《卧薪尝胆》成语英译与典故

七十四、卧薪尝胆

春秋时吴越两国起征战，

越王被吴王打败输得惨。

吴国的国王叫夫差，

越国的国君名勾践。

吴王夫差曾把勾践捉回国，

简直把越王当作猪狗看。

到后来越王设谋回国后，

发愤图强报仇怨！

每天夜晚他睡在柴堆上，

头上方悬挂一只苦猪胆。

睡觉前先要尝尝苦胆味，

时刻把国耻家仇记心间。

经过数年努力后，

勾践与以往不一般，

治理得民富国也强，

伺机领兵报仇怨。

终于把吴国消灭掉，

后人提起总称赞。

把“卧薪尝胆”作成语，

比喻人刻苦奋发能自勉。

Sleep on Brushwood and Taste Gall

During the Spring and Autumn Period（770—476B.C.），there was a war between two states：Wu and Yue.The king of Yue was defeated by the king of Wu.The name of the king of Wu was Fu Chai，and the name of the king of Yue was Gou Jian.Fu Chai had once arrested Gou Jian and taken him to his country，and treated him as a dog or pig.Later the caught king managed to get back to his home coun⁃try.He resolved to take revenge.Every night he slept on brushwood，and every night before sleep，he would taste the pig's gall hanging overhead，remem⁃bering the shame of his country and foe of his family.

After several years of hard work，Gou Jian turned out to be a new man.He ran the country well and his people were all rich，and he was preparing for re⁃venge.In the end he wiped out the State of Wu.Peo⁃ple in later generations often praised him.

“Sleep on Brushwood and Taste Gall”as an idiom indicates one should work hard and be self⁃reliant.