burn the boat

破釜沉舟

In the late years of the Qin Dynasty (秦朝,221 - 206BC), Xiang Yu (项羽) launched a rebellion.

秦朝末年，项羽发动了叛乱。

After crossing the Zhang River (漳河), Xiang Yu ordered his soldiers to sink all the boats and break their cooking pots.

在部队渡过漳河之后，项羽命令士兵把所有的船只都凿破，沉到河底，再把煮饭锅完全打碎。

He distributed each soldier three days' rations and warned them that there was no way return; the only thing they could do to survive was to fight against the enemy.

项羽给每个人只发三天的粮食，然后再上战场，这样做，是为了向大家表示“宁死不退”的决心。

After nine furious war, the Qin army was finally defeated.

果然，经过九次的激烈奋战，项羽的军队终于打败了秦国的军队。

This idiom is used to reveal one's strong determination to achieve one's goal at any cost.

后来，我们使用“破釜沉舟”比喻：下定决心，不达目的绝不罢休的精神

fail the exam

名落孙山

In the Song Dynasty (宋朝) there was a joker called Sun Shan (孙山).

宋朝有一个很幽默的人，他叫孙山。

One year he went to take the imperial examination, and came bottom of the list of successful candidates.

有一年他去参加考试，公布名单时他是最后一名。

Back in his hometown, one of his neighbor asked him whether the neighbor's son had also passed.

回到家，他的邻居向他打听自己的儿子考得怎么样。

Sun Shan said, with a smile:"Sun Shan was the last on the list. Your son came after Sun Shan."

孙山笑着对邻居说：“孙山考了最后一名，你儿子的名字还在孙山的后面呢。”

The people used this idiom to indicate failing in an examination or competition.

人们用“名落孙山”来比喻考试没有考上或者选拔没有被录取。

all of the rumors were let loose about sth

满城风雨

In the Northern Song Dynasty (北宋, 960－1127AD),Xie Wuyi (谢无逸) and Pan Dalin (潘大临) were good friends and both crazy about poem writing.

北宋时期，谢无逸与潘大临是一对好朋友，他们都十分喜爱诗歌创作。

Though they were not in the same province,they made good use of correspondence for the poetries exchange.

虽然他们来自不同的省份，但他们经常书信往来，进行诗歌交流。

At that time,life was pretty hard for Pan Dalin,he was down and out,struggling a living hardly by borrowing from others.

那时的潘大临生活非常贫寒，靠着借贷艰难地生活着。

The traditional Double-ninth Day (重阳节) was around the corner,in the small town where Pan lived,winds blew heavily and rains always poured.

重阳节马上就要到了，潘大临居住的小镇寒风萧瑟，秋雨绵绵。

One morning,Pan was shocked and moved by the bleak and amazingly beautiful scene outside when he opened the shaddering window.Being inspired by it,he rapidly got a pen and paper to write down one line of poem:"Double-ninth Day is coming, Wind and Rain Were Swept Through the Whole Town.”

一天早上，潘大临打开门窗，立即被窗外凄美的景色所深深吸引了，于是诗兴大发，取出笔墨纸砚，挥笔写下“满城风雨近重阳”。

Not until he fininshed the poem, his renter broke into his house,asking for the debts in a rash tone.

当他正准备继续写作后面的诗句时，一个要债的人破门而入，粗鲁地向他催还债务。

His writing process was so crudely interrupted by the happenning that he had to deliver the incomplete poem to Xie Wuyi.

这样一来，潘大临的写作也被打断了，但他还是把写的第一句诗赶快给好友谢无逸寄了过去，让他共同分享写作的快乐。

Unpredictably,the short sentence had since gained a great popularity aroud the country.

出乎意料的是，这句诗很快就被传开了，人们都觉得这句诗非常经典。

After several generations,"Wind and Rain Were Swept Through the Whole Town”were still remembered by many people,but its original meaning was fading,instead,it now be used to describe a sensational thing that raise uproars in an area and widely talked by the citizens.

特别是“满城风雨”这几个字，后来演变成了成语，但不再是形容重阳节的雨景，而用来比喻某一事件很轰动，被人们所广泛议论。

come out of nowhere

一鸣惊人

In the Warring States Period (战国), Duke Wei of Qi neglected state affairs, for the first three years of his reign, giving himself over to dissipation.

战国时期，齐威王继承王位已有三年了，可是他整天饮酒作乐，不理朝政。

One of his minister, Chun Yukun (chún yú kūn)who had a good sense of humor, said to him:”There is a big bird which has never taken wing nor sung for three years.Your Highness, may you guess what kind of bird is it?”

