英语成语故事简短

故事一般都和原始人类的生产生活有密切关系，他们迫切地希望认识自然，于是便以自身为依据，想象天地万物都像人一样，有着生命和意志。接下来由小编为大家整理出英语成语故事简短，仅供参考，希望能够帮助到大家！

英语成语故事简短1

Once a man wanted to go to the south, but his carriage was heading north. A passer-by asked him:"If you are going to south, why is your chariot heading north?" The ma answered, "My horse is good at running, My driver is highly skilled at driving a carriage, ad I have enough money."The man didint consider that the direction might be wrong; the better his conditions were, ther further he was away from his destination.

The idiom derived froim this story indicates that ones action was the opposite effect to ones intention.

从前有一个人，从魏国到楚国去。他带上很多的盘缠，雇了上好的车，驾上骏马，请了驾车技术精湛的车夫，就上路了。楚国在魏国的南面，可这个人不问青红皂白让驾车人赶着马车一直向北走去。

路上有人问他的车是要往哪儿去，他大声回答说：“去楚国!”路人告诉他说：“到楚国去应往南方走，你这是在往北走，方向不对。”那人满不在乎地说：“没关系，我的马快着呢!”路人替他着急，拉住他的马，阻止他说：“方向错了，你的马再快，也到不了楚国呀!”那人依然毫不醒悟地说：“不要紧，我带的路费多着呢!”路人极力劝阻他说：“虽说你路费多，可是你走的不是那个方向，你路费多也只能白花呀!”那个一心只想着要到楚国去的人有些不耐烦地说：“这有什么难的，我的车夫赶车的本领高着呢!”路人无奈，只好松开了拉住车把子的手，眼睁睁看着那个盲目上路的`魏人走了。

那个魏国人，不听别人的指点劝告，仗着自己的马快、钱多、车夫好等优越条件，朝着相反方向一意孤行。那么，他条件越好，他就只会离要去的地方越远，因为他的大方向错了。

这个故事告诉我们，无论做什么事，都要首先看准方向，才能充分发挥自己的有利条件;如果方向错了，那么有利条件只会起到相反的作用。

英语成语故事简短2

In the reign of Emperor the Second of the Qin Dynasty (221-207 B.C.), the prime minister Zhao Gao, obsessed with ambitions, was planning to usurp the throne day and night. But he did not know how many of the ministers in the court were allowed to be ordered about by him and how many of them were his opponents. So he thought out a way to test how high his prestige among the ministers was and also to find out who dared to oppose him.

One day when court was held, Zhao Gao let someone bring a stag to the court and, with a broad smile on his face, he said to Emperor the Second of the Qin Dynasty:"Your Majesty, here is a fine horse Im presenting to you." Looking at the animal, Emperor the Second thought that it was obviously a stag and that it couldnt be a horse. So he said smilingly to Zhao Gao:"Mister Prime Minister, you are wrong. This is a stay. Why do you say it is a horse?" Remaining calm, Zhao Gao said:"Will your Majesty please see more clearly? This really is a horse that covers a thousand li a day." Filled with suspicion, Emperor the Second looked at the stag again and said:"How can the antlers be grown on the head of a horse?" Turning around and pointing his finger at the ministers, Zhao Gao said in a loud voice:"if our Majesty do not believe me, you can ask the ministers."

The nonsense of Zhao Gao made the ministers totally at a lose, and they whispered to themselves: What tricks was Zhao Gao playing? Was it not obvious whether it was a stag or a horse? But when they saw the sinister smile on Zhao Gaos face and his two rolling eyes which were gazing at each of them, they suddenly understood his evil intentions.

Some of the ministers who were timid and yet had a sense of right eousness did not dare to say anything, because to tell lies would make their conscience uneasy and to tell the truth would mean that they would be persecuted by Zhao Gao later. Some ministers with a sense of justice persisted that it was a stag and not a horse. There were still some crafty and fawning ministers who followed Zhao Gao closely in ordinary times. They immediately voiced their support to Zhao Gao, saying to the emperor:"This really in a horse that covers a thousand li a day."

After the event, Zhao Gao punished by various means those ministers with a sense of justice who were not obedient to him, even with whole families of some of those ministers executed.

This story appears in "The Life of the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty" in The Historical Records written by Sima Qian. From this story people have derived the set phrase "calling a stag a horse" to mean deliberately misrepresenting some thing and misleading the public.

