Chinese allegories Lesson 31

guān yǔ xiáng cáo cāo – shēn zài cáo yíng xīn zài hàn
关羽降曹操 – 身在曹营心在汉
Guan Yu (160-219), a general in the period of the Three Kingdoms, surrendered to Cao Cao (155-220), a military strategist and statesman during the Three Kingdoms. – live in the Cao camp but with one's heart in the Han camp; though one is physically here, one's mind is elsewhere; be half-hearted

chī cáo cāo de fàn xiǎng liú bèi de shì – rén zài xīn bú zài
吃曹操的饭，想刘备的事 – 人在心不在
(After surrendering to Cao Cao,) Guan Yu (160-219), a general in the period of the Three Kingdoms, lived in the Cao camp, but only bore Liu Bei's affairs in mind – though one is physically here, one's mind is elsewhere; be half-hearted

cáo cāo shā huà tuó – yǐ yuàn bào dé
曹操杀华佗 – 以怨报德
Cao Cao (155-220), a military strategist and statesman during the Three Kingdoms, killed Hua Tuo (141-203), a noted surgeon and physician at the end of the Han Dynasty. – return evil for good; repay good with evil

cáo cāo yòng jì – yòu jiān yòu huá
曹操用计 – 又奸又滑
Cao Cao (155-220), a military strategist and statesman during the Three Kingdoms, mapped out schemes or laid traps. – cunning and treacherous

kŏng míng dà bǎi kōng chéng jì – huà xiǎn wéi yí
孔明大摆空城计 – 化险为夷
Zhuge Liang (181-234), a famous military strategist and statesman in the State of Shu during the period of the Three Kingdoms, implemented the empty-city stratagem (bluffing the enemy by keeping the gates of a weakly defended city open as if a trap were laid for him inside). – turn danger into safety; get out of the jaws of danger; head off a disaster

kŏng míng zhǎn wèi yán – jiè dāo shā rén
孔明斩魏延 – 借刀杀人
Zhuge Liang (181-234), a famous military strategist and statesman in the State of Shu during the period of the Three Kingdoms, killed Wei Yan (?-234), a military general of Shu Han. – murder with a borrowed knife; make use of another person to get rid of an adversary; kill by another's hand

zhū gĕ liàng lóng zhōng duì cè – yŏu xiān jiàn zhī míng
诸葛亮隆中对策 – 有先见之明
Zhuge Liang (181-234), a famous military strategist and statesman in the State of Shu during the period of the Three Kingdoms, outlined the Longzhong Plan to envisage the securing of a viable regional base in southern China and then a two-pronged attack to conquer the north. – have ability to anticipate what is coming; have a prophetic vision; have the foresight

liú bèi fǎng xián – sān gù máo lú
刘备访贤 – 三顾茅庐
Liu Bei (161-223), founder of the Shu Han Kingdom of the Three Kingdoms, visited a virtuous talent (here, referring to Zhuge Liang). – make three personal calls at the thatched cottage; repeated and sincere invitations