第一篇：中国传统文化经典哲理故事(英文)4

Harmony of Human and Nature

天人合一

〖Zhuangzhou Dreamed a Butterfly〗

One day at sunset，Zhuangzi dozed off and dreamed that he turned into a butterfly．He flapped his wings and made sure enough he was a butterfly．He had such a joyful feeling as he fluttered about that he completely forgot that he was Zhuangzi．Soon though，he realized that proud butterfly was really Zhuangzi who dreamed he was a butterfly．Or was it a butterfly who dreamed he was Zhuangzi?

Maybe Zhuangzi was the butterfly，and maybe the butterfly was Zhungzi? This is what is meant by the“transformation of things．”

庄周梦蝶

一天，落日时分，庄子梦见自己变成一只蝴蝶。他扑打扑打翅膀，确信自己已经变成一只蝴蝶。这时他十分惬意，飘飘然竟完全忘记了自己是庄子。一会儿醒来，他明白了，那只骄傲的蝴蝶正是梦见自己变成蝴蝶的庄子。或许是蝴蝶做梦自己变成了庄子也未可知。

庄子是蝴蝶?亦或蝴蝶是庄子?这正是所谓的“事物转换”的道理啊!

〖A Fond Dream of Nanke〗

In the Tang Dynasty，there lived a person called Chun Yufen．One day，his friends came to celebrate his birthday，and Chun Yufen was drinking under an old pagoda tree．When he became drunk，he fell asleep．Suddenly，Chun Yufen met with two atomies who took him into a giant hole in the tree，having a ride to the great Kingdom of Pagoda．Chun Yufen found himself in a fairy world with many red gates，magnificent palaces，luxuriant pavilions and beautiful gardens．

南柯一梦

在中国唐朝，有个人叫淳于棼。一天他过生日，在门前大槐树下摆下宴席和朋友饮酒作乐，好不快活。喝醉了之后，他便睡着了。迷迷糊糊之中，他突然感觉有两个使者请他上车，马车朝大槐树下一个树洞驶去，驶向“槐安国”。

他发现树洞里另有一番仙境。有许多朱红色的大门，大门里面是华丽的宫殿，周围是亭台楼阁和美丽的花园。

The king appreciated him very much so that he was named the mayor of Nanke，a small town in the Kingdom．Soon after，he married the king’s beautiful daughter．Chun Yufen was so happy with the life there that he totally forgot his hometown．Twenty years passed，and Chun Yufen stayed as the very successful mayor of Nanke and raised a big family of five sons and two daughters．

国王非常欣赏淳于棼，封他为“南柯郡太守”。后来，国王还将公主许配给他。淳于棼与公主过得非常幸福以致完全忘了自己的家 乡。淳于棼上任南柯郡太守后，前后二十年的时间，把南柯郡治理得井井有条，还和公主生了五个儿子，两个女儿。

However, the kingdom was invaded by another country and Chun Yufen had to lead the troops to hold out the enemies．Unfortunately，his troops were defeated and his wife died．Chun Yufen decided to leave the Kingdom of Pagoda．He was sent home by the 2 atomies.As soon as he arrived home，he woke up to realize what had happened was just a dream.It was only a short nap，even though in his dream he had experienced a whole 20 years of life．

Chun Yufen’s friends were interested in his dream.They looked down the tree and found an ant nest connected to a smaller nest in the south direction.Obviously，these nests explained what“Pagoda Kingdom”and“Nanke”really were!

不料，有个国家突然入侵，淳于棼不得不率兵迎击，不过他还是打了败仗。这时公主又不幸去世了。淳于棼决定离开“槐安国”，仍是由

两名使者送行。淳于棼回到家中，突然惊醒过来，原来是一场梦。不过是小睡一会儿，而梦中经历却整整二十年。

淳于棼把梦境告诉朋友，大家感到十分有趣，一齐找到大槐树下，挖出一个很大的蚂蚁洞，旁边有孔，通向南边树枝，那里有一个小蚂 蚁洞。很显然，这就是所谓的“南柯郡”、“槐安国”！

〖The Penumbras and the Shadow〗

The penumbras asked the shadow，“A moment ago you were looking down and now you are looking up；a moment ago your hair was tied up and now it is hanging loose；a moment ago you were sitting and now you are standing；a moment ago you were walking and now you are standing still．How is all this?”

罔两问影

虚影问影子说：“你先前低着头现在仰起头，先前束着发髻现在披着头发，先前坐着现在站起，先前行走现在停下来，这是什么原因呢?”

The shadow said，“Gentlemen，why do you bother asking me such trifling questions? I do these things but I don’t know why．Am I like the shell of a cicada or am I like the slough of a snake? I look like the real thing，but I am not the real thing．I appear with the flame or the sun，but fade with the shade or the night．

影子同答：“你为什么拿这样微不足道的事情烦我呢?我就是这样地随意运动，我自己也不知道为什么会是这样。我，就如同寒蝉蜕下来的壳、蛇蜕下来的皮，跟那本体事物相似却又不是那事物本身。火光与阳光使我显现，阴暗与黑夜使我隐形。

Do I depend on the real thing? But the real thing itself has to depend on something else!when the real thing comes，I come with it;when the real thing goes, I go with it;when the real thing moves to and fro，I move to and fro with it.What is there to ask about?”

我依赖有形的事物吗?而有形的事物又依赖什么呢?有形的物体到来我便随之而来，有形的物体离去我也随之而去，有形的物体俳徊不定我就随之不停地运动。这有什么可问的呢?”

〖Lips Gone，Teeth Cold〗

The King of Jin was going to attack Guo，a state on the other side of Jin’s neighbor country Yu．The Jin troops had to have Yu’s permission to go through its territory，which，most likely，the King of Yu would refuse．The King of Jin could not work out a plan．One day，Xun Xi，one of his ministers，put forward a suggestion，“Your Majesty，if you send your most precious gifts to the King of Yu，he will probably be bribed into giving consent．”

唇亡齿寒

晋国的国君想要攻打虢国，但隔着一个虞国，讨伐虢国必须经过虞地。对此，虞国的国君可能会拒绝。晋君一直没能想出个好办法。一天，大臣荀息献计说：“大王，如果您能将珍宝献给虞国，他不会不答应借道的。”

The King of Jin looked reluctant，so Xun Xi said，“Even if he accepts the gifts，it doesn’t mean that he possesses them，as they will soon be taken back by us．Then what is there to be worried about?”Thus the King of Jin took up his plan．

晋献公一听有点舍不得，荀息就说：“即使他接受了礼物，也不意味着他就会拥有它们，很快，我们还会把它们拿回来的。您担心什么呢?”晋献公采纳了荀息的计策。

The King of Yu agreed at once as soon as he saw the gifts.But Gong Zhiqi，a minister of Yu，took objection to it，saying，“Guo is our neighbor country，our reliable friend, and the relationship between us is just like that between lips and teeth.As an old saying goes,‘when the lips are gone，the teeth will feel cold’，so will our country be in danger when Guo is conquered．If we let the Jin troops pass，the gap between Guo's destruction and ours is only a period of morning to evening．”But Gong’s advice was rejected.What happened thereafter just proved what Gong had said.虞国国君见到礼物，当时就满口答应下来。虞国大夫宫之奇听说后，赶快阻止道：“虢国是虞国的近邻，有事可以彼此帮助，我们之间就好像嘴唇和牙齿之间的关系。俗话说：‘唇亡齿亡’，万一虢国灭了，我们虞国也就难保了。如果我们借道给晋国，那么虢国和虞国的灭亡就是旦夕之间的事了。”但虞国国君没有听从宫之奇的劝说，结果不久晋国就灭掉了虢国和虞国。

〖Perfectly Impartial〗

King Jin Pinggong once asked his minister Qi Huangyang，“I am going to appoint a magistrate and send him to govern Nanyang County．Who do you think will fit the of-fice?”

