精選英文成語故事：抱薪救火

精選英文成語故事：抱薪救火

　　Carrying Faggots to Put Out a Fire

　　In the last years of the Warring States period, the State of Qin attacked the State of Wei on a large scale repeatedly and occupied large areas of land, for the State of Wei was too weak to defend itself. In 273 B.B., the qin army launched another attack upon the State of Wei with a momentum more vigorous than ever. The king of the State of Wei summoned his officials,and asked with a worried look if anyone could propose a way to defeat the Qin army. After years of chaos caused by the wars,the officials trembled when fighting was mentioned, and no one dared to speak ofresistance. At the critical moment when a large enemy force was bearing down upon the border, most of the offinials persuaded the king to sue for peace, at the cost of giving away to the State of Qin the large area of land north of the Huanghe River and south of the Taihang Mountain. However Su Dai, a counsellor, did not agree. He hurried up to the king and said:"Your Majesty, they don't think about the interests of the country at all.It is just because they are cowardly and afraid of death that they ask you to sue for peace by betraying the country. Of course you can temperarily satisfy the ambition of the king of the State of Qin is insatiably greedy. It will never stop assaulting us until our land is totally given away."Once there was a man whose house was on fire. People told him to put out the fire with water, but he would not listen. Instead, he carried a faggot to put out the fire, only to make the fire fiercer. That was because he didn't know that,instead of putting out the fire, faggots could only make it burning more vigorously. Isn't it equivalent to carrying faggots to put out a fire if you agree to sue for peace at the cost of the land of the State of Wei?"Though Su Dai's argument was very convincing, the king accepted the suggestion of those officials and gave away to the State of Qin a large area of the land of the State of Wei. For the king of the State of Wei was cowardly and only cared for peace at the moment.As might be expected,the Qin army assaulted the State of Wei on a large scale in 225 B.C.,surrounding the capital city Daliang and flooding it by digging open the dykes of the Huanghe River.The State of Wei was finally destroyed by the State of Qin.This story appears in the Historical Records Written by Sima Qian.The set phrase"carrying faggots to put out a fire"is used to mean adopting a wrong method to save a situation and ending up by making it worse.

　　戰國末期，秦國向魏國接連發動大規模的進攻，魏國無力抵抗，大片土地都被秦軍占領了。到公元前273年，秦國又一次向魏國出兵，勢頭空前猛烈。

　　魏王把大臣們召來，愁眉苦臉地問大家有沒有使秦國退兵的辦法。大臣們由于經過多年的戰亂，提起打仗就嚇得哆嗦，誰也不敢談“抵抗”二字。在這大兵壓境的危急時刻，多數大臣都勸魏王，用黃河以北和太行山以南的大片土地為代價，向秦王求和。

　　謀士蘇代聽了這些話，很不以為然，忙上前對魏王說：“大王，他們是因為自己膽小怕死，才讓您去賣國求和，根本不為國家著想。您想，把大片土地割讓給秦國雖然暫時滿足了秦王的野心，但秦國的欲望是無止境的，只要魏國的土地沒割完，秦軍就不會停止進攻我們。”

　　說到這里，蘇代講了一個故事：從前有一個人，他的房子起火了，別人勸他快用水去澆滅大火，但他不聽，偏抱起一捆柴草去救火，是因為他不懂得柴草不但不能滅火反而能助長火勢的道理。大王若同意拿著魏國土地去求和，不就等于抱著柴草救火嗎？”

　　盡管蘇代講得頭頭是道，但是膽小的魏王只顧眼前的太平，還是依大臣們的意見把魏國大片土地割讓給秦國。到公元225年，果然秦軍又向魏國大舉進攻，包圍了國都大梁，掘開黃河大堤讓洪水淹沒了大梁城，魏國終于被秦國滅掉了。

　　故事出自《史記魏世家》。成語“抱薪救火”比喻用錯誤的方法去消滅禍害，結果反而使禍害擴大。

延伸閱讀：

伊索寓言：老鼠開會（Belling the cat）

　　Long ago, there was a big cat in the house. He caught many mice while they were stealing food.

　　One day the mice had a meeting to talk about the way to deal with their common enemy. Some said this, and some said that.

