Chinese idioms 汉语成语 : 塞翁失马，焉知非福——A loss, no bad thing

zhànɡuǒ shíqī yǒuyíwèi lǎorén mínɡjiào sàiwēnɡ

战国时期有一位老人，名叫塞翁。

tā yǎnɡle xǔduō mǎ yìtiān mǎqún zhōnɡ hūrán yǒuyìpǐ zǒushī le

他养了许多马，一天马群中忽然有一匹走失了。

línjūmén tīnɡdào zhèshì dōulái ānwèi tā búbì tài zháojí niánlínɡdàle duōzhùyì shēntǐ

邻居们听到这事，都来安慰他不必太着急，年龄大了，多注意身体。

sàiwēnɡ jiàn yǒurén quànwèi xiàoxiào shuō

塞翁见有人劝慰，笑笑说：

diūle yìpǐmǎ sǔnshī búdà méizhǔn háihuì dàilái fúqì

“丢了一匹马损失不大，没准还会带来福气。”

There was an old man in the Warring States Period, who was called the old frontiersman. He raised a lot of horses, one of which wandered away from the group one day. Hearing about this, the neighbors of this old man, came to comfort him saying that he was of venerable age and should mind his health by not being too upset about the loss of one horse. The old frontiersman said with a genial smile: "it's not a heavy loss, losing one horse, who knows but that this may be a blessing in disguise?"

línjū tīnɡle sàiwēnɡ de huà xīnlǐ juéde hǎoxiào

邻居听了塞翁的话，心里觉得好笑。

mǎdiūle mínɡmínɡ shìjiànhuàishì tāquè rènwéi yěxǔshì hǎoshì xiǎnránshì zìwǒānwèi éryǐ

马丢了，明明是件坏事，他却认为也许是好事，显然是自我安慰而已。

kěshì ɡuòle méijǐtiān diūmǎ bùjǐn zìdònɡ huíjiā hái dàihuí yìpǐ jùnmǎ

可是过了没几天，丢马不仅自动回家，还带回一匹骏马。

Hearing about this, his neighbors felt rather amused. The loss of a horse could never be considered a good thing, so his way of thinking was clearly him trying to console himself over the loss. However, several days later, the horse that wandered off returned, accompanied with another horse of very good quality.

línjū tīnɡshuō mǎ zìjǐ huíláile fēichánɡ pèifú sàiwēnɡde yùjiàn

邻居听说马自己回来了，非常佩服塞翁的预见，

xiànɡ sàiwēnɡ dàohè shuō háishì nínlǎo yǒu yuǎnjiàn

向塞翁道贺说：“还是您老有远见，

mǎ bùjǐn méiyǒu diū hái dàihuí yìpǐ hǎomǎ zhēnshì fúqì yà

马不仅没有丢，还带回一匹好马，真是福气呀。”

Upon hearing that the lost horse had come back, his neighbors were surprised at the old man's brilliant foresight. They congratulated him, saying that the initial loss of the horse was truly a blessing in disguise, that returned bearing unforeseen fruit.

sàiwēnɡ tīnɡle línrén de zhùhè fǎndào yìdiǎn ɡāoxìnɡ de yànɡzi dōu méiyǒu

塞翁听了邻人的祝贺，反到一点高兴的样子都没有，

yōulǜdìshuō báibái déle yìpǐhǎomǎ búyídìnɡ shìshénme fúqì yěxǔ rěchū shénme máfánlái

忧虑地说：“白白得了一匹好马，不一定是什么福气，也许惹出什么麻烦来。

But the old man looked anxious, saying: "Gaining a fine horse without work may soon bring me misfortune".

línjūmén yǐwéi tā ɡùzuòzītài chúnshǔ lǎoniánrén de jiǎohuá

邻居们以为他故作姿态纯属老年人的狡猾。

xīnlǐ mínɡmínɡ ɡāoxìnɡ yǒuyìbù shuōchūlái sàiwēnɡ yǒuɡe dúshēnɡzǐ fēichánɡ xǐhuān qǐmǎ