Qi answered without hesitation，“Xie Hu may be the choice．”

The King feit surprised and said，“Isn’t Xie Hu your personal enemy?”

大公无私

晋平公有一次问大臣祁黄羊说：“南阳县缺个县长，你看，应该派谁去当比较合适呢?”

祁黄羊毫不迟疑地同答说：“解狐。”

平公惊奇地问：“解狐不是你的仇人吗?”

“Yes，”Qi replied，“but Your Majesty，you ask me who will fit the post，not who is my enemy．”

So Xie Hu took office，and he did do a lot of good things for common people in：Nanyang County．

Some time later when the King inquired who could take command of the army，Qi responded readily，“Qi Wu is most suited．”

The King was puzzled again，said，“Well，I wonder if Qi Wu is your son．”

祁黄羊回答说：“是的，但陛下问我谁合适，并没有问谁是我的仇人呀!”

于是，解狐就被派到南阳县上任了。到任后，他确实为百姓办了许多好事。

过了一些日子，当平公需要一个人去指挥军队的时候，祁黄羊说：“祁午能够胜任。”

平公又奇怪起来了，问道：“祁午不是你的儿子吗?”

“Yes，he is，”Qi answered，“but what has that to do with the point at this issue? Your Majesty，you just ask who is competent as a general，and I aired my opinion．”

So Qi Wu was appointed a general，which later proved one of the wisest appoint-ments．

Hearing about this，Confucius spoke highly of Qi for his recommendation in consid-eration of one’s virtue and talent，brushing aside any thought of whether one was his en-emy or relative．He said that it was really perfectly impartial．

祁黄羊说：“是的，但这和推荐有什么关系呢?您只问我谁可以胜任，我就表达了我的想法。”

平公就派了祁午去做指挥官，他的表现，证明了这是一个最明智的选择。

孔子听到这两件事，十分赞赏祁黄羊“内举不避亲，外举不避仇”的荐才标准，并且说：“这才够得上‘大公无私’呀!”

〖Every Word Counts〗

During the Warring States Period，the troops of the State of Qin surrounded Han Dan city，the capital of the State of Zhao，and the situation was very critical．So the King of Zhao sent Lord Ping Yuan to the State of Chu for help．Lord Ping Yuan intended to lead twenty assistants to accomplish this mission．Nineteen qualified people were select-ed，and one more was needed．At this time，Mao Sui volunteered to forward a plea to go with Lord Ping Yuan．Although Lord Ping Yuan was dubious about his capability，he still asked Mao Sui to go with them in the end．

一言九鼎

战国时，秦国的军队团团包围了赵国的都城邯郸，形势十分危急，赵国国君派平原君到楚国去求援。平原君打算带领二十名门客前去完成这项使命。已挑了十九名，尚少一个定不下来。这时，毛遂自告奋勇提出要去，平原君虽然对他的能力有所怀疑，但最终还是带着他一起前往了楚国。

As soon as Lord Ping Yuan arrived in the State of Chu，he started to lobby for Chu’s support，but made no progress．Accordingly，Mao Sui said to the King of Chu，“We come here to ask you to send relief forces，but you did not utter a word．Please don’t for-get，although you are stronger than us，you have lost many battles and even your capital.From my point of view，uniting Zhao against Qin is more urgent for you．”Mao Sui’s comments made the King of Chu State sincerely convinced，and promised to send refief forces immediately．

平原君到了楚国后，立即与楚王谈及“援赵”之事，谈了半天也毫无结果。这时，毛遂对楚王说：“我们来请你派兵援助，你却一言不发。别忘了，虽然楚国比赵国强大，却连连吃败仗，连国都也丢掉了，依我看，楚国比赵国更需要联合起来抗秦呀!”毛遂的一席话说得楚王心服口服，立即答应出兵援赵。

After Lord Ping Yuan came back to the State of Zhao，he said with emotion：“Mao Sui’s words are more important than nine huge tripods．”

平原君回到赵国后感慨地说：“毛遂的一席话真是重于九鼎大吕。”

〖Cast a Brick to Attract Jade〗

In the Tang Dynasty，there were two poets．One was called Chang Jian and the oth-er，s name was Zhao Gu．Zhao Gu’s poems were much appreciated by Chang Jian.Once Zhao Gu was going to Suzhou．When hearing Zhao Gu would visit Lingyan Temple，抛砖引玉

唐代有两个诗人，一个叫常健，一个叫赵嘏。

常健很仰慕赵暇的诗才。一次，赵嘏要去苏州。当常健听说他会去灵岩寺时，使先赶到灵岩，Chang Jian went there．first and wrote two lines of a poem on a conspeincus wall in hope of Zhao’s completion.Soon after,Zhao Gu arrived at hte temple.He noticed the incom-plete poem on the wall immediately and completed the poem．Chang Jian’s first two sen-在一面显眼的墙上题写了两行诗，希望赵嘏看到后能续成一首。不久赵嘏到了灵岩寺，他一眼就看到了墙上不完整的诗，便续上一两行，tences were not as good as Zhao Gu’s，but he stimulated Zhao to write down excellent ones．People call it an action of“to casting a brick to attract jade”，which refers to putting forth one’s superficial suggestion or article in order to draw out others’better views or works．

将诗补充完整。常健的诗没有赵嘏写得好，却能引出赵嘏的佳句。后来的人，就把这种做法叫作“抛砖引玉”，以此比喻用粗浅的意见或文章引发别人发表更高明的见解或作品。

〖A Sigh of River〗

At the time of autumn floods when hundreds of streams poured into the Yellow Riv-er．the torrents were so violent that it was impossible to distinguish an ox from a horse from the other side of the river．Then the River God was overwhelmed with joy，feeling that all the beauty under the heaven belonged to him alone．Down the river he traveled east until he reached the North Sea．Looking eastwards at the boundless expanse of wa-ter，he changed his countenance and sighed to the Sea God，saying，“As the popular say-ing goes，‘There are men who have heard a little about Tao but still think that no one can surpass them．’I am one of such men．”

