中國成語故事《玩火自焚》中英文版

　　During the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), prince Zhou Xu of the State of Wei killed his brother and became the new emperor. Zhou Xu was a tyrant. He oppressed his people and indulged in wars of agGREssion. By launching wars, he tried to divert the people's attention and reduce their discontent with him in order to consolidate his dictatorship.

　　The Duke of the State of Lu leant about Zhou Xu's usurpation of state power and his ambitious plan, he asked a senior official, "What do you think about Zhou Xu's move? "The official answered, "He indulges in wars , bringing his people much disaster. He won't get their support. And he's capricious, so few of his close friends follow him. He can never achieve his success. In addition, war is like fire. If one launches wars endlessly without restraint, he'll eventually burn himself. "

　　Sure enough, the people of Wei with the help of the State of Chen overthrew Zhou Xu and killed him in less than a year.

　　Later, people use it to mean that those who do evil will finally ruin themselves.

　　春秋時期，衛國的王子州吁殺死了他的哥哥衛桓公，成為了衛國的國君。州吁是個暴君，他壓迫百姓，到處侵略別的國家。他想利用戰爭來分散百姓的注意力，減少人們對他的不滿，鞏固他的專政。

　　魯國的君王知道州吁篡奪了王位，還想吞并其他國家，就問他手下的一名官員："你認為州吁的目的能達到嗎？"那位官員說道："州吁到處打仗，給人民來了災難。人民不會支持他。他這個人又反復無常，身邊沒有什么親信。他不可能實現自己的野心。而且，戰爭就象火。無休止地打仗，最后，火會燒到自己身上。 "

　　果然，不到一年，衛國人民就在陳國的幫助下推翻了州吁的統治，并處死了他。

　　后來，人們用這個成語來比喻干害人的勾當，最后受害的還是自己。

　　中國成語故事《四面楚歌》中英文版

　　At the end of the Qin Dynasty(221-206 B.C.) the State of Chu and the State of Han fought for control for the country. Xiang Yu, the king of Chu, was besieged（包圍） at a place called Gaixia by the Han army led by Liu Bang. Xiang Yu was in a desperate situation, with little food and only a few soliders. At night, the surrounding Han troops started to sing Chu folk songs. Xiang Yu was very surprised at this, and said:"Has Liu Bang occupied the whole of Chu? How can he have drafted so many Chu people into his army?" Then he fled together with the remainder of his forces.

　　This idiom is used metaphorically to mean to be in a helpless and critical situation, surrounded by the enemy on all sides.

　　項羽和劉邦原來約定以鴻溝（在今河南榮縣境賈魯河）東西邊作為界限，互不侵犯。后來劉邦聽從張良和陳平的規勸，覺得應該趁項羽衰弱的時候消滅他，就又和韓信、彭越、劉賈會合兵力追擊正在向東開往彭城（即今江蘇徐州）的項羽部隊。終于布置了幾層兵力，把項羽緊緊圍在垓下（在今安徽靈璧縣東南）。這時，項羽手下的兵士已經很少，糧食又沒有了。夜里聽見四面圍住他的軍隊都唱起楚地的民歌，不禁非常吃驚地說：“劉邦已經得到了楚地了嗎？為什么他的部隊里面楚人這么多呢？”說看，心里已喪失了斗志，便從床上爬起來，在營帳里面喝酒，并和他最寵愛的妃子虞姬一同唱歌。唱完，直掉眼淚，在一旁的人也非常難過，都覺得抬不起頭來。虞姬自刎于項羽的馬前，項羽英雄末路，帶了僅剩兵卒至烏江，最終自刎于江邊。

　　以后人們就用“四面楚歌”這個詞，形容人們遭受各方面攻擊或逼迫，而陷于孤立窘迫的境地。凡是陷于此種境地者，其命運往往是很悲慘的。例如某人因經常與壞人為伍，不事生產，游手好閑，但后來卻被那些壞人逼迫得無以為生，而求助于別人時，別人又因他平日行為太壞，絕不同情理睬，這人所處的境地便是“四面楚歌”。