　　At last a young mouse got up, and said that he had

　　a good idea.

　　"We could tie a bell around the neck of the cat. Then when he comes near, we can hear the sound of the bell, and run away."

　　Everyone approved of this proposal, but an old wise mouse got up and said, "That is all very well, but who will tie the bell to the cat?" The mice looked at each other, but nobody spoke.

　　老鼠開會

　　●從前，一所房子里面有一只大貓，他抓住了很多偷東西的老鼠。

　　●一天，老鼠在一起開會商量如何對付他們共同的敵人。會上大家各有各的主張，最后，一只小老鼠站出來說他有一個好主意。

　　●“我們可以在貓的脖子上綁一個鈴鐺，那么如果他來到附近，我們聽到鈴聲就可以馬上逃跑。”

　　●大家都贊同這個建議，這時一只聰明的老耗子站出來說：“這的確是個絕妙的主意，但是誰來給貓的脖子上綁鈴鐺呢？”老鼠們面面相覷，誰也沒有說話。

　　寓意: 有些事情說起來容易，做起來卻很難。

　　蘇格蘭瑪麗女王Mary Queen of Scots Tim Vicary達維里奇奧之死

　　It was a Saturday evening in March 1566.I was in Edinburgh with some friends.david Riccio was there,with six or seven other people.We were in a small room,but there was a good dinner on the table,and we were happy.It was dark outside,it was warm and friendly.

　　1566年3月的一個星期六晚上。我和一些朋友呆在愛丁堡。達維里奇奧也在那里，另外還有六、七個人。我們在一間小屋子里，桌上擺著豐盛的菜肴，我們都很高興。雖然外面夜幕籠罩，但屋子里充滿了溫暖和友好的氣氛。

　　Suddenly,a door opened behind me.In the door was Henry darnley,my husband.I stood up and smiled.

　　突然，我身后的門被打開了，門口站著我的丈夫亨利達恩利。我站起來朝他笑。

　　‘Good evening,my lord,’I said.‘Please come in.Would you like something to eat?’

　　“晚上好，我的丈夫，”我說道，“請進來吧，你想吃點什么嗎？”

　　‘No thank you,’he said.‘I'm not hungry.But I want to sit next to you,wife.Please tell that man to move.’

　　“不，謝謝，”他說。“我不餓。但我想坐在你身邊，我的妻子。請叫那個人走開。”

　　A man got out of the chair next to me and Darnley sat beside me.Then he put his arms round me.I did not like it.His face was hot,and his eyes looked unhappy.But I smiled and said,‘I'm happy to see you,my lord.’

　　一人從我身旁的座位上站起來，達恩利坐到了我身邊。然后他伸出手環抱著我。我不喜歡這樣。他的臉很熱，他的眼神看起來很不高興。但我還是笑著對他說。“很高興見到你，我的丈夫。”

　　‘Are you,Mary?’He laughed.‘Are you really?’

　　“是嗎，瑪麗？”他笑道。“是真的嗎？”

　　‘Yes,of course,my lord.But’

　　“是的，當然是的，我的丈夫。不過”

　　Then the second door opened and his friend,Lord Ruthven,stood there.He had a knife in his hand.His face was red,and he looked very angry.

　　接著，第二扇門打開了，他的朋友魯斯溫勛爵站在那兒。他手里拿著一把刀。他的臉紅紅的，滿臉怒容。

　　Af first no one moved.Then Ruthven said,‘Your Majesty,send David Riccio out of this room,now!I want him!’

　　起初，誰也沒動。然后魯斯溫說道，“陛下，把達維里奇奧從這房間里趕出去，馬上！我要他！”

　　I looked at Riccio.He was afraid.‘Why?’I said.‘Why do you want him?’

　　我看著里奇奧，他顯得很害怕。“為什么？”我問，“你為什么要他？”

　　‘He is a bad,wicked man!’Ruthven said.‘Send him out!’

　　“他是個不道德的壞人！”魯斯溫說。“把他趕出去！”

　　‘No!’I said.‘You want to kill him.David Riccio is my friend!He stays here,with me!’