望洋兴叹

秋汛的季节到了，无数条溪流汇入黄河，河水猛涨，河面宽得连对岸的牛马都辨不清。这样一来，河伯就洋洋自得起来了，以为世界上

所有壮丽的景色都集中在自己身上了。他顺看河水向东行，一直来到北海，向东一望，一片辽阔的大海，看不见水的边际。这时，河伯才改变了他骄傲的神态，望着海洋感慨地说：“俗话说‘有人的只学到分之一的道理，就以为谁也比不上自己’，我正是这样的人啊！”

Nature of Doctrine and law

道法自然

〖Make Dresses according to Measurements〗

It’s said that in the past days there was a tailor in Beijing City.When he made dresses for people，apart from asking their size，he also would like to ask the customers’disposition，age，the time when they passed the imperial examination and so on．The

量体裁衣

传说以前北京城里有个裁缝，在替人做衣服时，除了量身材尺寸外，还要询问对方的性情、年纪以及中举时间等等。人们感到奇怪，folks felt strange and asked him why．He said，“If a man passed the imperial examination at a young age，he must become arrogant，and hold his head high when he walks，so I need to make the front of clothes longer than the back；on the contrary，a man who passed the imperial examination at an old age will not feel so excited．He always be 问他为什么要这样。他说：如果是青年中举，必定性情骄傲，走起路来抬头挺胸，因此衣服要做得前长后短；如果是老年中举，大都没那

his back when walking,so the front of his clothes should be made a little bit shorter.The quick temper prefers shorter clothes；whereas the slow temper prefers longer clothes.” Later，this idiom describes somebody who can deal with different problems according to different situations.么兴奋，走路不免弯腰曲背，衣服就要做得前短后长；性情急躁的，衣服要做得短；性子慢的，衣服应做得长些。后来“量体裁衣”这个成语泛指人们根据具体的情况处理问题。

〖Duke Lu Raised a Seabird〗

A seabird was once seen perching on the city gate of the capital of Lu．Nobody had seen such a bird before，so they called it the“holy bird．”

鲁侯养鸟

从前有只海鸟，在鲁国城门上栖息。因为从来没有人见过这种鸟，所以人们都叫它“神鸟”。

Duke Lu ordered his men to capture the seabird alive．They kept it in a golden cage and brought it to the Imperial Ancestral Temple．Duke Lu treated the seabird as though it were his guest of honor．Each day there would be banquets where dainties and delicacies of every kind would be offered to the seabird．Even the Duke Lu’s musicians had to per-form for the seabird’s sole amusement．

鲁侯命侍从活捉海鸟。侍从将海鸟关在金笼内，并放在太庙里供养。鲁侯视海鸟如国宾。每天都有各式各样的珍馐百味供海鸟 品尝，甚至鲁侯的乐师，也要为海鸟演奏。

But the seabird was terrified by all this grandness.It became so frightened and sad that it dared not eat or drink．After three days,it died.Duke Lu thought that he had beena good host to his guest．Why not? He was treating the seabird the same way he treated himself.可是，海鸟却被这些豪华排场所吓倒，心里既惊慌又悲痛，不敢饮食，过了三天，终于死去。鲁侯以为他款待海鸟已十分周到。可不是

吗？他是用对待自己的方法去对待海鸟的。

〖Grappling between a Snipe and a Clam〗

A clam was lying on the edge of the water with her shell open to enjoy the sun.The sweet flesh Of the clam attracted a snipe strolling along the river bank.鹬蚌相争

一只河蚌躺在河滩上张开壳儿晒太阳。河蚌鲜美的肉吸引了一只沿着河岸散步的鹬鸟。

The snipe at once pounced on the clam and pecked her flesh．Swiftly the clam folded her shell and clamped down on the snipe’s bill tightly．Then each one was handicapped by the other，and neither could move an inch．The snipe sneered，“If it doesn’t rain for a couple of days，let’s wait to see what will become of you!”The clam retort,“Surely in the same time you will either starve to death or thirst to death．”

鹬鸟立刻扑过来啄河蚌的肉，蚌灵敏地合拢了自己坚硬的壳，把鹬鸟尖尖的长嘴紧紧夹住。现在，他们都被对方钳制住了，动弹不得。鹬

对蚌说：“今天不下雨，明天不下雨，你就会晒死。”蚌也对鹬说：“你的嘴今天拔不出，明天拔不出，你就要渴死饿死!”

So they argued and abused each other for quite a long time，neither ready to give in．Just then，a fisherman happened to pass by.He saw the snipe and the clam，and to his delight，he caught them both with the greatest ease．

鹬和蚌就这样争吵咒骂了半天，谁也不肯让步。这时，一个渔翁碰巧打这儿经过，看到这一情景，十分高兴，跑过去毫不费力地把他们都捉住了。

〖Ready Images of Bamboo in Bosom〗

Wen Tong who styled himself Yuke was an artist in the Song Dynasty.He enjoyed widespread renown for his bamboo painting．Every day many people always called at his home to ask for his paintings．What was his knack of painting bamboos? Actually，wen Tong had grown various bamboos everywhere around his house.No matter what season it was and no matter whether it was sunny or rainy，he often went to observe how they

胸有成竹

宋代画家文同，字与可。他画的竹子远近闻名，每天总有许多人登门求画。文同画竹的妙诀在哪里呢?原来，文同在自己家的房前屋后

种上了各种竹子。无论春夏秋冬，阴晴风雨，他都经常去观察竹子

were growing.He pondered over the length and breadth of the bamboo poles as well as the shapes and colors of the leaves．Whenever he had gained a new understanding, he went back to his study and drew what was in his mind on the paper．Over a long period of time，the images of bamboos 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 bamboos which he had observed at ordinary days at once rose before his eyes．Therefore every time he was painting bamboos he appeared confident and at ease, and all the bamboos he had painted were very vivid and true to life． 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，把心中的印象画在纸上。日积月累，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，他都很从容自信，画出的竹子，无不逼真传神。

The poet Chao Buzhi who had made a profound study of Wen Tong’s art of paintings wrote：“When Yuke was painting bamboos，he had their images ready in his bosom.”

The idiom indicates having ready plans or designs in one’s mind before doing a certain job so that its success is guaranteed.诗人晁补之对文同的画很有研究，曾写下诗句：“与可画竹，胸中有成竹。”

“胸有成竹”比喻做事之前已作好充分准备，对成功十分有把握。

〖Old Horse Knows the Way〗

During the Spring and Autumn Period，King Huan of Qi invaded the State of Guzhu．

The army was stuck in Guzhu for a whole year．Spring passed and winter came． When Qi’s soldiers finally conquered Guzhu，they got lost and couldn’t find their way back to the State of Qi．

Qi’s minister Guan Zhong came up with an idea．He let the soldiers take out sever-al old horses to lead the way．The army followed the horses closely，and finally made their way out of Guzhu and back to their homeland．

老马识途

春秋时期，齐国国王齐桓公带兵攻打孤竹国。

齐国大军在孤竹国困了整整一年的时间。春去冬来，当齐军终于打败了孤竹国的时候，却发现他们迷失了方向，找不到回齐国的路了。

这时候，大臣管仲想出了个办法。他让士兵牵出几匹老马在前面带路。大军紧紧地跟在后面，就这样终于走出了孤竹国，回到了故乡。

〖Impossible to Carve in Rotten Wood〗

Confucius is a great educationist during the Spring and Autumn Period．One of his students appeared impressive in every word he said which was closely reasoned and well argued．Confucius thought that this student would make great achievements in the future． But before long the student exposed his laziness．

