经典成语故事解析(少儿英语双语阅读)

stand out like a camel amongst a group of sheep

鹤立鸡群

Ji Shao, an aide to Emperor Jin Hui during the Jin Dynasty, was handsome and talented.

晋朝时，有一个人叫嵇绍,担任晋惠帝的侍从官。他长得仪表堂堂，而且才能出众。Once, when his country was being invaded, he accompanied Emperor Jin Hui in defending the country, but, unfortunately, they lost the war. Most of the soldiers died or deserted, but Ji Shao stayed with the emperor to protect him.

一次，有人侵犯京城。嵇绍跟随惠帝前去，征讨叛乱。不料打了败仗，随行的官员、将领以及侍卫死伤无数，还有很多人逃跑了，只有嵇绍保护着惠帝，始终不离左右。

Upon seeing this, the people were moved and said:"Ji Shao stand out like a camel amongst a group of sheep, preeminent and superior."

看到嵇绍奋勇杀敌的情景人们都很有感触，说：“嵇绍就像一只鹤站立在鸡群中一样，仪表出众，气度不凡。”

This idiom is currently used to describe prominent people with good looks and impressive abilities among a crowd.

这个成语如今用来形容一些相貌或者是才能特别出众的人。

【文化链接】

成语“鹤立鸡群”既可以表面上形容“一个人因身高高挑在众人中显得突出”，也可以形容“一个人因为相貌或者卓越才能，亦或是出挑的行为在众人中显得突出”，英文中相应表达可以用“stand out like a camel amongst a group of sheep”，本意就是“像一只在羊群中站立的骆驼”。

我们一起来看一个例句：

Because all the other people were waiting in line, I did not want to stand out like a camel amongst a group of sheep, and I decided to wait in line as well.

因为其他所有人都在排队，我可不想鹤立鸡群，所以我决定也去排队啦。

blessing or bane

塞翁失马

Near China's northern borders lived a man called Sai Weng. He raised a lot of horses.

战国时期，靠近北部边城，住着一个姓塞老人, 他养了许多马。

One day, he lost one of his horses. Everyone commiserated with him.

一天，他的一匹走失了，人们听说这件事，跑来安慰他。

"Perhaps this will soon turn out to be a blessing," said Sai Weng.

塞翁说：“没准会带来什么福气呢。”

After a few months, his horse came back, leading a fine horse from the north.

过了几个月，丢失的马不仅自己回了家，还带回一匹匈奴的骏马。

Everyone congratulated him.

所有人都来祝贺塞翁。

"Perhaps this may turn out to be a cause of misfortune," said Sai Weng.

塞翁反而说：“这或许会带来不幸呢。”

Since he was well-off and kept good horses, his son became fond of riding and eventually broke his leg for falling from a horse.

因为塞翁很富有，并且养马养得很好，所以他的儿子也十分喜爱骑马。但没想到有一次骑马时，他的儿子从马上掉了下来，摔断了腿。

Everyone commiserated with him. "Perhaps this will soon turn out to be a blessing," said his father.

人们于是又去安慰塞翁。但塞翁却说：“也许这次又会带来好运呢。”

One year later, the northern tribes started a big invasion of the border regions.

一年以后，匈奴入侵边境。

This man's son did not join in the fighting because he was crippled and so he survived.

但是塞翁的儿子因为腿断了便没有被征入当兵队伍之中，而其他很多当兵的青年都战死在了沙场，塞翁的儿子因此保住了性命。

【文化链接】

成语“塞翁失马”如果用于英文表达，可以使用短语“blessing or bane ”,“blessing”的意思是“好运”，“bane”的意思则是“厄运，祸事”，所以放在一起就可以表达“塞翁失马”的意思。

但是，英文表达“blessing or bane ”常会用来单纯的表示“是祸是福”的意思，比如：

Technology, a blessing or a bane?

高科技，是祸是福？

be tarred with the same brush

狼狈为奸

A wolf and a jackal often went hunting together.

狼和狈经常结伴去伤害牲畜。

Once they came to a sheepfold, the walls of which were too high for them to get over.