有一个大臣叫淳于髡，很有幽默感，对齐威王说：“臣听说齐国有一只大鸟，三年来不飞也不叫，大王知道这是一只什么鸟？”

The duke answered, “Once that bird starts to fly and sing, it will astonish the world.”

（其实淳于髡是暗喻齐威王）齐威王答道：“一旦这只鸟开始飞翔高歌，必然震惊世界。”

The duke then devoted himself to his duties and built his state up into a powerful one.

从此齐威王勤于朝政，励精图治，国威大振。

This idiom is used to indicate that a person may rise from obscurity and achieve greatness.

成语“一鸣惊人”比喻平时默默无闻或是无所作为，但一旦认真起来，便一下子干出一番惊人的事情。

Honey in the mouth and swords in the stomach

/Judas kiss

口蜜腹剑

Li Lin-fu was a prime minister of China during the T'ang dynasty (唐朝, 618—907AD).

李林甫，唐玄宗时官居“兵部尚书”兼“中书令”这是宰相的职位。

He was good at both calligraphy and painting, but had a crafty and sinister personality which made him disliked by everyone.

此人若论才艺倒也不错，能书善画。但若论品德，那是坏透了，所以并不受欢迎。

Li Lin-fu would bribe the palace eunuchs and concubines to tell him what the emperor liked, and then would immediately go prepare that thing for the emperor. The emperor was therefore very fond of Li Lin-fu, and trusted him unduly.

李林甫常常贿赂宦官来告诉他皇上的喜好，然后再准备东西讨好皇上。因此皇上很倚重李林甫。

One time, the minister Li Shr-jr offended Li Lin-fu. Li Lin-fu pretended not to care, and was in fact especially nice to the minister.

有一次，大臣李适之冒犯了李林甫，李林甫表面上并不在意，还装作对这个大臣特别好。

Then on a day, he told Li Shr-jr about some gold that was hidden over in Hua Mountain, and encouraged him to suggest mining this gold to the emperor.

然后有一天，李林甫告诉李适之在华山后面藏着金子，并怂恿他让皇上去挖金。

Li Shr-jr being of an honest and upright disposition, believed that it was true, and immediately went and told the emperor.

李适之为人老实，就信以为真，马上就去告诉了皇上。

But when the emperor began to discuss this with Li Lin-fu, Li Lin-fu acted very frightened and said,

"Hua Mountain in the place where all of Your Majesty's auspicious aurora are gathered. If we were to mine that area, it could be very dangerous for you. Who is it that wants to harm you?”

玄宗立刻把李林甫找来商议，李林甫却说：“这件事我早知道了，华山是帝王风水集中的地方，怎么可以随便开采呢？别人劝您开采，恐怕是不怀好意；我几次想把这件事告诉您，只是不敢开口。”

Today we can describe someone who is two-faced and always nice on the outside and yet is mean to people behind their backs as having "Honey in the Mouth and Swords in the Stomach."

如今当我们形容一个人是两面派，表面对人温文尔雅，但暗地伤人的人时，我们就用“口蜜腹剑”这个成语。

惊蛰

The word 惊蛰 has the meaning of awakening of hibernated insects. 惊 is startling, and 蛰 is hibernated (insects). The traditional Chinese farming culture said that during Jingzhe, thunderstorms will wake up the hibernated insects, which also means the weather is getting warm.

“惊蛰”意为“惊醒冬眠的昆虫”。中国传统农业文化传统中，惊蛰期间，雷雨增多，冬眠的虫类会被惊起，这也意味着天气会越来越暖。

On March 5 or 6 each year in China, people celebrate the Feast of Excited Insects. This celebration is a sign of the coming spring season, when the insects first awaken from their wintertime slumber. Everyone first notices the insects come forth from the woodpiles, rocks, and any other place where they might live.

在每年的3月5号或6号，中国传统文化迎来二十四节气的惊蛰。惊蛰标志着春天的到来，昆虫们从都冬眠的状态初次醒来。惊蛰开始，大家都会第一次注意到昆虫从柴堆里、石头下和其他地方冒出来。

People living in north China have the practice of placing blocks of ice upon dung heaps to stall the insects from ravaging their homes. There is the belief that the Chinese Dragon will call the insects forth to life from their sleep.

惊蛰这一天，住在中国北方的人们习惯把冰块放在粪堆上，防止昆虫在家中肆虐。北方人认为是中国的传统神兽麒麟将昆虫从沉睡中唤醒的。

During the spring time, homes may have the symbol of the dragon in the form of a statue, particularly one made of jade, or a painting of a dragon. In addition to being able to move the insects from their sleep, the Dragon also is capable of influencing the waters on earth, which also come to life after being frozen over from the winter time.