朽木难雕

孔子是春秋时期一位伟大的教育家。他有一个学生，说起话来头头是道，很有自己的理论和见解。孔子以为这个学生日后会有很大的成就。可不久后，这个学生就暴露出懒惰的毛病。

One day he was sleeping soundly in his room as Confucius was giving lessons．Con-fucius felt very sorry at it and said：“It is impossible to carve in rotten wood．The same goes for painting walls made of dung and dirt．What he says doesn’t aword with what he does．He has taught me a lesson that I should value a student through his practical con-duct instead of his words．”

有一天，孔子在给学生讲课，这个学生却在房间里睡大觉。孔子知道后很难过，他说：“朽烂的木头是不能雕刻的，粪土一样的墙壁是

粉刷不了的。那是一个说话与行为不一致的学生。他给了我一个教训：我应该以实际行为而不是言谈来评价学生”。

Later,people use this phrase “Xiu Mu Nan Diao”(impossible to carve in rotten wood)to describe a hopeless person who is not likely to be improved by education.后来，人们用这个成语“朽木难雕”比喻那难以教化、不能造就成才的人。

immense image without Shape

大象无形

〖Never Trust Appearance〗

In the State of Zhao，there was once a scholar by the name of Gongsun Long．“I don’t keep company with people who have no talents，”he told his disciples.One day a man dressed in rags came up to him saying，“Please take me as your disciple.”After looking the man up and down，Gongsun Long said，“Tell me about your talents.”

不可貌相

赵国有个学者名字叫公孙龙。他曾对弟子说：“我不会和没有本领的人交往。”一天，有个衣衫褴褛的人，走上前对他说：“请您收我做

徒弟吧!”公孙龙打量了那人一番，问道：“你有何本领?”

“Well,”said the man，“I have a loud voice which can travel very far．”Is there any-one among you who has a loud voice?”Gongsun Long asked his disciples．“No，sir!” they replied.Gongsun Long took the man as his disciple．His other disciples were laugh-ing．“What is the use of a loud voice?”they sneered．

那人回答说：“我有一个洪亮的嗓音，它能传得很远。”公孙龙问弟子道：“你们当中有没有声音洪亮的?”弟子回答说：“没 有。”于是公孙龙收那人做徒弟。其他弟子窃窃私语，还嘲笑道：“声音洪亮有什么用?”

A few days later，Gongsun Long and his disciples had to make a trip to the State of Yan．They had to cross a wide river．However，there was only one boat lying on the dis-tant shore．Gongsun Long told his new disciple to prove his talent.The man gladly heed-ed the request and yelled loudly．Very soon the boat was rowed over to ferry them all.过了几天，公孙龙和弟子们要到燕国去。他们来到一条大河前，可是岸边却没有渡船，只有一艘船停泊在远远的对岸。公孙龙就令新弟

了施展其技。新弟子欣然答允，便大喊一声。很快，那艘渡船就划了过求，载他们渡河去。

〖Two Concubines〗

Yangzi went to the State of Song and spent the night in an inn．The innkeeper had two concubines．One was very beautiful；the other was very ugly．The ugly one was fa-vored；the beautiful one，on the contrary，was not favored．Yangzi asked why this was．The innkeeper replied，“The beautiful concubine considers herself very beautiful，but I certainly do not think she is beautiful．The ugly concubine considers herself very ugly but I certainly do not think she is ugly．”Yangzi said，“Disciples，remember these words，if a person can do virtuous deeds while ridding himself of any feelings of conceit，then where could he go without being welcomed?”

逆旅二妾

阳子到宋国去，住在旅馆里。旅馆的主人有两个姨太太，一个很美丽，另一个很丑陋。丑的受宠，美的反倒不受宠。阳子问店主为什 么会是这样，店主回答说：“那个美的觉得她自己很美，可是我并不感到她美；那个丑的觉得她自己很丑，可是我并不感到她丑。”阳子说：

“徒弟们记住这句话，要是一个人做高尚的事，又没有觉得自己很高尚的心理，那么他到哪儿都会受到欢迎的。”

〖The Frog in the Shallow Well〗

A frog who lived in a shallow well met a turtle who lived in the sea．The Frog said，“I am so happy!When I go out．I jump about on the railing beside the well．When I come home，I rest in the holes on the broken wall of the well．If I jump into the water，it comes up to my armpits and holds up my cheeks．If I walk in the mud，it cover up my feet．I look around at the wriggly worms，crabs and tadpoles，and none of them can compare with

井底之蛙

一只青蛙住在井里。有一天，青蛙在井边遇上了一只从海里来的大龟。青蛙就对大龟夸口说：“你看，我住在这里多么快乐啊!高兴的时

候，可以在井栏边跳跃玩耍；疲倦的时候，就回到井里睡在砖洞里。如果我跳入水中，水流穿过我的腋窝，支撑我的头部。如果我在泥地上走，泥浆便盖过我的脚面。我看看周围的蚯蚓啦、螃蟹啦、还有蝌蚪

me．Moreover，I am the lord of this trough of water and I stand tall in this shallow well． My happiness is full．My dear turtle，why don’t you come often and take a look around my place?”

Before the turtle from the sea could get its left foot in the well，its right knee got stuck．It hesitated and retreated．The turtle told the frog： 等，他们哪里能跟我比呢? 我是这个井里的主人，自由自在的好不逍遥快乐!亲爱的海龟，你常到我的井里来游玩吧!”

大龟试着把它的左脚伸进井里去，但是右腿已经被绊住了。它踟躇着退却下来，对青蛙说：

“Have you seen the sea before?Even a distance of a thousand li cannot give you an idea of the sea’s width；even a height of a thousand zhang cannot give you an idea of its depth．In the time of the Xia Dynasty，there were floods nine years out of ten，but the wa-ters in the sea did not increase much．In the time of the Shang Dynasty there were droughts seven Years out of eight，but the waters in the sea did not decrease much.The real happiness is to live in the sea．”

Hearing these words．the frog of the shallow well was shocked into realizing his own insignificance．

“你见过大海吗?海的广大，何止千里；海的深度，何止千丈。夏朝的时候，每十年中有九年发大水，但是海里的水并不涨；到后来商

朝，每八年中有七年大旱，海里的水，也没有少了多少。住在大海里，才是真正的快乐呢!”

