勵志簡短的英文成語小故事

　　在我們有所空閒的時候，不妨找一些來看看，那麼都有哪些呢?一起來看看吧。

　　：脣亡齒寒

　　During the Spring and Autumn Period ***707 - 476 B.C.***, Duke Xian of the State of Jin Wanted to expand his position of strength and sphere of influence. Therefore he would like to send his troops to destroy the State of Guo on the pretest that the State of Guo often encroached on theborders of the State of Jin. But there was a third state, the State of Yu,between the State of Jin and the State of Guo, and the Jin army had to cross the State of Yu before it could reach the State of Guo . "How can my army cross the State of Yu without a hitch?" Duke Xian of the State of Jin asked his ministers.Xun Xi , one of the ministers, said, "The monarch of the State of Yu is short - sighted and covets small advantages. If we give him priceless precious stones and fine horses, it is not unlikely that he will allow our army to pass through his country. " Seeing that Duke Xian of the State of Jin was a little bit grudging, Xun Xi continued to say, "The State of Yu and the State of Guo are neighbor stated as closely related as lips and teeth. The State of Yu cannot exist independently if the state of Guo is destroyed. Your precious stones and fime hores are just left in the care of the monarch of the State of Yu." So Duke Xian of the State of Jin accepted Xun Xi's plan. When the monarch of Yu saw the precious gifts, he was elated,and readily promised to let the Jin army pass through his state. Hearing the news, Gong Zhiqi, one of the ministers as the State of Yu, hastened to admonish the monarch, saying," That won't do.For the State of Yu and the State of Guo are neighbor states as closely related as lips and teeth. Our two small states are interdependent, and can help cach other when problems crop up .If the State of Guo were destroyed, it would be difficult for our State of Yu to continue to exist. As the common saying goes, if the lips are gone ,the teeth will be cold, The teeth can hardly be kept if the lips are gone. So it won't do at all to allow the Jin army pass our state." The monarch of the State of Yu said," The State of Jin is a big state. Now they here specially to present gifts to us with the intention of being on friendly terms with us. Under suchcircumstances, how can we refuse to allow them to pass through our state?" Hearing this, Gong Zhiqi sighed repeatedly. Knowing that the State of Yu would soon be destroyed, Gong Zhiqi left the State of Yu together with his whole family.

　　As expected, the troops of the State of Jin, allowed to pass through the State of Yu, destroyed the State of Guo and on their return trip captured the monarch of the State of Yu who went out personally to meet them, htus destroying the State of Yu as Well.

　　This story appears in the chapter " The Fifth Year of Duke Xi " in Zuo zhuan,the famous commentary by Zuo Qiuming on The Spring and Autumn Annals. The set phrase " if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold " is used to mean that two persons or things share a common lot and that is one fails ,the other is in danger.

　　春秋時候，晉獻公想要擴充自己的實力和地盤，就找藉口說鄰近的虢***guó***國經常侵犯晉國的邊境，要派兵滅了虢國。可是在晉國和虢國之間隔著一個虞國，討伐虢國必須經過虞地。“怎樣才能順利通過虞國呢?”晉獻公問手下的大臣。大夫荀息說：“虞國國君是個目光短淺、貪圖小利的人，只要我們送他價值連城的美玉和寶馬，他不會不答應借道的。”晉獻公一聽有點捨不得，荀息看出了晉獻公的心思，就說：“虞虢兩國是脣齒相依的近鄰，虢國滅了，虞國也不能獨存，您的美玉寶馬不過是暫時存放在虞公那裡罷了。”晉獻公採納了荀息的計策。

　　虞國國君見到這兩們珍貴的禮物，頓時心花怒放，聽到荀息說要借道虞國之事時，當時就滿口答應下來。虞國大夫宮之奇聽說後，趕快阻止道：“不行，不行，虞國和虢國是脣齒相依的近鄰，我們兩個小國相互依存，有事可以自彼幫助，萬一虢國滅了，我們虞國也就難保了。俗話說：‘脣亡齒寒’，沒有嘴脣，牙齒也保不住啊!借道給晉國萬萬使不得。”虞公說：“人家晉國是大國，現在特意送來美玉寶馬和咱們交朋友，難道咱們借條道路讓他們走走都不行嗎?”宮之奇連聲嘆氣，知道虞國離滅亡的日子不遠了，於是就帶著一家老小離開了虞國。

