《暮夜怀金》成语英译与典故

四十三、暮夜怀金

《后汉书》有篇《杨震传》，

据记载杨震做官最清廉。

他为人性情很耿直，

有一件小事可见一斑：

有一次杨震途经昌邑县，

县令是当年他举荐。

为报答老师举荐恩，

县令王密心盘算：

送点礼物给恩师吧，

要是派人去太显眼。

王密也知道恩师廉且直，

可没有表示又心不安。

终决定怀揣黄金十余斤，

亲自送去在夜间。

杨震一见很生气，

批评他怎么可以这样干！

王密说：“特趁暗夜无人知。”

杨震说：“脚下有地上有天。

再者还有你和我，

天、地、你、我已四知，

你揣金速回莫迟延！

若要再来说服我，

师生之谊今日断！”

王密至此愧又惭，

揣金辞师生感叹，

佩服老师廉正清，

杨震美名千古传。

“暮夜怀金”这成语，

比喻人暗中贿赂把蠢事干。

To Bestow Gold at Midnight

In the history of Later Han Dynasty there was a biography about Yang Zhen.It says that Yang Zhen was an honest and restrained officer，who had a dis⁃position of uprightness，as can be seen from this sto⁃ry.

Once Yang Zhen was passing Changyi County.The magistrate of the county had been promoted by him.In order to pay the credit of his promotion，the magistrate Wang Mi was racking his brains to find a way to have someone send him some presents.

Wang Mi knew very well this blissful teacher was honest and upright，but he would feel upset lest he re⁃warded him a little.So he decided to bestow on him a lump of gold weighing 5 kilograms，and take it in per⁃son in the middle of the night.

Yang Zhen was very angry at the sight of it and gave him a very strong rebuke！Wang Mi said，“At midnight no one knows.”Yang Zhen said，“but the Earth underfoot and Heaven overhead，and what is more，you and me—Earth，Heaven，you and me four persons know the secret.Go back to your place with the gold and don't delay.If you try to make me accept it one more time there will be no teacher and disciple any more！”

Then Wang Mi was ashamed and defaced like a stricken devil.He emotionally bade his teacher good⁃night with the gold，admiring his teacher's virtue even more.

Thus the good name of Yang Zhen goes on and on，but the idiom“To Bestow Gold at Midnight”takes the meaning of some sly vicious bribery.