青蛙听了海龟的话，吃惊不小，开始认识到自己的浅薄和无知。

〖Yu Gong Removed the Mountains〗

Taihang and Wangwu are two mountains，with an area of seven hundred square li and a great height of thousands of zhang.North of the mountains lived an old man called Yugong who was nearly ninety vears old．Since his home faced the two mountains，he was troubled by the fact that they blocked the way of the inhabitants who had to take a roundabout route.He gathered his families together to discuss the matter．“Let us do everything in our power to flatten these forbidding mountains so that there is a direct route to the south of Yuzhou reaching the southem bank of the Han River．What do you say?”Everyone applauded his suggestion.愚公移山

太行、王屋两座山，方圆七百里，高数万丈。

北山住着一个名叫愚公的老人，年纪将近九十岁了。他的家门正面对着这两座大山。愚公苦于道路阻塞，出去进来都要绕远路，便召集全家人商量说：“我和你们尽力挖平两座大山，直通到豫州南部，到达汉水南岸，好吗?”大家纷纷表示赞同。

Therefore，Yugong took three sons and grandsons who could carry a load on their shoulders．They broke up rocks and dug up mounds of earth which were transported to the edge of the Bo Sea in baskets．

An old man called Zhisou who lived in Hequ，near a bank of a branch of the Yellow River，was amused and dissuaded Yugong，“How can you be so foolish?With your ad-vanced years and the little strength that you have left，you cannot even destroy a blade of grass on the mountain，not to speak of its earth and stone．”

愚公于是带领子孙中能挑担子的三个儿子和孙子们干了起来。凿石头，挖泥土，用畚箕运送到渤海的边上。

住在黄河支流边河曲的一个名字叫智叟的老人笑着阻止愚公说：“你怎么那么傻呀，凭你的有生之年和余力，尚不能毁掉山上的草木，更不用说泥土和石头啦!”

Yugong heaved a long sigh．“Though I die，my son lives on.Sons follow sons and grandsons follow sons．My sons and grandsons go on and on without end，but the moun-tains will not grow in size．Then why worry about not being able to flatten them?” Zhisou of Hequ was bereft of speech．

God was movedby Yugong’s sincerity and commanded the two sons of Kua’eshi to carry away the two mountains on their backs：one was put east of Shuozhou and the other south of Yongzhou．From that time onwards no mountain stood between the south of Yuzhou and the southern bank of the Han River.愚公长叹一声说：“即使我死了，还有儿子在呀；儿子又生孙子，孙子又生儿子；子子孙孙没有穷尽的，可是山不会增高加大，何愁挖不平它们呢?”河曲智叟没有话来回答。

天帝被愚公的诚心感动，命令夸娥氏的两个儿子背走两座山，一座放在朔州的东部，一座放在雍州的南部。从此以后，从豫州的南部，直

到汉水的南面，再也没有大山挡路了。

〖Showing off One’s Skill before Lu Ban〗

In ancient times，Lu Ban was supposed to be a consummate master in construction and sculpture．Carpenters respect him as their ancestor master．It is said that he once carved a colorful wooden phoenix that was so lifelike that it actually flew in the sky for three days．Thus it was considered the height of folly to show off one’s skill with an axe in front of Lu Ban．

This idiom excoriates those who show off their slight accomplishments in front of experts．

班门弄斧

从古代时起，鲁班被认为是一个建筑与雕塑方面的艺术大师，木匠们把鲁班奉为他们的始祖。据说，他曾经惟妙惟肖地雕刻出一个木凤

凰，木凤凰栩栩如生竟然真的在天上飞了三天。谁敢在鲁班面前卖弄使用斧子的技术，也就是说，想在大行家面前显示自己的本领，被 人们认为是十分荒唐可笑的行为。

这个成语用来讽刺那些在专家面前卖弄的人。

〖Mr．Dong Guo〗

Mr．Dongguo was a very kind scholar who enjoyed helping people.One day，Mr.Dongguo was walking on the road，carrying a full bag of books．Suddenly，he saw a wolf running towards him．The wolf said to Mr．Dongguo，“Help，please!Somebody wants to kill me．”

东郭先生

东郭先生是一个仁慈的学者，很乐于助人。一天，他背着书袋在路上走着。忽然，从后面跑来一只狼。狼对东郭先生说：“先生，救救我吧!有人要杀我!”

So Mr．Dongguo took the books out of the bag，and let the wolf get in．Soon，a man came and asked，“Is there a wolf here?”Mr．Dongguo said，“No，there isn’t．”

After the man went away，the wolf cried，“Let me out!”Mr．Dongguo let the wolf out，but the wolf said，“Mr．Dongguo，I’m hungry，I must eat you!”

At this moment，a farmer came along．Mr．Dongguo told him what happened and asked him for heip．However，the wolf said to the farmer，“Mr．Dongguo put me into his bag．which almost choked me．Shouldn’t I eat him?”

于是东郭先生倒出口袋里的书，把狼藏了进去。

不一会儿，一个人找了来，问东郭先生：“看见一只狼没有?”东郭先生说：“我 没看见。”

猎人走了，狼在口袋里喊到：“让我出去!”东郭先生把它放了出来。狼嚷道：“我要饿死了，东郭先生，我要吃了你!”

这时有个农夫走过来。东郭先生急忙把事情的经过告诉他，求他救命。狼却对农夫说：“他把我装进口袋，差点把我闷死。我不应该 吃他吗?”

The farmer said，“The bag is so small，you are so big，how could you fit in it?”The wolf said，“OK，let me show you．”Mr．Dongguo put the wolf into the bag for the second time．The farmer said to Mr．Dongguo，“Now hurry，seal the bag and kill it with a shovel． How could you be kind to a wolf?No wolf is good．”

农夫对狼说：“那么小的口袋怎么能装得下你?”狼说：“好吧，我给你看看是怎么装的。”它让东郭先生再次把它装进口袋。这时农夫说：“快，把口袋扎紧，用铁锹把它打死。你对狼怎么能讲仁慈? 狼都不是好东西!”

〖Please Come into the Vat〗

In order to suppress those who were against her，Wu Zetian，the Empress of Tang Dynasty，appointed a few merciless persons to be judges．Two of them were extremely brutal：one was Zhou Xing and the other was Lai Junchen．Empress Wu once received a letter which informed against Zhou Xing for plotting a rebellion in collaboration with others．She was furiously angry when she read the letter，and immediately ordered Lai Junchen to deal with the case severely．

请君入瓮

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。有一回，武则天收到一封信，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。

Lai Junchen knew that Zhou Xing could not be forced to tell the truth merely by a letter because he was very sly and crafty．So Lai Junchen had prepared a sumptuous feast，and invited Zhou Xing to his home．Both of them urged each other to drink，and they talked while drinking．Lai Junchen pretended to sigh，“When I handle cases in ordi-nary days，I often come across prisoners who stubbornly refuse to admit their guilt．I wonder if you have any effective measures．”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 refuse to make a confession of his crime?”Lai Junchen nodded his

来俊臣知道周兴狡猾奸诈，仅凭一封信，是无法让他说实话的。于是，来俊臣准备了一桌丰盛的酒席，把周兴请到家里。两个人你劝我

喝，边喝边聊。来俊臣假装叹气说：“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，他还会不招供吗?”来俊

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．And then he said，“Someone in the imperial court has informed against you for 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 knelt down，kowtowed repeatedly and said，“I am guilty．I confess I am guilty．”

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，连连磕头说：“我有罪，我招供。”

