中国成语典故中英对照

风中落叶

惊弓之鸟
Birds Startled by the Mere Twang of a Bowstring

　　战国时期（公元前403―221年中国中原地区各诸侯国连年争战的时代）魏国有个名叫更羸的人。一天，他对国王说：“我只要拉开弓，空射一下，就能把天上的鸟射下来。”国王不相信。更羸便对准天上飞来的一只雁射去，果真那只雁听到拉弦的声音就掉了下来。国王感到很奇怪。更羸说，“那是一只受过伤的雁。它一听到我拉开弓弦的声响，就惊慌得支持不住，自然要掉下来了。”
　　In the Warring States Period, there was a man in the State of Wei called Geng Lei. One day he said to the king: 'I can shoot down birds by simply plucking my bowstring.' When the king expressed doubt, Geng Lei pointed his bow at a wild goose flying in the sky, twanged the bowstring, and the goose fell to the ground. Geng Lei said, 'This goose has been hurt in the past. Hearing the twang of the bowstring, it assumed that it was doomed. So it simply gave up trying to live.'

　　“惊弓之鸟”这个成语比喻受过惊恐之后，有一点动静就特别害怕。
　　This idiom means that if one has been frightened in the past one's will may become paralysed in a similar situation.

风中落叶

毛遂自荐
Mao Sui Recommending Himself


　　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，想挑选一个精明能干的人一同前去。有一个名叫毛遂的人，自告奋勇愿意同去。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。
　　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.

　　“毛遂自荐”这个成语用来比喻自己推荐自己，不必别人介绍。
　　This idiom means to recommend oneself.

风中落叶

世外桃源
　　A Haven of Peace and Happiness

　　东晋的文学家陶渊明写了一片著名的文章叫《桃花源记》。叙述一个渔人出外捕鱼的时候，偶然来到了桃花源这个地方。从这里通过一个山洞，发现了一个村子，这里的居民是秦朝时避难人的后代。这是一个与世隔绝、没有剥削和压迫、人人安居乐业的美好社会。渔人告别村民回家以后，再也找不到这个地方了。
　　Tao Yuanming, a famous writer of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420), wrote the well-known essay Peach-Blossom Spring. In it he tells a story which goes like this: A fisherman happened to come upon a place called Peach-Blossom Spring. Squeezing through a cave, he found a village, the residents of which were descendants of refugees from the Qin Dynasty. It was a paradise isolated from the outside world, without exploitation or oppression, and everybody living and working in peace and contentment. The fisherman left the villagers and went home. But he could never find the place again.

　　后来，由这个故事产生了“世外桃源”这个成语，用来比喻与世隔绝的、理想的美好世界。
　　This idiom is derived from the above story, and is used to mean an isolated, ideal world.

风中落叶

南辕北辙
　　Going South by Driving the Chariot North

　　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明，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。
　　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.

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

风中落叶

画龙点睛
　　　　　Putting the Finishing Touch to the Picture of a Dragon

　　南北朝(公元420--589)时期，有个画家叫张僧繇。有一次，他到一个寺庙去游玩，在墙壁上面画了四条龙，可是都没有画出眼睛。看画的人觉得很奇怪，问他为什么不画出眼睛。他说：“眼睛是龙的关键，画上眼睛，龙就会飞走了。”大家不相信他说的话。张僧繇拿起笔来，刚给两条龙点上眼睛，立刻电闪雷鸣，两条龙飞向天空，墙上只剩下两条没有画眼睛的龙。
　　In the Southern and Northern Dynasties Period (420-589), there was a painter called Zhang Sengyou. Once he visited a temple and painted on the wall four dragons, but gave none of them eyes. The onlookers felt that this was odd, and asked why he hadn't painted the eyes. He answered, 'Eyes are crucial for dragons. With the eyes painted on, the dragons would fly away.' Nobody believed this, so Zhang Sengyou took up his brush and added eyes to two of the dragons. No sooner had he finished than the two dragons flew into the sky amid a thunderstorm. The two without eyes stayed painted on the wall.

　　“画龙点睛”这个成语用来比喻讲话或写文章时，在关键地方加一两句重要的话，使内容更加生动有力。
　　This idiom is used to describe how, when writing or speaking, one or two key sentences will enhance the contents.

