Idioms, colloquial idioms, common saying

成语故事：《望梅止渴》 Idiom Story: “Looking at Plums to Quench Thirst”

clover Tao — Thu, 21 Apr 2022 02:11:10 +0000

“望梅止渴” (Looking at plums to quench thirst) 是一个由中国寓言故事演化而来的成语。现在，这个词比喻人们在愿望无法实现后，用空想安慰自己的情况。

望梅止渴 Looking at plums to quench thirst

东汉末年，曹操带兵去攻打张绣，一路行军，走得非常辛苦。时值盛夏，太阳火辣辣地挂在空中，散发着巨大的热量，大地都快被烤焦了。曹操的军队已经走了很多天了，十分疲乏。这一路上又都是荒山秃岭，没有人烟，方圆数十里都没有水源。将士们想尽了办法，始终都弄不到一滴水喝。头顶烈日，战士们一个个被晒得头昏眼花，大汗淋淋，可是又找不到水喝，大家都口干舌燥，感觉喉咙里好像着了火，许多人的嘴唇都干裂得不成样子，鲜血直淌。每走几里路，就有人倒下中暑死去，就是身体强壮的士兵，也渐渐地快支持不住了。

曹操目睹这样的情景，心里非常焦急。他策马奔向旁边一个山岗，在山岗上极目远眺，想找个有水的地方。可是他失望地发现，龟裂的土地一望无际，干旱的地区大得很。再回头看看士兵，一个个东倒西歪，早就渴得受不了，看上去怕是难得再走多远了。

曹操是个聪明的人，他在心里盘算道：这一下可糟糕了，找不到水，这么耗下去，不但会贻误战机，还会有不少的人马要损失在这里，想个什么办法来鼓舞士气，激励大家走出干旱地带呢？

曹操想了又想，突然灵机一动，脑子里蹦出个好点子。他就在山岗上，抽出令旗指向前方，大声喊道：“前面不远的地方有一大片梅林，结满了又大又酸又甜的梅子，大家再坚持一下，走到那里吃到梅子就能解渴了！”

战士们听了曹操的话，想起梅子的酸味，就好像真的吃到了梅子一样，口里顿时生出了不少口水，精神也振作起来，鼓足力气加紧向前赶去。就这样，曹操终于率领军队走到了有水的地方。

“Looking at plums to quench thirst” is an idiom derived from a Chinese fable. Now, the term is used to describe the situation in which a person comforts himself or herself with false hopes when his or her wishes are not fulfilled.

At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Cao Cao, the founder of the Cao Wei regime during the Three Kingdoms Period, led his army to attack Zhang Xiu. It was the height of summer, and the sun was burning in the sky, giving off so much heat that the earth was almost scorched.

Cao Cao’s army had been walking for many days and was very tired. All along the road, there were no people and no water for dozens of miles around. The soldiers did their best but could not get a drop of water to drink. Under the hot sun, the soldiers were dizzy and sweaty, but they could not find water to drink. Their mouths were parched, and their throats felt as if they were on fire. Many of their lips were cracked and bloody. Every few miles, some men fell and died of heatstroke. Even the strong soldiers were beginning to wear out.

Cao Cao was very anxious when he saw this. He galloped to a nearby hill and looked as far as he could for some water. But he was disappointed to find that the parched land stretched as far as the eye could see, and the dry areas were vast. Looking back at the soldiers, he found that they tottered about, so thirsty that they seemed unlikely to go much further.

Cao Cao was a wise man. He thought to himself, “It would be too bad to find water. If we go on wasting our time, we would not only miss the battle but also lose a lot of our troops. What can be done to boost morale and motivate soldiers to get out of the dry zone?”

Cao Cao thought over and over again, and on a sudden inspiration, a good idea popped out of his mind. On the hill, he pulled out his flag and pointed to the front, shouting, “There is a large forest of plums not far ahead. They are covered with big, sour, and sweet plums. Hold on a bit longer, and you can quench your thirst if you go there and eat the plums!”

When the soldiers heard Cao Cao’s words, they remembered the sour taste of the plums and felt as if they had eaten them. Their mouths watered at once. They cheered up and hurried forward with all their strength. In this way, Cao Cao finally led his army to a place where there was water.

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塞翁失马，焉知非福

clover Tao — Wed, 02 Mar 2022 13:13:26 +0000

【成语】塞翁失马，焉知非福

【英语】Misfortune might be a blessing in disguise.

【注音】sài wēng shī mǎ , yān zhīfēi fú

【释义】比喻虽然一时受到损失，也许反而因此能得到好处。也指坏事在一定条件下可变为好事。

古代塞北的一老汉家的马跑到长城外面胡人那边去了，乡亲们安慰他，他说这件事不一定是坏事，几天后走失的马带领着一群胡人的骏马回来了。人们都去祝贺他，老翁却认为这不一定是好事，他家里有很多好马，他儿子喜欢骑着玩，有一天，他的儿子因骑胡马摔断了腿，人们都来安慰他，他却认为不是坏事。过了一年，胡人入侵边塞，健壮男子都拿起弓箭去打仗，边塞附近的人，大部分都死了。老汉儿子因腿瘸的缘故而免于征战，父子俩一起保全了性命。

启示：任何事情都有好与坏两个方面，即便可能一时遭受损失，但也有可能因此而得到一些有益之处，反之亦然，即好事和坏事在一定条件下可以互相转化。这则寓言启示我们，无论遇到福还是祸，都要调整自己的心态，要超越时间和空间去观察问题和事物的极端情况。

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黔驴技穷的故事

clover Tao — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 09:55:40 +0000

【成语】: 黔驴技穷

【解释】: 黔:今贵州省一带;技:技能;穷:尽.比喻有限的一点本领也已经用完了.