　　果然，晉國軍隊借道虞國，消滅了虢國，隨後又把親自迎接晉軍的虞公抓住，滅了虞國。 故事出自《左傳·僖公五年》。成語“脣亡齒寒”，比喻雙方關係密切，相互依存。

　　：枕戈待旦

　　Lying with one's Head Pillowed on a Spear,Waiting for Day to Break

　　In the Western Jin Dynasty there were two young men.One of them was Zu Ti and the other was Liu Kun.Both of them were men of ideals and integrity who were chivalrous and of a sanguine disposition.They not only wrote excellent articles but also were fond of practising martial arts to keep fit, in order to render meritorious service to the country.Both of them were chief clerks responsible for document administration in Luoyang.Although in appearance the Jin Dynasty had jurisdiction of the Central Plains comprising the middle and lower reaches of the Haunch and threatened by foreign invasion.Zu Ti and Liu Kun often talked about the country's situation till late into the night,and each time they talking very excitedly again.Liu Kun fell asleep without knowing it,but Zu Ti was too excited to fall asleep." Cock-a-doodle-doo,"came the crow of rooster in the wasteland.Zu Ti jumped up and kicked Liu Kun awake:"Listen.How inspiring the rooster's crow is.Let's get up and practised on a slope.From then on,they kept practising sword playing vigorously and energetically in the wasteland every day when they heard the first crow in the morning.Deeply moved by Zu Ti's patriotic passion,Liu Kun was determined to devote himself to his homeland.Once he wrote to his family:"At the time when the country is in dire peril,I am resolved to dedicate myselt to the service of my country.I often fear that I might lag behind Zu Ti in rendering service to the country,and,in fact,I am behind him..." The words" sleep with my head pillowed on a spear,waiting for the day to break"vividly described Liu Kun's determination to dedicate himself to the service of the country and to fight the enemy at any time.Later,this set phrase is used to mean maintaining sharp vigilance and being ready to fight at any time."

　　西晉人祖逖和劉琨，都是性格開朗、仗義好俠的志士。年輕時不但文章寫得好，而且都喜歡練武健身，決心報效祖國。當時，晉朝表面上還管轄著中原大地，但實際上已是內憂外患，風雨飄搖了。祖逖和劉琨一談起國家局勢，總是慷慨萬分，常常聊到深夜。

　　一天，祖逖又和劉琨談得十分興奮，劉琨不知什麼時候睡著了，祖逖卻久久沉浸在談話的興奮之中，不能入睡。“喔，喔，喔--”荒原上的雄雞叫了起來，祖逖一躍而起，踢醒了劉琨：“聽，這雄雞啼鳴多麼振奮人心呀，快起來練劍吧!”於是，兩人操起劍來，在高坡上對舞。從此，他倆每天清早聽到頭一聲鳴叫，一定來到荒原上抖擻神練起劍來。

　　劉琨被祖逖的愛國熱情深深感動，決心獻身於祖。一次他給家人的信中寫道：“在國家危難時刻，我經常‘枕戈待旦’***枕著兵器睡覺一直到天明***，立志報國，常擔心落在祖逖後邊，不想他到底走到我的前頭了!……”

　　故事出自《晉書·祖逖傳》。“枕戈待旦”出自劉琨《與親故書》，形象地寫出了劉琨隨時準備殺敵報國的決心。後來用作成語，形容時刻警惕敵人，準備作戰。

　　：東施效顰

　　Xi Shi, a famous beauty, had a pain in her bosom, so she had a frown on her face when she went out. An ugly girl who lived nearby saw her and thought she looked very beautiful. therefore when she went home, she also put her hands on her bosom and had a frown on her face.

　　When a rich man in the neighbourhood saw her, he shut his doors tightly and did not go out. When a poor man saw her, he took his wife and children and gave her a wide berth.

　　She only knew Xi Shi's frown looked beautiful but she did not know the reason for its beauty.

　　越國苧羅***今浙江諸暨南***有位姓施的美女，因為家住若耶溪西岸，所以村裡人叫她西施。若耶溪東岸也有位姓施的姑娘。她長得很醜，村裡人管她叫東施。

　　有一天，西施心口疼，走路的時候雙手捂住胸部，並且皺著眉頭。村裡人見她這個模樣，都同情地說：“瞧這姑娘的模樣，準是疼得難受，真是可憐!”

　　西施的病態正好被東施瞧見了。她一邊看，一邊默默記住她難受的姿態和動作。回到溪東後，也模仿西施的模樣，雙手捂住胸部，同時皺著眉頭。

　　東施的這副模樣，使村裡人大吃一驚，富人緊閉大門不出來，窮人也帶著妻兒躲開。 東施只知道人家皺著眉頭很美，卻不知道為什麼皺著眉頭會美。