秦二世时，丞相赵高野心勃勃，日夜盘算着要篡夺皇位。可朝中大臣有多少人能听他摆布，有多少人反对他，他心中没底。于是，他想了一个办法，准备试一试自己的威信，同时也可以摸清敢于反对他的人。

一天上朝时，赵高让人牵来一只鹿，满脸堆笑地对秦二世说：“陛下，我献给您一匹好马。”秦二世一看，心想：这哪里是马，这分明是一只鹿嘛！便笑着对赵高说：“丞相搞错了，这里一只鹿，你怎么说是马呢？”赵高面不改色心不跳地说：“请陛下看清楚，这的确是一匹千里马。”秦二世又看了看那只鹿，将信将疑地说：“马的头上怎么会长角呢？”赵高一转身，用手指着众大臣，大声说：“陛下如果不信我的话，可以问问众位大臣。”

大臣们都被赵高的一派胡言搞得不知所措，私下里嘀咕：这个赵高搞什么名堂？是鹿是马这不是明摆着吗！当看到赵高脸上露出阴险的笑容，两只眼睛骨碌碌轮流地盯着赵高脸上露出阴险的笑容，两只眼睛骨碌碌轮流地盯着每个人的时候，大臣们忽然明白了他的用意。

一些胆小又有正义感的人都低下头，不敢说话，因为说假话，对不起自己的良心，说真话又怕日后被赵高所害。有些正直的人，坚持认为是说明书而不是马。还有一些平时就紧跟赵高的x佞之人立刻表示拥护赵高的说法，对皇上说，“这确是一匹千里马！”

事后，赵高通过各种手段把那些不顺从自己的正直大臣纷纷治罪，甚至满门抄斩。

故事出自《史记秦始皇本纪》。成语“指鹿为马”比喻故意颠倒是非，混淆黑白。

英语成语故事简短3

During the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), prince Zhou Xu of the State of Wei killed his brother and became the new emperor. Zhou Xu was a tyrant. He oppressed his people and indulged in wars of agGREssion. By launching wars, he tried to divert the peoples attention and reduce their discontent with him in order to consolidate his dictatorship.

The Duke of the State of Lu leant about Zhou Xus usurpation of state power and his ambitious plan, he asked a senior official, "What do you think about Zhou Xus move? "The official answered, "He indulges in wars , bringing his people much disaster. He wont get their support. And hes capricious, so few of his close friends follow him. He can never achieve his success. In addition, war is like fire. If one launches wars endlessly without restraint, hell eventually burn himself. "

Sure enough, the people of Wei with the help of the State of Chen overthrew Zhou Xu and killed him in less than a year.

Later, people use it to mean that those who do evil will finally ruin themselves.

春秋时期，卫国的王子州吁杀死了他的哥哥卫桓公，成为了卫国的国君。州吁是个暴君，他压迫百姓，到处侵略别的国家。他想利用战争来分散百姓的注意力，减少人们对他的不满，巩固他的专政。

鲁国的君王知道州吁篡夺了王位，还想吞并其他国家，就问他手下的一名官员："你认为州吁的目的能达到吗?"那位官员说道："州吁到处打仗，给人民来了灾难。人民不会支持他。他这个人又反复无常，身边没有什么亲信。他不可能实现自己的野心。而且，战争就象火。无休止地打仗，最后，火会烧到自己身上。 "

果然，不到一年，卫国人民就在陈国的帮助下x了州吁的统治，并处死了他。

后来，人们用这个成语来比喻干害人的勾当，最后受害的还是自己。

英语成语故事简短4

Imitating Another without Success and Losing What Used to Be OnesOwn Ability

Tradition has it that more than 2,oooyears ago,there lived a young man in the Shouling area of the State of Yan.As his name is not known ,we just call him Shouling young man for conveniences sake.

self confident He was at a loss as to how to behave all the time.

His family members advised him to overcome this shortcoming,but he thought they were fond of poking their noses into his business and were unwilling to provide him with tuition fee.His relatives and neighbours sneered at him,saying that he would never be able to learn anything.Asthe days went by,he even began to doubt whether he should walk the way he did,for he felt more and more that his walking gestures were too clumsy and awkward.

One day,he met some people on the road who werechattingand laughing.One of themsaid that people in Handan walked most gracefully.And thatwas just what he was most concerned about,so he hurreed towards themand wanted to make further inquiries.To his surprise,when these people saw him,they stalked off laughing.

