Guo and on their return  trip captured the monarch of the State of Yu who went out    personally to meet them, htus destroying the State of Yu as Well.
      This story appears    in the chapter " The Fifth Year of Duke Xi " in Zuo zhuan,the famous commentary    by Zuo Qiuming on The Spring and Autumn Annals. The set phrase " if the lips are    gone, the teeth will be cold " is used to mean that two persons or things share a    common lot and that is one fails ,the other is in danger.

rosyhorse · 2009-1-13 15:35:25

不学无术

English

　　汉武帝在位的时候，大将军霍光是朝廷举足轻重的大臣，深得武帝信任。武帝监死前，把幼子刘弗陵（昭帝）托付给霍光辅佐。昭帝去世后，霍光又立刘询做皇帝（宣帝）。霍光掌握朝政大权四十多年，为西汉王进立下了不小的功勋。

　　刘询承皇位以后，立许妃做皇后。霍光的妻子霍显，是个贪图富贵的女人，她想把自己的小女儿成君嫁给刘询做皇后，就乘许娘娘有病的机会，买通女医下毒害死了许后。毒计败露，女医下狱。此事霍光事先一点也不知道，等事情出来了，霍显才告诉他。霍光非常惊惧，指责妻子不该办这种事情。他也想去告发，但又不忍心妻子被治罪，前思后想，还是把这件伤天害理的事情隐瞒下来了。霍光死后，有人向宣帝告发此案，宣帝派人去调查处理。霍光的妻子听说了，与家人、亲信商量对策，决定召集族人策划谋反，不想走漏了风声，宣帝派兵将霍家包围，满门抄斩。

　　东汉史学家班固在《汉书·霍光传》中评论霍光的功过。说他“不学无术，暗于大理”，意思是：霍光不读书，没学识，因而不明关乎大局的道理。成语“不学无术”，指没有学问，没有本领。

Having Neither Learning Nor Skill

In the reign of Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty, Grand General Huo Guang was a minister who occupied a decisive position at court and was deeply trusted by the emperor. when Emperor Wudi was dying, he entrusted Huo Guang with the task of assisting his youngest son Liu fuelling (Emperor Zhaodi)in go verning the country. After the death of Emperor Zhaodi,Huo Guang made Liu Xun the emperor. who was Emperor Xuandi of the Han Dynasty. Controlling the imperial government for more than 40 years ,Huo Guang had rendered fairly outstanding service to the Western Han Dynasty. After Liu Xun ascended the throne, he made Imperial Concubine Xu his queen. Hankering after wealth and rank, Huo Guang's wife Huo Xian tried to make her youngest daughter Chengjun the queen of Lin Xun. So ,taking the opportunity of the queen's illness, Huo Xian bribed a woman doctor who poisoned the queen to death. The venomous scheme was brought to light,and the woman doctor was put into jail. Huo Guang knew nothing about it beforehand, and it was not until after the event that his wife told him about it. Seized with terror, Huo Guang reproached his wife for doing such a thing, He thought of reporting his wife for her crime, but at the same time did not have the beart to have her wife punished. After much hesitation, he conceited the thing offensive to God and reason in the end. After Huo Guang died,Emperor Xuandi was informed of the case. Someone was sent to investigate it. Hearing this,Huo Guang's wife discussed with her family members and trusted followers in order to find a way to deal with her family members and trusted followers in order to find a way to deal with the situation. Three decided to call the clansmen together to stage a rebellion. But the secret was divulged. Emperor Xuandi sent troops to surround Hue's home, and all the members of Hue's family were executed. Commenting on the merits and demerits of Huo Guang, historian Ban Gu(32-92) said in "The Life of Huo Guang "in his History of the Han Dynasty that Huo Guang "had neither knowledge nor skill and did not understand the major principles". That is to say, Huo Guang did not understand the truths concerning the overall situation because he did not study and had no knowledge. The set phrase" having neither knowledge nor skill" is later used to refer to being ignorant and incompetent.

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