中英文成语故事精选三篇

中英文成语故事精选三篇

【南辕北辙】

Once a man wanted to go to the south, but his carriage was heading north. A passer-by asked him：“If you are going to the south, why is your chariot heading north? ” The man answered, “My horse is good at running, my driver is highly skilled at driving a carriage, and I have enough money. ”

The man didn't consider that the direction might be wrong;

the better his conditions were, the further he was away from his destination.

从前有个人要到南方去，他坐的车子却向北方行驶。过路人说：“你去南方，车子怎么向北行驶呢？”他回答说：“我的马很能跑路，我的车夫驾车的技术也很高超，加上我又带了充足的路费。”这个人

没有考虑到，方向弄反了，他的条件越好，离他要去的地方就越远。

The idiom derived from this story indicates that one's action was the opposite effect to one's intention.

后来人们就把这个故事概括为“南辕北辙”，比喻一个人的行为

和他的目的正好相反。

【卧薪尝胆】

During the Spring and Autumn period （770－476BC）, the State of Wu launched an attack against the State of Yue. The King of Wu was seriously wounded and soon died. His son Fu Chai became the new King. Fu was determined to get revenge.

He drilled his army rigidly until it was a perfect fighting force. Three years later, he led his army against the State

of Yue and caught its king Gou Jian. Fu took him to the State of Wu.

春秋时期，吴国和越国之间进行了一场战争，吴王不幸受了重伤，不久就死了。他的儿子夫差作了吴国的新国王，他发誓要替父亲报仇。于是，他严格的操练他的士兵，把他们训练成了一支非常厉害的军队。三年以后，他对越国发动了战争，抓住了越王勾践，把他带回了吴国。

In order to avenge his father's death, Fu let him live

in a shabby stone house by his father's tomb and ordered him

to raise horses for him. Gou pretended to be loyal to Fu but

he never forgot his humiliation. Many years later, he was set free. Gou secretly accumulated a military force after he went back to his own state. In order to make himself tougher he slept on firewood and ate a gall-bladder before having dinner and going to bed every night. At the same time he

administered his state carefully, developing agriculture and educating the people. After a few years, his country became strong. Then Gou seized a favorable opportunity to wipe out

the State of Wu.

为了复仇，夫差让勾践住在他父亲墓旁的破石屋里天天看墓、喂马。勾践表面上服从，心里面却想着复仇。几年以后，勾践被放回越国。他赶忙开始隐秘聚拢一支军队。为了提醒自己不要忘了报仇，他

睡在柴上，还每天在吃饭睡觉前尝一尝苦胆。同时，他用心治理国家，大力发展农业，增强民众教育。几年后，越国又变得强大起来，然后，勾践抓住一个适当的机会消灭了吴国。

Later, people use it to describe one who endures self-imposed hardships to strengthen one's resolve to realize

one's ambition.

后来，人们用它来形容人刻苦自励以达到自己定下的目标。

【毛遂自荐】

In the Warring States Period, the State of Qin besieged the capital of the State of Zhao. Duke Pingyuan of Zhao planned to ask the ruler of the State of Chu personally for assistance. He wanted to select a capable man to go with him.

A man called Mao Sui volunteered. When the negoti-actions between the two states were stalled because the ruler of Chu hesitated to send troops, Mao Sui approached him, brandishing a sword. At that, the ruler of Chu agreed to help Zhao, against Qin.

战国时代，秦国军队攻打赵国的都城。赵国的平原君打算亲自到楚国去请救兵，想选择一个精明能干的人一同前去。有一个名叫毛遂的人，自告奋勇同意同去。平原君到楚国后，与楚王谈了半天，没有一点结果。毛遂怒气冲冲地拿着宝剑，逼近楚王，终于迫使楚王答应出兵，与赵国联合共同抵抗秦国。

This idiom means to recommend oneself.

“毛遂自荐”这个成语用来比喻自己推荐自己，不必别人介绍。