〖Crossing a River in the Same Boat〗

In ancient times，wars often broke out between two neighboring countries．As a re-sult，their people regarded the other side as enemies．

同舟共济

古时候，有两个相邻的国家经常打仗，两国的人民也互相将对方视为仇人。

Once，the people from the two sides were crossing a river in the same boat．The boat was about to set out when some passengers recognized their enemies．The two groups clenched their fists at once and glared at each other．A fighting was ready to explode.When the boat reached the center of the river，the wind suddenly became strong and soon it began to rain heavily．The wooden boat was thrown up and down among the waves and appeared to be bottomed up at any moment．At the moment of life and death，the people in the boat got rid of their hatred．In order to survive the disaster，they worked in union with one mind and managed to stabilize the boat in the rough water．Thanks to everyone’s united effort，the boat finally arrived at the opposite bank safely．

有一次，两群人乘坐同一条船渡河。船快要开的时候，乘客才发现对方是敌国的人。一时间，两群人都握紧了拳头，互相瞪着对方，一副要打架的样子。船行驶到河中间时，突然刮起了大风，下起了暴雨。木船在大浪中被抛来抛去，眼看就要翻船了。这时，船上的人 为了保住性命，都顾不得那么多了，完全忘了彼此是敌人，大家一条心紧密配合，在风浪中稳住了船身。在全船人的齐心协力下，船终于 安全到达了河对岸。

Later，this idiom figuratively means that people cooperate with each other to go through the hard time and overcome the hardship in times of danger．

于是，人们后来常用“同舟共济”这个成语比喻在危急的环境中，大家同心协力，渡过难关、战胜困难。

Devise Strovtegies

运筹帷幄

〖Everything Was Ready except the East Wind〗

The Story happened during the Period of the Three Kindoms．Once Cao Cao from wei led a 200，000 strong army down to the south to wipe out the kingdoms Of Wu and shu．Therefore，wu and Shu united to defend his attack．Cao ordered his men to link up the boats by iron chains to form a bridge for the Cao’s passing from the north bank of Yangtze River to the south bank．The General Commander of the allied army was Zhou

万事俱备，只欠东风

故事发生在三国时期。有一次，魏国的曹操带了二十万精兵南下攻打吴国和蜀国，准备消灭它们。为了应敌，吴国利蜀国结成同盟国。曹军驻扎在长江北岸。曹操让手下用铁链将战船连在一起，好让曹军渡江攻打南岸的盟军。盟军由吴国将领周瑜带领。他仔细分析了形势，Yu.He analyzed the situation carefully．Then he got a good idea．He decided to attack the enemy with fire．So he began to prepare for the coming battle．Suddenly he thought of the direction of wind．He needed the east wind to blow strongly in order to accomplish his scheme．However，the wind did not come for days．Thus Zhou Yu was worried about it．At that time，he got a note from Zhuge Liang，the military adviser of the State of Shu, which reads：

“To fight Cao Cao，fire will help you win．Everything is ready except the east wind．”

最后决定用火烧掉敌人的船。于是，他开始准备一切，当他将一切准备好时，发现还需要东风。可连续几天都没有东风，周瑜急得病倒了。这时，蜀国的军师诸葛亮叫人送了一张纸条给他，上面写着：

“要赢曹操，须用火攻。万事俱备，只欠东风。”

Quickly he turned to Zhuge Liang for help.Zhuge Liang told him not to worry and there would be an east wind in a couple of days．Two days later，the east wind helped Zhou accomplish his scheme．At last,the allied army won the war.Later，people use this idiom to mean“all is ready except what is crucial”.周瑜收到后，立刻向诸葛亮求助。诸葛亮叫周瑜不要着急，两天后，将有东风。果然，两天后，刮起东风。周瑜趁这个机会将曹军的 战船烧毁，最后，曹操被打败了。

后来，人们用这个成语来比喻样样都准备好了，只差最后一个重要条件。

〖To Lower the Banners and Silence the Drums〗

In me Three Kingdoms Period，during a battle between Cao Cao and Liu Bei，the latter ordered his generals Zhao Yun and Huang Zhong to capture Cao Cao’s supplies.Cao Cao led a large force against Zhao Yun，who retreated as far as the gates ofhis camp.There,he ordered that the banners be lowered and the war drums silenced，and that the camp gates be left wide open．Zhao Yun then stationed his troops in ambush nearly.When Cao Cao arrived and saw the situation，he immediately suspected a trap and with-drew his forces．

This idiom is nowadays used to indicate metaphorically halting an attack or ceasing all activities．

偃旗息鼓

三国时代，一次曹操与刘备交战。刘备命令大将赵云、黄忠去抢夺曹操的粮草。曹操带领大军追赶赵云。赵云一直退到营寨前，叫士兵

打开营门，放倒军旗，停止擂鼓，在营外设好埋伏。曹军追到，看到这种情景，怀疑有埋伏，就撤退了。

“偃旗息鼓”这个成语现在用来比喻停止攻击或者事情中止。

〖Rousing the Spirits with the First Drum Roll〗

During the Spring and Autumn Period，an army from the State of Qi confronted one from the State of Lu．The King Zhuang of Lu and counselor Cao Gui were the generals of the battle．

一鼓作气

春秋时期，齐国派兵攻打鲁国。鲁国的国王鲁庄公带着谋士曹刿指桎作战。

After the first roll of drums from the Qi side to summon Lu to battle，the King of Lu wanied to attack.But his counselor Cao Gui said，“We should wait until the third drum roll,your Majesty．”After the Qi side had beaten the drums three times，the Lu at-tacked and defeated the Qi army．After the battle，the King asked Cao Gui the reason for his odd advice．Cao Gui answered，“Fighting needs spirit．Their spirit was aroused by the first roll of the drums，but was depleted by the second．And it was completely ex-hausted by the third．We started to attack when their spirit was exhausted．That’s why we

齐军第一次击鼓以后，鲁王准备发起进攻。曹刿却说：“不行，等齐军击鼓三次后再进攻。”齐军三次击鼓以后，曹刿才指挥进攻。结果齐军大败。战斗结束后，鲁庄公问曹刿为什么提出这样奇怪的建议。曹刿回答说：“打仗要靠勇气。第一次击鼓，士气十分旺盛；第二次击

鼓，士气有些衰落；第三次击鼓，士气就消耗尽了。敌人士气耗尽，我们发起进攻，所以取得了胜利。”

后来，“一鼓作气”形容做事情要鼓足勇气，一气呵成。

〖Retreating about Thirty Miles as Condition for Peace〗

During the Spring and Autumn Period，Duke Xian of the State of Jin killed the crown prince Shen Sheng because he had heard slander about Shen Sheng and believed it.He also sent his men to arrest Chong Er，Shen Sheng’s bs other．After hearing the news，Chong Er escaped from the State of Jin，remaining a fugitive for more than ten years．After innumerable hardships，Chong Er arrived at the State of Chu at last.King Cheng of the State of Chu treated him with high respect as he would have treated the ruler of a state，believing that he would have a bright future．

