《假途伐虢》出处、故事、英文翻译、注释

21.假途伐虢①

jiǎ tú fá guó

①虢：春秋时期一个诸侯国的国名。

【出处】《三十六计》第二十四计：两大之间，敌胁以从^[1]，我假以势^[2]，困^[3]，有言不信。《左传·僖公五年》：“晋荀息请以屈产^[4]之乘^[5]，与垂棘^[6]之塑^[7]，假道于虞以灭虢。”

【成语故事】公元前658年，有一位名叫荀息的晋国大夫，有一次他建议晋献公用屈立这地方出产的名马和用垂棘这地方出产的美玉送给虞国，目的就是借用虞国的道路，进兵攻打虢国。晋献公有点舍不得，说道：“这名马和美玉可是我们晋国的珍宝呢！”荀息答道：“主公，如果我们能从虞国借来军队进攻的道路，这些珍宝也只是暂时藏在外面府库，宝物还是我们的，它们迟早都会回到我们手中的。”晋献公想了想，说：“可是，虞国有个忠臣，名叫宫之奇，他一定会阻拦虞君做这件事的。”荀息说：“宫之奇这个人胆小懦弱，他不可能强行劝说虞君。况且他从小在虞君身边长大，虞君知道宫之奇胆小怕事，因此，就算宫之奇劝阻，虞君也不一定会听他的。”于是，晋献公派了荀息到虞国去办这件事。到了虞国后，荀息对虞公说：“虞公，冀国真是大逆不道啊，他先侵占了你们虞国的颠囹，后来又掠夺了虞国的冥地。还好在您的英明领导下，贵国奋起反抗，最终击败了冀国。而现在，我们晋国也面临同样的遭遇，野心勃勃的虢国不断偷偷派军队来扰乱我国南方的边境。我们都知道虞公是个讲义气的人，因此，我今天来呢，就是想向您借进兵的道路一用，这样我们才能抵抗虢国。”虞公被荀息夸奖得很高兴，很爽快就答应了借路的事，而且还提出，虞国会发动一些军队，充当晋军的先头部队，攻打虢国。宫之奇果然不同意，不过任凭他怎么劝阻，虞公都听不进去。这年夏天，晋国大将里克、荀息带领军队和虞国的军队一起，攻打虢国，很快就攻下了虢国的下阳。三年后，晋国消灭了虢国，虢公仓皇而逃，流落到了洛阳。晋军回师后，又把军队驻扎在虞国，乘虞国军队没有防备的时候，对他们发动突然袭击，继而轻而易举地也把虞国给消灭了。

【寓意】该成语原意是指通过游说向一国借道通行去征讨或者剿灭另外一个国家。现喻指处在敌我两个大国之间的小国，当受到敌方威胁逼它屈服之时，我方应立即施以援助，以借机扩展势力和影响。

假途伐虢
To Offer Timely Help to Weak Friend

21.To Offer Timely Help to Weak Friend

【Idiomatic Story】During the Spring and Autumn period，there was a senior official named XUN Xi in the Jin State.In 658 BC，XUN Xi advised the Monarch Xian-gong of the Jin State to offer the eminent horses and precious jades produced in the Jin State to the Monarch of the Yu State for an inoffensive passage to attack the Guo State.But the Monarch Xiangong seemed hesitant and said，“The horse and the jade are the valuable rarities of our State.” XUN Xi responded，“Your Majesty，we will only make these precious treasures stored in the Yu State for a passage to attack the Guo State.They are still ours and we will get them back someday.”Monarch Xian-gong thought for a while and said，“There is a loyal chancellor named GONG Zhi-qi in the Yu State，he will definitely prevent the Monarch of the Yu State from approving our request for an inoffensive passage.” XUN Xi said，“GONG Zhi-qi is quite a coward.He will not urge the Monarch and the Monarch know well about GONG Zhi-qi of his cowardliness.The Monarch will refuse to follow GONG Zhi-qi's persuasion.”

Then XUN Xi was sent to the Yu State on a diplomatic mission.Upon arriving at the Yu State，XUN Xi paid a formal visit to the Monarch with the gift.He said to the Monarch，“Your Majesty，your State had suffered the invasion of the Ji State.They had occupied your signories of the Dian-ling and Ming-di in succession.You have completely defeated the Ji State at last and have got back these signories under your decisive leadership.Now we meet the same situation，the Guo State often invaded the southern border of our State.We know Your Majesty is very kind and generous，so we ask for your approval to offer us an inoffensive passage to the Guo State for the military mission.”

The Monarch was quite pleased and moved by the flattery words of XUN Xi and gladly approved to offer the passage.Furthermore，the Monarch promised to offer help to attack the Guo State with an army.GONG Zhi-qi did not agree to offer the passage，so he showed his strong objection and tried his best to stop the Monarch，but all are in vain because the Monarch completely ignored his persuasion.

Later in the summer，General LI Ke with XUN Xi commanded the armed force to launch an attack on the Guo State with the assistance of the army of the Yu State.The city Xia-yang of the Guo State was soon captured.Three years later，the Guo State was captured by the Jin State.And the Monarch of the Guo State went to Luo-yang as a fugitive for shelter.On the way back，the army of the Jin State were stationed in the Yu State.They launched a sudden attack onto the defenseless Yu State and it was soon occupied.At last，the Yu State had suffered the same fate as its neighbor.

【Implied Meaning】It originally means to attack the enemy or conquer the distant nation by an inoffensive passage of a neighboring country.Now it is used to refer to offering timely help to back up the weak friend or partner when it is threatened by a strong opponent or enemy in order to strengthen and expand the power or influence.

【注释】

[1]敌胁以从：敌方胁迫小国屈从于他。

[2]我假以势：（在敌方胁迫小国屈从于他时），我则要借机去给予小国援救，造成一种对我有利的态势。

[3]困：卦名，坎下兑上，为异卦相叠。上卦为兑为泽，下卦为坎为水，表明本该容纳于泽中的水，离开了泽的包容而流散，而泽因无水而干涸受困，因而该卦相为困局之象。

[4]屈产：春秋时期晋国的地名，出产良马。

[5]乘：古时指车、马。

[6]垂棘：春秋时期晋国的地名，出产精美玉石，特别是白璧。还出产夜明珠，后垂棘成为夜明珠的代称。

[7]塑：白璧。