　　“不！”我說。“你想殺他。達維里奇奧是我的朋友！他呆在這里，和我在一起！”

　　‘He goes out,woman!’Lord Ruthven said.‘King Henry,hold your wife,please!’

　　“他得出來，女人！”魯斯溫勛爵說。“亨利親王，抓住你的妻子，快點！”

　　I stood up,but Darnley held my arms and I could not move.David Riccio ran behind me and held my dress.My friends in the room stood up too,and moved towards Ruthven angrily.But he had a knife in his hand.

　　我站了起來，可是達恩利抓住我的胳膊，我不能動彈。達維里奇奧跑到我身后抓住我的衣服。我房間里的朋友們也站了起來，憤怒地向魯斯溫逼近，但是魯斯溫手里拿著刀。

　　‘Get back!’he said angrily.‘Don't touch me!’

　　“回去！”他怒吼。“不要過來！”

　　Then five men with knives ran into the little room,and there was a fight.One man held a knife in my face,and another man hit David Riccio,behind me.Then they pulled him out of the room.

　　接著，五個拿刀的男人沖進了這是小屋。一場沖突開始了。一個男人把刀架在我面前，另一個人去攻擊躲在我身后的達維里奇奧。然后他們把他拖出了房間。

　　‘Help me!’he screamed.‘Help me,my Queenplease!They're going to kill me!Don'taaaaaargh!’

　　“救命！”他尖叫道。“救救我，我的女王請救救我！他們要殺我！不要！啊！”

　　I couldn't help him,because Darnley had me in his arms.But I could hear David Riccio's screams.I think he fell down the stairs,and he screamed for two or three minutes.Then it was quiet.

　　我幫不了他，因為達恩利緊緊抓著我。可是我能聽到達維里奇奧的尖叫聲。我想他是從樓梯上摔了下去，尖叫持續了二三分鐘后。一切歸于平靜。

　　‘What are you doing?’I asked Darnley angrily.‘Riccio is a good manwhy are you doing this?’

　　“你在干么什？”我憤怒地責問達恩利。“里奇奧是個好人你為什么要這樣做？”

　　Darnley laughed.‘You are my wife,Marynot David Riccio's!’he said.‘So why are you with him every evening?You never talk to me!’

　　達恩利笑道。“你是我的妻子，瑪麗不是達維里奇奧的！”他說。“所以你為什么要每晚和他呆在一起？你從沒對我說過！”

　　‘I don't talk to you because you are never here!’I said.‘You are always drinking with your friends!You aren't a king,you're a stupid boy!’

　　“我沒有對你說是因為你從來不在這里！”我說。“你總是和你的朋友們不停地喝酒！你不是個親王，你是個愚蠢的小男孩！”

　　He laughed again.It was not a nice laugh.‘Well,’he said.‘Perhaps I am a boy,but that is better than David Riccio,now.Do you want to go and see him?’

　　他又一次笑了，那是個不帶好意的笑。“好吧，”他說。“也許我只是個男孩，但也比達維里奇奧強。你想去看看他嗎？

　　I did see him,five minutes after that.He was very dead,and there was blood all over the floor.Poor David Riccio.He sings to God now,not me.

　　五分鐘后，我看到了他。他已經死了，地上到處是血。可憐的達維里奇奧，他現在給上帝唱歌了，而不再為我。

　　I looked at Henry Darnley,my husband.He had a stupid smile on his face.But I think he was fraid of me.I looked at him a long time,and the smile went away.

　　我看著亨利達恩利我的丈夫。他臉上帶著愚蠢的微笑。但我認為他還是怕我的。我盯著他看了很久，他臉上的笑容漸漸消失了。

　　‘Remember this night,husband,’I said to him.‘Remember it well.Think about it when you look into my eyes,and before you go to sleep.David Riccio was my friend,and you killed him in front of my.I'm never going to forget that,Henry Darnley.Never!’

　　“記住今天晚上，丈夫，”我對他說。“好好記住。在你看著我的眼睛的時候，在你上床睡覺之前，好好想一想這件事。達維里奇奧是我的朋友，而你卻當著我的面殺死了他。對此我永遠都不會原諒，亨利達恩利，永遠不！”