退避三舍

春秋时期，晋献公听信谗言，杀了太子申生，又派人捉拿申生的弟弟重耳。重耳闻讯，逃出了晋国，在外流亡十几年。经过千辛万苦，重耳来到楚国。楚成王认为重耳口后必有大作为，就以国君之礼相迎，待他如上宾。

King Cheng of the State of Chu gave a banquet in honor of Chong Er．Suddenly, amid the harmonious atmosphere of drinking and talking，King Cheng of the State of Chu asked Chong Er，“How will you repay me when you return to the State of Jin and become its ruler one day?”Chong Er answered，“If I should be fortunate enough to return to the State of Jin and become its ruler，the State of Jin would be friendly to the State Chu．If,one day，there should be a war between the two states，I would definitely order my troops to retreat thirty miles as a condition for peace．If,under that condition，you were still not reconciled，then I would fight with you．”

楚成王设宴招待重耳，两人饮酒叙话，气氛十分融洽。忽然楚成王问重耳：“你若有一天回晋国当上国君，该怎么报答我呢?”重耳 笑笑回答道：“要是托您的福，果真能回国当政的话，我愿与贵国友好。假如有一天，晋楚两国之间发生战争，我一定命令军队先退避三 舍，如果还不能得到您的原谅，我再与您交战。”

Four years later，as might be expected，Chong Er returned to the State of Jin and be-came its ruler．He was the famous Duke Wen in history books．Under his management，the State of Jin became increasingly powerful．In the year 633 B．C．，the Chu troops and the Jin troops confronted each other in a battle．Faithful to his promise，Duke Wen of the State of Jin ordered his troops to retreat about thirty miles，before he fought back and de-feated the Chu army．

四年后，重耳如期回到晋国当了国君，即历史上有名的晋文公。晋国在他的治理下日益强大。公元前633年，楚国和晋国的军队在作战

时相遇。晋文公为了实现他许下的诺言，下令军队后退二十里，后来反击，大败楚军。

〖Like a Raging Fire〗

During the Spring and Autumn Period，Duke Fu Chai of Wu led a huge army against the State of Jin．He ordered his men to form three square contingents．The middle one was dressed in white and holding white flags，which looked from a distance just like the flowers of a field full of reeds．The left unit was in red and holding red flags，which looked from afar like flaming fire all over the mountains．The right unit was in black and holding black flags，which looked from a distance like thick black clouds covering the sky．Fu Chai was trying to present to the enemy a show ofoverwhelming force．

This idiom describes a scene of great momentum and exuberance．

如火如荼

春秋时期，吴王夫差率领大队人马向晋军进军。他命令将士们摆成三个方阵。当中的都穿白色衣服，拿着白色的旗帜，远远望去就 像遍地盛开着白色荼花。左边的穿红色衣服，拿着红色的旗帜，远远望去就像满山燃烧着熊熊火焰。右边的穿黑色衣服，拿着黑色的 旗帜，远远望去就像满天结集着浓密的乌云。夫差想利用这种声势去压倒对方。

“如火如荼”这个成语形容气势旺盛，场面热烈的景象。

〖Songs of Chu on All Sides〗

At the end of the Qin Dynasty(221—206 BC)，the State of Chu and the State of Han fought for control of the coumry．Xiang Yu，the King of Chu，was besieged at a place called Gaixia by the Han army led by Liu Bang．Xiang Yu was in a desperate situa-tion．with little food and only a few soldiers.四面楚歌

秦朝末年公元前221—206年，楚和汉争夺天下。楚王项羽被汉王刘邦的军队紧紧地围困在垓下这个地方。项羽已身处绝境，粮食几乎

吃光了，将士也所剩无几。

At night，the surrounding Han troops started to sing Chu folk songs.Xiang Yu was very surprised at this，and said，“Has Liu Bang occupied the whole of Chu?How can he have drafted so many Chu people into his army?”Then he fled together with the remain-der of his forces．Seeing no way out，he eventually committed suicide by the side of the Wu River．A great hero met with his tragic end.夜里，四面包围着的汉军唱起了楚国的民歌。项羽听了，非常吃惊地说：“汉军已经全部占领了整个楚国的土地吗?为什么在汉军中有 这么多的楚国人呢?”说完便带着残余的士兵惊慌地逃走了。项羽看到自己末路途穷，终于在乌江边拔剑自刎。一代英豪以悲剧结束了自己的 一生。

This idion is used metaphorically to mean to be in a helpless and critical situation,surrounded by the enemy on all sides.“四面楚歌”这个成语比喻四面受到敌人的攻击，处于孤立危急的困境。

〖To Wait at One’s Ease for an Exhausted Opponent〗

In the late Xi Han Dynasty．a warlord Wei Xiao betrayed his sovereign Liu Xiu and went to seek help from Gongsun Shu who founded a new state in Si Chuan area．Liu Xiu flared up and sent army to attack Wei Xiao，but unfortunately his troops was defeated．

以逸待劳

西汉末年，军阀隗嚣脱离刘秀，去投靠在四川称帝的公孙述。刘秀大怒，派兵去攻打隗嚣，结果反被隗嚣打败。

Liu Xiu regrouped his forces and renewed the attack by sending his favorite general Feng Yi to occupy Ju Yi city.Wei Xiao got the news and ordered his subordinate Xing Xun to jockey for a favorable terrain.Feng Yi’s subordinates advised against waging war on Xing Xun’s troops.Feng Yi said in unequivocal terms,“We must seize Ju Yi city before them to wait at our ease for the exhausted troops of Xing Xun”.Feng Yi ordered a rapid march to occupy Ju Yi city before Xing Xun,and kept the news secretly.He asked the soldiers to close the gate of the city,stop clamoring,and have a good rest.Xing Xun’s troop arrived in the city in a hurry,at this time Feng Yi waved flags with rolling drums.刘秀重新组织兵力并派爱将冯异前去占领枸邑。隗嚣得到消息，命令部将行巡立刻去枸邑抢占有利地形。冯异的部将们都劝冯异不要和行巡大军作战。冯异斩钉截铁地说：“我们必须抢占枸邑‘以逸待劳’。”冯异命令部队急行军，抢在行巡之前，占领了枸邑。冯异严密封锁消息，紧闭城门，偃旗息鼓，让将士们休整。行巡的部分急匆匆地刚赶到城下，城楼上突然鼓声大作，亮出了冯异的帅旗。行巡的Xing Xun’s troops was not prepared well and was scared to escape.Feng Ying opened the gate and led the troops to defeat enemies.The idiom means making the army conserve energy and build up strength to defeat exhausted enemies.军队毫无防备，吓得四下逃窜。冯异大开城门，领兵冲出城来，大败敌军。

“以逸待劳”这一成语指让自己的军队养精蓄锐，以等候疲惫赶来的敌军，将其打败。

〖Every Bush and Tree Looked like an Enemy Soldier〗

During the Eastern Jin Dynasty，Fu Jian，the King of the State of Qin，controlled northern China．In 383 A．D．，Fu Jian led the troops to assault the State of Jin．Knowing that the army of Jin was short of men，Fu Jian wanted to seize this opportunity of being much more numerous in armed forces to stage a quick attack．

