《假途灭虢》成语英译与典故

二十八、假途灭虢

春秋时两个诸侯国，

一个叫虞一个叫虢（ɡuó）。

还有个大国号称晋，

有一次发兵打虢国。

灭虢必经虞国地，

要借路须先和虞国商议妥。

虞国慑于晋国的威势，

不得已只好答应把路借。

借路本为苟安计，

哪晓得晋国无恩义？

灭虢回顺便也灭了虞。

“唇亡齿寒”要记取，

“假途灭虢”是计策。

虞国在借路之后悔莫及，

轻信了晋国铸大错。

后来把借路为名的诡计，

全称为“假途”去“灭虢”。

To Borrow a Route to Conquer the State of Guo

During the Spring and Autumn Period（770—476B.C.），there were two very small states.One was called Yu and the other was Guo，and their neighbour was the big state Jin.The latter wanted to launch an attack at Guo，and the attack had to be made by way of the state Yu.The State of Jin persua⁃ded Yu to borrow a route from her.

Unexpectedly Jin didn't keep its promise，and when it conquered the State of Guo，Jin destroyed the State of Yu too in passing.Guo should had remem⁃bered the proverb“When the Lips Ruptured the Teeth Are Cold”.They did not know that“Borrowing a Route”was actually a scam.

The State of Yu regretted and repented after they lent the route，making a tremendous mistake by hav⁃ing trust in the State of Jin.Later when people re⁃ferred to someone making an intrigue in the name of borrowing a route，they called it“Borrowing a Route to Conquer the State of Guo”