【成语故事】:

古时候,贵州一带没有驴,那里的人们对于驴的相貌.习性.用途等都不熟悉.有个喜欢多事的人,从外地用船运了一头驴回贵州,可是一时又不知该派什么用场,就把它放到山脚下,任它自己吃草、散步。

一只老虎出来觅食吃,远远地望见了这头驴.老虎从来没有见过驴,看到这家伙身躯庞大,耳朵长长的,脚上没有爪,样子挺吓人的。老虎有点害怕,在心里琢磨:妈呀,什么时候跑出这么个怪物来了,看上去似乎不太好惹.还是不要贸然行事,观察一下再说吧。

连续几天,老虎都只敢躲在密密的树林里面观察驴的行为。后来觉得它好像不是很凶狠,就大着胆子小心翼翼地慢慢靠近它,但还是没有搞清楚它到底是个什么东西。

有一天,老虎正慢慢地接近驴,驴忽然长叫了一声,声音十分响亮.老虎吓了一跳,以为驴想吃掉它,回头转身就跑。跑到较远的地方,老虎又仔仔细细地观察了驴一番,觉得它似乎没什么特别厉害的本领。

又过了几天,老虎渐渐习惯了驴的叫声,于是它又进一步和驴接触,以便更深入地了解它。老虎终于走到驴身边,围着它又叫又跳,有时还跑过去轻轻挨一下驴的身体再跑开。

驴终于被老虎戏弄得愤怒极了,就抬起蹄子去踢老虎.开始的时候,老虎还稍有点惊惶,不久见驴再也无计可施,终于明白了,原来驴统共也只有这么一点伎俩。

老虎非常高兴,嘲笑驴说:〝你这个没用的大家伙,原来也就这么几招本事啊!〞说着就跳起来扑上去,咬断了驴的喉管,吃光了驴的肉,心满意足地离开了。

貌似庞大的贵州驴,实际上外强中干,一点厉害的本领也没有,以致于被老虎摸清了底细,最后葬身在虎口之下。做人也要练就真本事,仅靠花哨的外表唬人,是不会长久的.到头来,吃亏的总还是自己。

三. 寓意剖析

世界上有很多东西貌似很强大,样子很可怕,但其实没有什么可怕的。从而说明,一.不要被貌似强大的敌人所吓倒,而要充分相信自己的力量,敢于斗争,善于斗争,夺取胜利。

二.也比喻一个人不能只靠自己强大的外表取胜,而更应该注重真才实学。

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描写秋天的成语大全 A collection of Chinese idioms describing autumn

clover Tao — Sun, 12 Sep 2021 11:27:34 +0000

Chinese idioms describing autumn

Read more: 金秋 Golden Autumn

Find more at: http://nihaochinese.net

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汉语习惯用语 Chinese colloquial idioms

clover Tao — Thu, 02 Sep 2021 08:01:39 +0000

1. 你呀：只在对话中用，表示说话人对对方的不满或责怪。It is used in conversation only, indicating that the speaker is dissatisfied with the person he is talking with.

（1）你呀，怎么不早点告诉我，让我白跑了一趟。

（2）你的屋子真脏，一个星期都没打扫了吧？你呀！

2. 手痒痒：因为喜欢，所以很希望做某事。还可以说“脚痒痒”、“嗓子痒痒”、“心里痒痒”等。The literal meaning is that hands itch, but in fact it means someone is eager to do something with her or his hands. We can also say “脚痒痒，嗓子痒痒，心痒痒”，etc.

（1）刚学开车那会儿，我一看见车就手痒痒。

（2）我哥哥特别喜欢踢足球，看见足球他的脚就痒痒，就想踢。

3. 穿不出去：因为衣服不好穿或不流行等原因不好意思穿。Because clothing is not good-looking, not fashionable or not suitable, someone does not want to wear it outside, he or she is embarrassed that someone else will laugh at him or her. （拿不出手，发不出去，吃不下去，看不下去，拿不出去，车开不出去。。。）

这件衣服是二十年前的款式了，已经穿不出去了。

4. 追时髦：穿最流行的衣服或做流行的事儿。Follow the fashion. Also, “赶时髦”.

我奶奶是个很赶时髦的老太太，非常喜欢染头发。

5. 不就得了：用反问的语气表示“就行了，就可以了”，不满或不耐烦的语气。It is a rhetorical question indicating ok, all right, it’s good enough. This kind of sentence implies that the speaker is dissatisfied or impatient.

要是我去你不放心的话，你自己去不就得了？

6. 你看你：It’s used in conversation only and it indicates the speaker’s dissatisfaction or criticism.

你看你这急脾气，先让他把话说完嘛。

7. 让我说你什么好：This sentence means the speaker is so dissatisfied with the person whom he is speaking with that he cannot find proper words to express his dissatisfaction.

妈妈说：“学生证又找不着了？让我说你什么好，东西老是乱放，没个地方。”

8. 听不进去：Not accept other’sopinion or suggestion.

9. 一年到头：整年。Whole year, from the first day of the year to the last day.

他是个大忙人，一年到头，总是在外面开会。

10. 多没面子呀：失去了体面，也说“丢面子”。Lose face. Also, “丢面子”。

当地的风俗是，人越多越好，要是婚礼上来的客人少，主人就会觉得很没面子。

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