草木皆兵

东晋时代，秦王苻坚控制了北部中国。公元383年，苻坚率兵攻打晋朝。苻坚得知晋军兵力不足，就想以多胜少，抓住机会，迅速 出击。

Unexpectedly，Fu Jian’s army was defeated by the army of Jin and suffered heavy losses.The senior generals of Fu Jian’s army were killed，and there were heavy casual-ties of more than 10，000 soldiers．Fu Jian’s army was dispirited and the morale was shaken.At the same time，Fu Jian saw that Jin’s army was in good order and the soldiers were full of high spirit．Every bush and tree on the mountain looked like a soldier in Jin’s army.He deeply regretted that he had looked down upon the enemy．

谁料，苻坚的部队被晋军击败了，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。此时，苻坚望见晋军队伍严整，士气高昂，山上一草一木都像晋军的士兵一样。他后悔自己过于轻敌了。

0vershadowed by the disastrous defeat，Fu Jian was finally hit by an arrow and ran away．Jin’s army won a brilliant victory by defeating a big army with limited armed forces．

The phrase subsequently refers to one’s nervous，doubtful and panic spirit.出师不利给苻坚心头蒙上了阴影，他最终中箭而逃。晋军以有限的兵力大败敌军，赢取了胜利。

成语“草木皆兵”，形容神经过敏、疑神疑鬼的惊恐心理。

Supreme Eloquence

大辩若讷

〖The Blind Man and the Sun〗

Once upon a time，there was a blind man who did not know what the sun is，so he asked other people to explain.盲人问日

从前，有一个生来就失明的盲人，从来没有见过太阳。他问别人太阳是什么样子的。

One man said，“The sun is shaped like a copper plate．”So the blind man banged on a copper plate，and listened to its clanging sound．Later when he heard the sound of a temple bell，he thought that must be the sun．Another man said，“The sun gives out light just like a candle．”So the blind man held a candle to feel its shape．Later when he picked up a flute，he thought that this must be the sun．

一个人告诉他：“太阳的形状像铜盘。”他敲敲铜盘，听见了铜盘叮叮当当的声音。后来，他听见了庙里的钟声，就以为这是太阳 了。又有一个人告诉他：“太阳像蜡烛一样发光。”他摸摸蜡烛，感受到了它的形状。后来，他摸到了一支短笛，就以为是太阳了。

Yet we know that the sun is vastly different from a bell or a flute；but a blind man does not understand the difference because he has never seen the sun and only has heard it described．

可是我们知道太阳与钟声或笛子是多么的不同啊!因为盲人从来没有见过太阳，只是听别人描述而已，所以才造成这样的误解。

〖An Argument about the Sun〗

When Confucius was traveling in the eastern part of the country，he came upon two children in a heated argument，so he asked them to tell him what it was about．”

“I think.”said one child，“that the sun is near to us at daybreak and far away from us at noon．”

二童辩日

孔子东游的途中，见到两个小孩在面红耳赤地争论什么，就走上前去，问他们在争论什么。

“我认为太阳在黎明的时候离我们最近，而在正午时离我们最远。”一个小孩儿说。

The other contended，“The sun was far away at dawn and nearby at midday．”

“When the sun first appears，”said one child，“it is as big as the canopy of a car-riage，but at noon it is only the size of a plate or a bowl．Well，isn’t it true that objects far away seem smaller while those nearby seem bigger?”

“When the sun comes out，”pointed out the other，“it is very cool，but at midday it is as hot as putting your hand in boiling water．Well，isn’t it true that what is nearer to us is hotter and what is farther off is cooler?”

另一个小孩儿立即争辩说：“我认为太阳在黎明的时候离我们最远，而在正午时离我们最近。”

一个小孩说：“太阳刚出来时像个大圆车篷，等到正午时像个盘子或盂，这不是远处的小而近处的大的道理吗?”

另一个小孩说：“太阳刚出来时清凉寒冷，等到了正午，它热得像把手伸向热水里。这不正是距离近的就觉得热，距离远的就觉得凉 的道理吗? ”

Confucius was unable to settle the matter for them．The two children laughed at him，“Who says you are a learned man?”

孔子不能够断定谁是谁非。两个小孩笑看说：“是谁说你是学多才的人呢?”

〖The Argument above the Hao River〗

Zhuangzi and Hui Shi were strolling on the bridge，above the Hao River．

“Out swim the minnows，so free and easy，”said Zhuangzi，“That’s how fish are happy．”“You are not a fish whence do you know that the fish are happy?”

濠梁之辩

庄子和朋友惠施在濠水的一座桥梁上散步。庄子看着水里的苍鲦鱼说：“苍鲦鱼在水里悠然自得，这是鱼的快乐啊。”

惠施说：“你不是鱼，怎么知道鱼的快乐呢?”

“You aren’t me．Whence do you know that I don’t know the fish are happy?”

“I’ll grant that not being you I don’t know about you．You’ll grant that you are not a fish，and that completes the case that you don’t know the fish are happy．”

庄子说：“你不是我，怎么知道我不知道鱼的快乐呢?”

惠施说：“我不是你，固然不知道你；你不是鱼，无疑也没法儿知道鱼是不是快乐。”

“Let’s go back to where we started when you said“Whence do you know that the fish are happy?”You asked me the question already knowing that I knew．I knew it from up above the Hao River．”

庄子说：“请回到我们开头的话题。你问‘你怎么知道鱼快乐’，这句话表明你已经肯定了我知道鱼的快乐了，而我则是在濠水的桥上知道鱼儿快乐的。”

〖Fix the Empty Sheepfold〗

During the Warring States Period，King Xiang of Chu was an incapable ruler.A minister named Zhuang Xin once said to King Xiang，“When you are inside the Palace，Minister Zhou and Xia are on your left and right sides．You only think about enjoying corrupted lives，but not caring about the administration of the state，so the state is in dan-ger!If you don’t believe me．please allow me to go to the State of Zhao to hide for a while，and see what happens next．”

亡羊补牢

战国时期，楚襄王十分昏庸无道。楚国有一个大臣，名叫庄辛。有一次他对楚襄王说：“您在宫里面的时候，周侯和夏侯伴您的左右，您整天想的是吃喝玩乐，却一点也不在乎国家的治理，因此国家已处在危险之中!您如果不信我的话，请允许我到赵国躲一躲，看事情究竟会怎样。”

After Zhuang Xin left for Zhao，in merely five months，the State of Qin attacked Chu.Now thinking Zhuang Xin’s words were correct，King Xiang of Chu immediately sent people to invite him back，and asked him what to do now．

Zhuang Xin replied，“It’s not too late if you fix the sheepfold when you find a sheep is missing．”He then made some good suggestions to rehabilitate the state and recover the lost land．

庄辛到赵国才住了五个月，秦国果然派兵侵楚，这时楚襄王才觉得庄辛的话不错，赶紧派人把庄辛请回来，问他有什么办法。