He could not picture to himself in what way their walking gestures were graceful,no matter how hard he racked his parents one day.He went to Handanwhich was far away to learn how to walk.

As soon as he arrived in Handan,he was dazzled to find that everything was novel.He learned from the children there how to walk,because he thought that the childrens walking gestures were lively and pleasing to the eye.He learnd from the old people there how to walk,because he thought the old peoples walking gestures were steady .He learnd from the women there how to walk,because he thought the women swaying walking gestures were beautiful.That being the case with him ,in less than half a month he even forgot how to walk.As he had already used up his traveling expenses,he had to crawl back home.

This story come from the article"Autumn Water"in The Works of Xhuang Zi(Zhuang Zi was a famous ancient Chinese philosopher of about 300B.c.).Later the set phrase"initating another without success and losing what used to be ones own ability"is used to refer to acts of copying others mechanisally in disregard of specififc conditions.

相传在两千年前，燕国寿陵地方有一位少年，不知道姓啥叫啥，就叫他寿陵少年吧!

这位寿陵少年不愁吃不愁穿，论长相也算得上中等人材，可他就是缺乏自信心，经常无缘无故地感到事事不如人，低人一等——衣服是人家的好，饭菜是人家的香，站相坐相也是人家高雅。他见什么学什么，学一样丢一样，虽然花样翻新，却始终不能做好一件事，不知道自己该是什么模样。

家里的人劝他改一改这个毛病，他以为是家里人管得太多。亲戚、邻居们，说他是狗熊掰棒子，他也根本听不进去。日久天长，他竟怀疑自己该不该这样走路，越看越觉得自己走路的姿势太笨，太丑了。

有一天，他在路上碰到几个人说说笑笑，只听得有人说邯郸人走路姿势那叫美。他一听，对上了心病，急忙走上前去，想打听个明白。不料想，那几个人看见他，一阵大笑之后扬长而去。

邯郸人走路的姿势究竟怎样美呢?他怎么也想象不出来。这成了他的心病。终于有一天，他瞒着家人，跑到遥远的邯郸学走路去了。

一到邯郸，他感到处处新鲜，简直令人眼花缭乱。看到小孩走路，他觉得活泼、美，学;看见老人走路，他觉得稳重，学;看到妇女走路，摇摆多姿，学。就这样，不过半月光景，他连走路也不会了，路费也花光了，只好爬着回去了。

英语成语故事简短5

Once upon a time, there was a farmer.One day, while he was working in the fields, he saw a hare run into a tree stump accidentally and die of a broken neck.

The farmer took the hare home and cooked a delicious meal for himself.

That night he thought: "I neednt work so hard. All I have to do is wait every day by the stump to pick up the hare that runs into it.

So from then on he gave up farming, and stood by the tree stump waiting for the hare to come and run into it.

Butfromthen on, he never saw another hare run into the tree stump.

从前，有一个农夫。一天，在他耕田的时候，忽然跑过来一只野兔，恰好碰在一个树桩上，脖子折断死了。

农夫把兔子拾回家去，美美地吃了一顿兔肉。

当晚，他就想：“我何必辛辛苦苦的种地呢？每天在树桩旁等着捡撞倒的野兔就好了”。

于是他从此不再耕种，每天在树桩旁等待野兔的到来。

但是，从那以后，他再没有发现一只野兔撞在树桩上。

英语成语故事简短6

During the Han Dynasty, there was a county magistrate called Ying Bin. One summer day, he invited his secretary Du Xuan to his house and treated him with wine. On the north wall of the room hung a red bow. It was reflected in Du Xuan's cup. Du Xuan took the reflection for a squirming snake. He was very frightened but he dared not turn down Ying Bin's offer because he was his superior. He had to swallow the wine with his eyes closed.

When he was back at home he felt so painful in his chest and stomach that he could hardly eat and drink any more.

He sent for the doctor and tried much medicine but nothing could cure him.

When Ying Bin asked Du Xuan how he got so seriously ill, Du told him he drank the wine with a snake in his cup the other day. Ying Bin found something strange about that. He turned home, thought hard, but he couldn't find an answer. Suddenly the bow on the north wall caught his eye. "That's it!" he shouted. He immediately sent his man to fetch Du Xuan. He seated him where he sat before and offered him a cup of wine.