在春天，人们会在家里放上龙的标志，可能是龙形雕塑（尤其是玉雕的龙），也可能是一幅关于龙的画。麒麟除了能唤醒沉睡的昆虫，还能影响地球上的水源，麒麟一声长吼，江河湖海的水也从冬季的漫长冰封状态复苏重现生机。

In the southern part of China on the Feast of Excited Insects, women make paper images of the white tiger and display the image in a visible part of the house. The tiger is a symbol of good luck, keeping away noxious creatures at bay such as rats, snakes, and spiders. The white tiger also symbolizes harmony in the home, bringing peace for the spring season and new year ahead.

而在中国南方，妇女们会用纸扎出白虎，摆在家中显眼的地方。白虎象征着好运，能够赶走家中的老鼠、蛇或蝙蝠等讨厌的生物。白灰也象征着家庭和睦，为春季和新的一年带来宁静祥和的氛围。

China still observe this holiday, especially in agrarian, rural areas that tend to keep closer to the cycles of the seasons. Watching the insects come to life at the start of spring must be exciting, for it allows people to look forward to a prosperous growing season.

中国人还是很重视惊蛰节气，特别是在以农业生产为主的农村地区，与节气周期的关系似乎更为紧密。初春伊始，看着昆虫们纷纷活跃起来应该很让人兴奋，因为这意味着农作物在生长季节又会大获丰收。

The affair of the east window is exposed./The cat is out of the bag.

东窗事发

During the final years of the Song dynasty (sòng cháo 宋朝), China was invaded by Jin (jīn金) people from the north.

宋朝末年，北方的金人来侵犯。

General Yue Fei led the army in resistance, and defeated the enemy.

将军岳飞率领军队勇敢抵抗，终于把敌人打败。

Just as he was about to take advantage of his victory and attack the Jin army, he received word that the emperor had ordered him to return.

正想乘胜追击敌人的时候，忽然皇帝下了十二道金牌，命令岳飞和军队立刻回去。

As it turned out, this was actually a plot of Chin Hui, a Sung dynasty official who was conspiring with the enemy.In order to frame Yue Fei, Chin Hui had tricked him into returning early.

原来这是私通敌人的太师秦桧的诡计，假冒皇帝的意思来陷害岳飞。

Chin Hui had thought this plot up together with his wife, under the east window of their house.

秦桧的这些诡计，都是他和妻子王氏在家里的东窗下秘密商量出来的。

Sometime later, Chin Hui and his son Chin Shi died, one right after the other. Chin Hui's wife hired someone who could communicate with ghosts and spirits to come and find out how her husband and son were doing after death.

后来秦桧和他的儿子秦僖相继死亡，王氏请了几个研究神鬼灵魂的人来，想知道他们父子死后的情形。

After he had finished, the man said to her, "I first went to see your son, who told me that your husband was in the city of Feng-du. So I went there and found him doing hard labor, wearing iron cangue. He asked me to tell you that the thing which you two discussed under the east window has already been exposed."

来的人在做法以后告诉王氏说：“我先见到了公子秦僖，他告 诉我秦太师在酆都城，我到了酆都城，看见太师正戴着铁枷做苦工呢。他让我转告你，你们在东窗下商量的那件事已经被揭发了。”

Now, when a wrong-doing is brought to light, it may be said that "the affair of the east window has been exposed."

现在当一件丑事被曝光之后，就可以说是：“东窗事发”了。

It is never too late to mend.

亡羊补牢

Once upon a time, there was a shepherd who kept several sheep.

从前有个人，养了几只羊。

One morning, the shepherd discovered that one of his sheep was missing.It turned out that, during the night, a wolf had stolen his sheep through a hole in the sheep pen.

一天早上，他发现少了一只羊。原来羊圈破了个窟窿，夜间狼从窟窿里钻进来把羊叼走了。

His neighbor suggested to him: "You should fix the pen and cover the hole right away."

邻居劝告他说：“赶快把羊圈修一修，堵上那个窟窿吧。”

But the shepherd said: "The sheep is already lost, so I don't need to repair it." And so he rejected the neighbor's suggestion.

他说：“羊已经丢了，还修羊圈干什么呢？”他没接受邻居的劝告。

The next morning, he discovered that another sheep was missing.Once again, the wolf stole the sheep through the hole in the fence.

第二天早上，他去放羊，发现又少了一只羊。原来狼又从窟窿里钻进来把羊叼走了。

The shepherd regretted not taking the neighbor's advice.So he plugged the hole to secure the sheep pen.

他很后悔没有接受邻居的劝告，他赶快堵上那个窟窿，把羊圈修得结结实实的。

From then on, no more sheep was stolen by the wolf.

从此，他的羊再没有被狼叼走了。

英语成语故事