有一次，狼和狈一起走到一个羊圈外边，栅栏很高，进不去。

Then the wolf stood on the back of the jackal. In this way the wolf climbed over the wall to where the sheep were.

狼就骑在狈的身上，终于爬进了羊圈。

This idiom is used to describe doing evil things in collusion with others.

这个成语比喻坏人相互勾结起来做坏事。

【文化链接】

“be tarred with the same brush”的英文解释是“sharing the same characteristic(s); having the

same good or bad points as someone else.”（有着某种好的或者坏的共同点），所以它既可以表达“狼狈为奸”这样坏的意思，也可以单纯表达“有着某种共同的优点”这样好的意思。

这个短语的由来可能与“tarring of sheep”这个说法有关，牧羊人为了区分自己的羊，就会在羊身上用刷子刷上不同的标签以示区别。所以当说“两个人被同一个刷子刷过”也就是比喻“两个人狼狈为奸，或者有着共同的优点”。

desolate

门可罗雀

Duke Jai was a Han dynasty (汉朝) government official.

汲黯是汉朝的一位名臣。

Because he held a very high-ranking and powerful position, many of his friends, relatives, and even acquaintances whom he barely knew often went to call on him. So all day long, horses and chariots were lined up in front of his house; it was really as if "the courtyard was as crowded as a marketplace."

因为他位高权重，许多他的朋友、亲戚，甚至是泛泛之交的朋友都经常会来拜访他，所以他家总是门庭若市。

Later, however, Duke Jai had the sad misfortune of being removed from office.

后来他不幸被罢免，废了官职。

His friends and relatives then stopped going to see him, and soon the only ones left in front of his house were flock of sparrows which would fly about and stop to rest on his doorstep.

后来他的亲朋好友便渐渐疏远他了，很少再来看望他，他家的门前只剩下一群麻雀，在那里嬉戏。

Not long afterwards, Duke Jai was reinstated. As soon as his friends and relatives heard the news, they all once again began to ride their horses or drive their chariots back to visit him.

不久，皇帝又下诏请他回去做官。过去常来的客人又纷纷来拜访他了。

Duke Jai, however, was now unwilling to see them, and door reproving those who would only associate with people of wealth and status.

但是汲黯因看清世事，便不愿再看到他们。

Today, we can use this idiom to describe any place which has been deserted, or where people are few.

如今我们可以用成语“门可罗雀”形容门庭冷落，冷冷清清。

【文化链接】

单用英文单词“desolate”就可以表达“冷清荒凉”的意思，比如“冷清的街道”就是“a desolate street”。

下面我们来看一首小诗：

Layin' in front of me are two roads:

在我的面前有两条路：

One flourished with multiple kinds of flowers and plants;

一条花木丛生；

The other , just a scene of desolation.

另一条门可罗雀，

However,I choosed the latter one.

但是我仍然选择了后者。

其中作者形容“人烟稀少的路”就用到了表达“a scene of desolation”，意思就是“另一条路有一点荒凉的感觉”。

run in opposite directions

南辕北辙

Once a man went to the south, but his carriage was heading north.

一次一个人想往南走，但是他的马车却是朝北走的。

A passer-by asked him: "If you are going to the south, why is your carriage heading north?"

一个过路人问他：“如果你想往南走，为什么你的马车却朝北走呢？”

The man said, "My horse is good at running, my driver is highly skilled at driving a carriage, and I am rich."

这个人说：“我的马很能跑，我的车夫善于赶车，我又很富有，所以不在乎。”

The man didn't care the direction might be wrong; the better his conditions were, the further he was far away from his destination.

这个人根本没有考虑到行进的方向也许错了；他的条件越好，反而会离目的地越远。

This idiom came from this story tells that one's action was the opposite effect to one's intention.

这个成语比喻行动和目的正好相反。

【文化链接】

英文中若要表达“南辕北辙”的意思，可以用短语“run in opposite directions”，也就是“朝着相反的方向跑”，翻译美化一下就是“南辕北辙”或者“背道而驰”的意思了。

我们来一起看一个例句：

They wouldn't win at the end because they ran in opposite directions.

因为他们早已南辕北辙了,所以根本不可能赢。