中国寓言故事-英文版

画蛇添足Onceuponatime,therewasanoblemanwhogavesomewinetohisservants．Thewinewasnotenoughforall．Theservantsfinallydecidedwhoeverfirstfinisheddrawingasnakeonthegroundwouldgetthecupofwine．Oneoftheservantsfinisheddrawingfirst．Hetookupthecupandwasabouttodrinkthewinewhenhethoughtofaddingfeettothesnake．Hewentondrawing．Thenanotherservantfinisheddrawinghissnake.Hesnatchedthewinecupanddrankupthewinesaying:“ItisIwhofirstfinisheddrawingthesnake．Whatyouhavedrawnisnotasnake．Asnakedoesn'thavefeet.”杞人忧天IntheSpringandAutumnPeriod,intheStateofQi,therewasamanwhoalwayslethisimaginationrunawaywithhim.Onedayheevenworriedthattheskywouldfallonhishead.Hewassoworriedthathecouldneithereatnorsleep.Later,someonepersuadedhimthathisfearswereground-less.Thisidiomsatirizesthosewhoworryunnecessarily.东施效颦IntheSpringandAutumnPeriod(春秋时期,770-476BC),therewasabeautyintheStateofYuecalledXishi.Sheoftensufferedfrompainsinherchest,andsoshewouldoftenwalkarounddoubledoverandwithherbrowsknitted.TherewasanuglygirlinthevillagecalledDongshiwhoenviedXishi.StrivingtoemulateXishi,sheimitatedherstoop,knittingherbrowsatthesametime.Shethoughtthatthismadeherelegant,butinfact,itonlymadehermoreugly.Later,thisidiomcametobeusedtoindicateimproperimitationthatproducesthereverseeffect.草木皆兵InAD383,thekingofFormerQin(秦朝),FuJian(fújiān苻坚),ledahugearmytoattackEasternJin.Afterlosingthefirstroundoffighting,FuJianlookeddownfromacitywall,andwasterrifiedwhenhesawtheformidablebattlearrayoftheEasternJinarmy.Andthenlookingatthemountainsaround,hemistookthegrassandtreesforenemysoldiers.Asaresult,whenthenervousFuJianledhisarmyintobattle,itsufferedacrushingdefeat.Thisidiomdescribeshowonecandefeatoneselfbyimagingdifficulties.塞翁失马NearChina'snorthernborderslivedamanwellversedinthepracticesofTaoism.Hishorse,fornoreasonatall,gotintotheterritoryofthenortherntribes.Everyonecommiseratedwithhim.Perhapsthiswillsoonturnouttobeablessing,saidhisfather.Afterafewmonths,hisanimalcameback,leadingafinehorsefromthenorth.Everyonecongratulatedhim.Perhapsthiswillsoonturnouttobeacauseofmisfortune,saidhisfather.Sincehewaswell-offandkeptgoodhorses,hissonbecamefondofridingandeventuallybrokehisthighbonefallingfromahorse.Everyonecommiseratedwithhim.Perhapsthiswillsoonturnouttobeablessing,saidhisfather.Oneyearlater,thenortherntribesstartedabiginvasionoftheborderregions.Allable-bodiedyoungmentookuparmsandfoughtagainsttheinvaders,andasaresult,aroundthebordernineoutoftenmendied.Thisman'ssondidnotjoininthefightingbecausehewascrippledandsoboththeboyandhisfathersurvived.