Position : Home > Online Learning Center > Idioms >

To quench one’s thirst by looking up at plums 望梅止渴

曹操是中国历史上闻名杰出的军事家。

一天，他在赤日下山区行军，迷失了路径，烈日当头而路途又遥远，士兵们在长时间的疲劳行军后，口渴难耐。于是众人都对曹操的领导表示不满，士兵的反抗情绪异常紧张，即将形成背叛的状态。下级官长不知如何应付这危机。曹操在这紧要关头机敏下令：“士兵行至前面的梅林休息。”并且准许士兵尽量吃多汁的酸梅，不受约束。

士兵们想着酸梅的味道，口渴就立刻缓和下来，反抗情绪也安定了。

后人用上面的故事作成语“望梅止渴”，来比喻一个人，幻想目的已经到达了，以安慰自己的情绪。

Among the outstanding figures of Chinese history, famous either for their intelligence or treachery, Cao Cao is one of the foremost.

One hot day, he marched out his troops under a burning sun in a mountainous area. Bewilderingly he lost the way. The journey was long and the sun was scorching. After their fruitless and tiresome march, one and all voiced their great dissatisfaction with the leadership of CAO Cao. They bitterly complained of their great thirst. The antagonism of the soldiers was growing fast and they were on the verge of staging a mutiny. The subordinate officers were helpless to cope with the situation.

Cao Cao, however, in the nick of time cleverly and treacherously gave orders to his troops to march to the nearby plum trees for a rest and announced that soldiers would be allowed to eat the juicy sour fruit as much as they desired.

At the thought of the sour fruit the soldiers’ complaint of great thirst as well as the antagonistic feeling were quickly forgotten.

Based on the story the later generation formed the proverb “to quench one’s thirst by looking up at plums”, to illustrate a case where one takes comfort in believing that they have already attained that which was expected or desired.

梅 plum 领导 leadership 不满 dissatisfaction 背叛 mutiny 下级 subordinate 安慰 comfort

上一篇：没有了
下一篇：Last touch added to a drawing 画龙点睛

FAQ

Contact us

Shinan Campus: Floor 21th, Building A, Central international (zhonghuan) Plaza, No. 19 zhangzhou Er Lu, (Bank of China’s uptairs), Qingdao

P: (86)532-88078385/85890993
EP: 13589278775
Skype:Call me!

Email:study@xmandarinchinese.com