破釜沉舟的故事英语版 看成语学英语

 　　英语和中文代表着不同的文化体系，而我们用英语去看中国的成语故事是非常有趣的一件事情，孩子们可以通过英文版的成语故事来学习英语，这边就和孩子们分享破釜沉舟、南辕北辙和画蛇添足这三个成语故事。

　　1.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。

　　2.Act in a way that defeats one's purpose

　　There once was a man who wanted to go to the south, but his carriage was heading north. A passer-by asked him: “Now that you are going to the south, why is your carriage heading north?” The man answered: “My horse is good at running, my cart driver has excellent driving skills, and I have enough money. In any case, I am able to get to my destination.” The man didn't realize that if he was heading a wrong direction; the faster his horse ran, the further he would be away from his destination.

　　南辕北辙

　　从前有一个人坐着马车要去南方，但是他的马车却朝着北方行驶。一个路人看到了问他：”既然你要去南方，为什么你的车子要往北走呢?“ 这个人回答道：”我的马善于奔跑，我的马车夫也有很高超的驾驶技术，我呢，又有充足的钱。无论如何，我都会到达目的地的。“ 这个人没有意识到，如果他朝着一个错误的方向走，他的马跑的越快，他离目的地就会越远。

　　3. gild the lily

　　In old time, a family in the State of Chu held a sacrificial activity to their ancestors, and after that they rewarded the people who helped in the ceremony with the pot of wine used in it.

　　There were many helpers but only one pot of wine. Who will drink it?

　　Then someone suggested: “Let everyone draw a snake. Whoever draws fastest and most lifelike will get the pot of wine.”

　　All people thought that was a good idea.

　　One man drew very fast. He finished it in the blink of an eye, and of course he was given the pot of wine. At this moment, he saw that the others had not finished yet, so he wanted to flaunt (show off )his skill.

　　He said proudly: “How slow you are! Even though I give the snake more feet and you won’t finish it.” Holding the wine pot in his left hand, he began to add feet to the snake with his right hand. When he was just adding feet to the snake, another man finished his drawing.

　　He grabbed the wine pot at once, saying: "A snake has no feet. How could you add feet to it? The first one who finished drawing a snake is I, not you."

　　Having said this(After saying this), the man drank off the wine.

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