心里明明高兴，有意不说出来。塞翁有个独生子，非常喜欢骑马。

tā fāxiàn dàihuílái de nàpǐmǎ ɡùpànshēnɡzī shēnchánɡtídà

他发现带回来的那匹马顾盼生姿，身长蹄大，

sīmínɡliáoliànɡ biāohàn shénjùn yíkàn jiùzhīdào shìpǐ hǎomǎ

嘶鸣嘹亮，膘悍神骏，一看就知道是匹好马。

tā měitiān dōu qímǎ chūyóu xīnzhōnɡ yánɡyánɡdéyì

他每天都骑马出游，心中洋洋得意。

The neighbors thought that he was just being self-deceiving. He surely felt happy about gaining another horse, and was just saying nothing about it to seem modest. Now, this old man had a single son, who loved riding very much. His son took to riding this newly-arrived horse very happily, as the horse was clearly an excellent one, with a long body, big hoofs, with a neigh like a bell.

yìtiān tā ɡāoxìnɡdé yǒuxiē ɡuòhuǒ dǎmǎ fēibēn yíɡe lièqiè cónɡ mǎbèishànɡ diēxiàlái

一天，他高兴得有些过火，打马飞奔，一个趔趄，从马背上跌下来，

shuāiduànle tuǐ línjū tīnɡshuō fēnfēn lái wèiwèn

摔断了腿。邻居听说，纷纷来慰问。

Sadly, one day, he fell from the horse's back, and broke his leg. The neighbors once again came to the old man's house to console him.

sàiwēnɡshuō méishénme tuǐshuāiduànle què bǎozhù xìnɡmínɡ huòxǔshì fúqì ne

塞翁说：“没什么，腿摔断了却保住性命，或许是福气呢。

línjūmén juédetā yòuzài húyánluànyǔ tāmen xiǎnɡbùchū shuāiduàntuǐ huìdàilái shénmefúqì

”邻居们觉得他又在胡言乱语。他们想不出，摔断腿会带来什么福气。

The old man once again just said: "Perhaps it is a blessing in disguise." The neighbors thought again that this was just the ravings of an old man, clearly there was no way for a broken leg to be a blessing.

bùjiǔ xiōnɡnúbīnɡ dàjǔrùqīn qīnɡniánrén bèi yìnɡzhēnɡ rùwǔ

不久，匈奴兵大举入侵，青年人被应征入伍，

sàiwēnɡde érzi yīnwéi shuāiduànletuǐ bùnénɡ qù dānɡbīnɡ

塞翁的儿子因为摔断了腿，不能去当兵。

rùwǔ de qīnɡnián dōu zhànsǐle wéiyǒu sàiwēnɡ de érzi bǎoquán le xìnɡmìnɡ

入伍的青年都战死了，唯有塞翁的儿子保全了性命。

It was not long before the northern tribes started a big invasion of the border regions. A lot of young men were recruited into the army, but the old frontiersman's son didn't join in the fighting because he was crippled. Many of the young men in the army died, only the old man's son survived.

cíhuìxuéxí

词汇学习

Vocabulary

zǒu shī

走失

Be lost

chūqùhòu mílelù huíbúdào yuándì huò xiàluòbùmínɡ

出去后迷了路，回不到原地或下落不明。

T(Of a person) unable to find your way, or (of an item) not to be found.

ān wèi

安慰

Comfort

āndùn fǔwèi yònɡ huānyú xīwànɡ bǎozhènɡ yǐjí tónɡqínɡxīn jiǎnqīnɡtònɡkǔ ānfǔ huò ɡǔlì

安顿抚慰。用欢娱、希望、保证以及同情心减轻痛苦、安抚或鼓励。

To make somebody who is worried or unhappy feel better by being kind and sympathetic towards them.

má fán

麻烦

Troublesome

fánzá suǒsuì fèishì

烦杂琐碎；费事。

Causing a lot of problems for someone.

fú qì

福气

Good fortune

fúfēn rénshēnɡ xiǎnɡfú zhī yùnqì

福分，人生享福之运气。

Having good things happen to you by chance.

yù jiàn

预见

Foresee

ɡēnjù kēxué ɡuīlǜ yùxiān liàodào shìwù de biànhuà jiéɡuǒ

根据科学规律预先料到事物的变化结果。

To know about something before it happens.

jiǎo huá

狡猾

Crafty

ɡuǐzhà bùkěxìn jiǎozhà diāozuān

诡诈不可信，狡诈刁钻。

Clever, especially in a dishonest or secret way.

liè qie

趔趄

Toddle

shēnzi wāixié xínɡlù bùwěn de yànɡzi

身子歪斜，行路不稳的样子。

(Especially of a young child) to walk with short steps, trying to keep the body balanced.