风中落叶

画蛇添足
　　Drawing a snake and Adding Feet

　　战国时代有个楚国人祭他的祖先。仪式结束后，他拿出一壶酒赏给手下的几个人。大家商量说：“我们都来画蛇，谁先画好谁就喝这壶酒。”其中有一个人先画好了。但他看到同伴还没有画完，就又给蛇添上了脚。这时，另一个人也画好了，夺过酒壶吧酒喝了，并且说：“蛇本来是没有脚的，你怎么能给它添上脚呢？”
　　In the Warring States Period, a man in the State of Chu was offering a sacrifice to his ancestors. After the ceremony, the man gave a beaker of wine to his servants. The servants thought that there was not enough wine for all them, and decided to each draw a picture of a snake; the one who finished the picture first would get the wine. One of them drew very rapidly. Seeing that the others were still busy drawing, he added feet to the snake. At this moment another man finished, snatched the beaker and drank the wine, saying, 'A snake doesn't have feet. How can you add feet to a snake? '

　　“画蛇添足”这个成语比喻做了多余而不恰当的事，反而把事情弄糟了。
　　This idiom refers to ruining a venture by doing unnecessary and surplus things.

风中落叶

班门弄斧
　　Showing Off One's Proficiency with the Axe Before Lu Ban the Master Carpenter

　　古代有一个建筑和雕刻技术非常高超的人，名叫鲁班，木匠行里尊称他为祖师。传说他曾用木头制作了一只五彩斑斓的凤凰，能够在空中飞翔三天不掉下来。在鲁班门前摆弄斧子，当然显得有些自不量力了。
　　Lu Ban was supposed to be a consummate carpenter in ancient times. It is said that he once carved a 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.

　　“班门弄斧”这个成语，用来比喻在行家面前显示本领。
　　This idiom excoriates those who show off their slight accomplishments in front of experts.

风中落叶

怒发冲冠
　　So Angry That One' s Hair Lifts Up One' s Hat

　　战国时代，赵国的大臣蔺相如出使到秦国。在他向秦王索回玉璧的时候，秦王蛮不讲理，蔺相如气愤得连头发都竖了起来，向上冲着帽子。
　　In the Warring States Period, Lin Xiangru, chief min-ister of the State of Zhao, was sent as an envoy to the State of Qin to ask the ruler of Qin to return a fine piece of jade to Zhao. But the ruler of Qin was rude and unreasonable. Lin was angry, and his hair stood up so stiffly on his head that it lifted up his hat.

　　后来人们用“怒发冲冠”这个成语形容人愤怒到了极点。
　　This idiom came to be used to mean being extremely angry.

风中落叶

画饼充饥
　　Allaying Hunger with Pictures of Cakes

　　三国时代魏国的皇帝曹睿，准备选拔一个有才能的人到朝廷来做官。曹睿对他的大臣说：“选择人才，不能光找有虚名的人。虚名好像是在地上画的一块饼，只能看，不能解决肚子饥饿的问题啊！”
　　In the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280), the king of the Wei, Cao Rui, wanted to select a very capable man to work for him. He said to his ministers: 'When choosing a talented person, always beware of one with a false reputation. A false reputation is just like a picture of a cake; it can' t relieve hunger.'

　　后来人们就用“画饼充饥”这个成语比喻用空想安慰自己，不能解决实际问题。
　　Later, this idiom came to be used to mean comforting oneself with unrealistic thoughts, without solving practical problems.

风中落叶

一鸣惊人
　　Amazing the World with a Single Feat

　　战国时代，齐威王即位后做了三年国君，只顾享乐，不理政事。有个善于说笑话的人叫淳于髡，一天对齐威王说：“城里有一只大鸟，三年不飞也不叫，你知道这是什么道理？”齐威王说：“这鸟不飞则罢，一飞就冲天；不鸣则罢，一鸣就惊人。”在淳于髡的激发下，齐威王开始治理国家，取得很大成绩，齐国的声威一直保持了几十年。
　　In the Warring States Period, Duke Wei of Qi neglected state affairs, for the first three years of his reign, giving himself over to dissipation. One of his ministers, Chun Yukun who had a good sense of humour, said to him: 'There is a big bird which has neither taken wing nor sung for three years.' The duke answered, 'Once that bird starts to fly and sing, it will astonish the world.' The duke thereupon devoted himself to his duties and built his state up into a powerful one.

　　“一鸣惊人”用来表示平时默默无闻，一旦行动起来，却做出惊人的成绩。
　　This idiom is used to indicate that a person may rise from obscurity and achieve greatness.