Du Xuan saw the snake-like shadow again. Before Du was scared out of his wits again, Ying Bin said, pointing at the shadow, "The 'snake'in the cup is nothing but a reflection of the bow on the north wall!"

Now that Du Xuan knew what it was, he felt much easier. his illness disappeared the next moment!

This story was later contracted into the idiom-mistake the reflection of a bow in the cup for a snake. We use it to describe someone who is very suspicious.

英语成语故事简短7

Once a man planned to build a terrace.

古时，有一个人要筑一座九仞(八尺=一仞)高的山。

He worked very hard and spent a lot of time digging and carrying earth.

他十分努力的建造这座山，并且花了很多时间挖土、搬运泥土。

When the mound was almost completed and only one more basket of earth was needed, the man gave up.

终于当山快要建成的时候，几乎只差最后一篮子的泥土就行了的时候，他放弃了。

The terrace was never completed.

这座山便永远无法完工。

This idiom means to fail to succeed for lack of final effort.

这个典故用以形容“离成功只有一步之遥，但最终失败告终”的意思。

英语成语故事简短8

In the Warring States Period, a man in the state of Chu was offering a sacrifice to his ancestors. After the ceremony, the man gave a beaker of wine to his servants. The servants thought that there was not enought wine for all of them, and decided to each draw a piecture of snake; the one who finished the piecture first would get the wine. One of them drew very rapidly. Seeing that the others were still busy drawing, he added feet to the snake. At this moment, another man finished, snatched the beaker and drank the wine, saying,"A snake doesnt have feet. How can you add feet to a snake?"

This idiom refers to ruining a venture by doing unnecessary and surplus things.

英语成语故事简短9

Groping about the Chin of the Black Dragon to Get a Pearl-Bringing Out the Best

Long,Long age,there lived a family by the Yellow River.They lived a very poor lift,depending on cutting reeds,weaving hanging screens and dustpans for a livelihood.

One day,the son was cutting reeds by the riverside.With the scroching sun directly overhead,his head was swimming,so he sat down to take a rest.Looking at the river water in front which was his father had once told him.in the depths of the river there were a lot of rare treasures,but nobody dared to get them because a fierce black dragon was residing there.He thought that,if he could dive into the depts of the river and get the treasures,the whole family would not have to toil from morning till night and yet could not have enough to eat as now.He thought it would be better to have a try,and he was resolved to try in desperation.So he took off his clothes nimbly and dived into the cold water with a splash.

At first,he could see small fish here and there all around.However,the deeper he dived ,the darker it became,and the colder the river water.At last,it was pitch-dark all around,and he could see nothing.He became frightened,and was at a loss where he should swim to.Just at that time,he noticed a round object which was glittering not far away.He fixed his eyes on it,and saw it was a bright pearl.He held his breath and swam over there,held the pearl with both hands,pulled it with a great effort,and the bright pearl come into his arms.He came out from the water immediately,climbed up the bank,and made off for home at once.

His father saw the bright pearl,and asked where he had got it.He told his father the whole story exactly as it had happened.Hearing this,his father said repeatedly,"How dangerous it was!This precious pearl was grown on the chin of the black dragon.The black dragon must have been sleeping when you were pulling the pearl.If the black dragon were awake,you would be dead."When the son heard this,he considered himself very lucky indeed.

This story appears in The Works of Zhuang Zi.From this story,later generations have derived the set phrase "groping about the chin of the black dragon to get a pearl-- bringing out the best" to indicate that an article is to the point.

英语成语故事简短10

A farmer in the state of Song once got a piece of stone with jade in it.

宋国人有个农夫得到一块含宝玉的石头后，将它献给了相国子罕。

He presented this stone to Prime Minister Zi Han. But Zi Han refused to accept it. The farmer explained, “It looks like just a stone, but there is jade inside. It actually is a piece of treasure and suitable for honorable men like you, not for us common people.”

子罕拒绝接受这块石头，农夫解释说：“表面上它是块石头，但里面含有宝玉，是个宝物，适合您这样的贵人使用，我们普通百姓用它就不合适了。”

“I know there is jade inside,” Zi Han said,” but I disagree with you. I think to have the virtue of declining things that do not belong to oneself is the real treasure. ”

子罕说：“我知道里面是宝玉。但我的观点和你不同，我认为具有不接受不应得的东西的品德才是真正的宝玉。”