英文格言 要有英文故事的

破釜沉舟

During the late years of the Qin Dynasty.Xiang Yu led a rebellion. After crossing the Zhang River. Xiang Yu ordered his men to sink all their boats and break their cooking pots. He issued each soldier three days rations and warned them that there was no way to retreat; the only thing they could do to survive was to advance and fight. After nine fierce battles, the Qin army was finally defeated.

This idiom is used to indicate ones firm determination to achieve ones goal at any cost.

班门弄斧

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 so considered the height of folly to show off ones skill with an axe in front of Lu Ban.

This idiom excoriates those who show off their slight accomplishments in front of experts.

杯弓蛇影

In the Jin Dynasty (265-420), a man called Yue Guang once invited a friend to have a drink at his home. When the friend lifted his cup, he saw a small snake in the wine, yet he forced himself to drink. Back home, the friend recalled the incident, and felt so disgusted that he fell ill. Hearing about this, Yue Guang invited his friend again. He asked him to sit in the same place and drink. Then his friend saw that he image of the snake in the cup was actually the reflection of a bow hung on the wall. Realizing this, the friend recovered quickly.

This idiom indicates a condition of being over-suspicious bringing trouble on oneself.

病入膏肓

In the Spring and Autumn Period, King Jing of the State of Jin fell ill. One night he dreamed that the disease turned into two small figures talking beside him. One said, "Im afraid the doctor will hurt us." The other said, "Dont worry. We can hide above huang and below GAO. Then the doctor will do nothing to us." The next day, having examined the king, the doctor said, "Your disease is incurable, I am afraid, Your Majesty. Its above huang and below GAO. Where no medicine can reach."

This idiom indicates a hopeless condition.

草木皆兵

In AD 383. the king of Former Qin, Fu Jian, led a huge army to attack Eastern Jin. After losing the first round of fighting , Fu Jian looked down from a city wall, and was terrified when he saw the formidable battle array of the Eastern Jin army, and then looking at the moutain around, he mistook the grass and trees for enemy soldiers. As a result, when the nervous Fu Jian led his army into battle, it suffered a crushing defeat.

This idiom describes how one can defeat oneself by imagining difficulties.

惊弓之鸟

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. O it simply gave up trying to live."

This idiom means that if one has been frightened in the past ones will may become paralyzed in a similar situation.

画饼充饥

In the Three Kingdoms Period(220-280), the king of the State of 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 is just like a picture of a cake; it cant relieve hunger."

Later, this idiom came to be used to mean comforting oneself with unrealistic thoughts,without solving practical problems.

朝三暮四

In the Spring and Autumn Period, a man in the State of Song raised monkeys. The monkeys could understand what he said. As the man became poor, he wanted to reduce the monkeys food. He first suggested that he gave them four acorns in the morning and three in the evening. Thereupon, the monkeys protested angrily. Then their owner said, "How about the three in the morning and four in the everning?" The monkeys were satisfied with that.

This idiom originally meant to befool others with tricks. Later it is used to mean to keep changing ones mind.

打草惊蛇

Once a man wanted to go to the south, but his carrage 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 didnt consider that the direction might be wrong; the better his conditions were, the further he was away from his destination.

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

南辕北辙

Once a man wanted to go to the south, but his carrage 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 didnt consider that the direction might be wrong; the better his conditions were, the further he was away from his destination.

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

--------另外的资料--------

1。八仙过海，各显神通(Like the Eight Immortals crossing the sea,each one shows his or her special prowess)

According to the Chinese folk legend,there were Eight Immortals named Han Zhongli,Zhang Guolao,Han Xiangzi,Li Tieguai,Cao Guojiu,Lu Dongbin,Lan Caihe and He xianggu in ancient China.

Once the Eight Immortals were invited to attend an Immortality Peach Party given by the Queen Mother of the Western Heaven.

When they reached the bank of the Eastern Sea,there were no ships for them to go across the vast sea at all.Then Lu Dongbin suggested that each of them used his or her treasure to ride across the sea. They all agreed.

Then everyone threw a treasure on the sea to ride it across the sea,showing their mysterious abilities.

Now we use it to describe that in collective labour,everyone shows his own special ablity to complete the common task.
根据中国民间传说，古时候有八位神仙，就是汉钟离、张果老、韩湘子、铁拐李、曹国舅、吕洞宾、蓝采和、何仙姑。

一次，他们应王母娘娘的邀请，赴西天参加蟠桃盛会。

他们来到东海之滨，必须过海才能去赴会，而当时又无渡船。吕洞宾建议，每人用自己所带宝物渡海，大家都同意。

后多用此典比喻在集体的工作中，每个人都尽自己的长处以及特点来完成共同的事业。

2。夜郎自大（ludicrous conceit of the King of Yelang-parochial arrogance)

It is recorded that in order to keep in touch with the countries of the Southwest and find the passageway of going to India,Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty had sent Wang Yanyu and others to take a small road to find the passageway.On the way,they met the King of the Kingdom of Dian,who asked Wang a question:"Which is bigger,the Han Dynasty or out Kingdom?"Wang explained that there were dozens of prefectures in the Han Dynasty,and the territory of Dian was just like one of them.Then they met the King of Yelang who also asked the same questiong.In fact,Yelang was a very small Kingdom in the Southwest.Its territory was just like a count of Han\'s.Actually they always thought that they had a vast territory and didn\'t know anything about the Han Dynasty.
为了加强同西南邻国的联系和寻找去印度的道路，汉武帝派使者王然于等人抄小路往西南寻求通往印度之路。在途中他们见到滇国国王，国王问使者：“汉朝和我们国家比，哪一个大？”王然于解释说，汉朝有几十个郡，像你们滇国也不过是其中一个郡吧！

到了夜郎国，夜郎国王也这样问。其实，夜郎国只是西南部（今贵州省西北部）的一个小国，其面积只相当于汉朝的一个县，。原来他们一直都认为自己的地盘大，对汉朝的情况根本不了解。

后用此典比喻妄自尊大。

3。自相矛盾：A man of the state of Chu had a spear and a shield for sale. He was loud in praises of his shield.

"My shield is so strong that nothing can pierce it through."
He also sang praises of his spear.
"My spear is so strong that it can pierce through anything."
"What would happen," he was asked, "if your spear is used to pierce your shield?"
It is impossible for an impenetrable shield to coexist with a spear that finds nothing impenetrable.

古时候，矛和盾都是作战用的武器。矛用来刺杀敌人，盾则用来保护身体，以免被对方的矛刺中。
传说很久以前，楚国有个卖兵器的人，在市场上卖矛和盾。为了让人家愿意买他的货，他先举起盾向人们夸口道：“你们看，我的盾是世上最坚固的盾，任何锋利的东西都不能刺穿它。”接着又举起他的矛，向人吹嘘说：“你们再看看我的矛，它锋利无比，无坚不摧，无论多么坚硬的盾，都挡不住它，一刺就穿！”
围观的人听了他的话都觉得很好笑，人群中有人问道：“依你的说法，你的矛无论怎样坚硬的盾都能刺穿，而你的盾又是无论多么锋利的矛也不能把它刺穿。那就拿你的矛来刺你的盾吧，看看结果怎么样？”
卖兵器的人听了张口结舌，无从回答，只好拿着矛和盾走了。
“自相矛盾”就是由这个故事演变而来的。现在人们用它来比喻做事、说话前后自相抵触。