Chinese idioms：负荆请罪 （Fù Jīng Qǐngzuì ）

Zhànguó shíqī zhào guó hěn ruòxiǎo, zǒng shì bèi qiángdà de Qín guó qīfù. Dāng shí, Zhàoguó yǒu gè jiào Lìn Xiàngrú de rén hěn jīzhì yě hěn yǒnggǎn, tā dàibiǎo Zhàoguó yǔ Qín guó jiāoshè shí wéi zhào guó zhēng huí le bù shǎo miànzǐ. Zhào Wáng kàn tā yǒu zhè me dà běnlǐng, jiù fēng le tā yí gè hěn dà de guān. ér zhè què qì huài le zhào guó de dà jiāngjūn Lián Pō, tā xiǎng: wǒ wèi Zhào guó dǎ le nà me duō cì zhàng, ér Lìn Xiàngrú jiù shuō le jǐ jù huà, yǒu shénme liǎobùqǐ de, dìwèi jūrán bǐ wǒ hái gāo! Tā yuè xiǎng yuè bù fúqì, bìng yángyán yào ràng Lìn Xiàngrú dāng miàn nán kān. Zhè xiē huà chuán dào le Lìn Xiàngrú de ěrduǒ lǐ, tā yǐhòu pèng dào Lián Pō jiù duō cì tuìràng duǒbì. Kě Lián Pō de shǒu xià rén què yuè lái yuè xiāozhāng, yúshì, yǒu rén jiù wèn Lìn Xiàngrú shì bú shì hàipà Lián Pō. Lìn Xiàngrú xiào zhe shuō:” wǒ lián Qín wáng dōu bù hàipà, zěn me huì hàipà Lián jiāngjūn ne? Qín guó zhī suǒyǐ bù gōng dǎ Zhào guó, jiù shì yīnwèi Zhào guó xiànzài wénwǔ guānyuán hěn tuánjié, wǒ rúguǒ gēn Lián jiāngjūn nào máodùn, zhèyàng bú shì gěi le Qín guó yí gè hǎo jīhuì gōngdǎ Zhào guó ma? Yòu zěnme néng ràng guójiā āndìng ne? Yǔ guójiā bǐ qǐlái, gèrén de miànzǐ suàn dé le shénme ne!” Tīng dào zhè fān huà, Lián Pō xiūkuì jí le. Tā tuō diào shàngyī, lù zhe jiānbǎng, bèi zhe yì gēn jīngtiáo, zhí bēn Lìn Xiàngrú de jiā. Lián Pō guì zài dì shàn, bǎ jīngtiáo gāo gāo jǔ qǐ, qǐng Lìn Xiàngrú biāndǎ zìjǐ. Lìn Xiàngrú liánmáng bǎ jīngtiáo rēng zài dì shàng, yòu bǎ Lián Pō fú qǐ. Cóng cǐ, liǎng rén chéng wéi le hǎo péngyǒu, yì wén yì wǔ tóng xīn xiélì xiàozhōng guójiā. Qín guó yīncǐ yě gèng bù gǎn qīfù Zhàoguó le.
战国时期赵国很弱小，总是被强大的秦国欺负。当时，赵国有个叫蔺相如的人很机智也很勇敢，他代表赵国与秦国交涉时为赵国争回了不少面子。赵王看他有这么大本领，就封了他一个很大的官。而这却气坏了赵国的大将军廉颇，他想：我为赵国打了那么多次仗，而蔺相如就说了几句话，有什么了不起的，地位居然比我还高！他越想越不服气，并扬言要让蔺相如当面难堪。这些话传到了蔺相如的耳朵里，他以后碰到廉颇就多次退让躲避。可廉颇的手下人却越来越嚣张，于是，有人就问蔺相如是不是害怕廉颇。蔺相如笑着说：“我连秦王都不害怕，怎么会害怕廉将军呢？秦国之所以不攻打赵国，就是因为赵国现在文武官员很团结，我如果跟廉将军闹矛盾，这样不是给了秦国一个好机会攻打赵国吗？又怎么能让国家安定呢？与国家比起来，个人的面子算得了什么呢！”听到这番话，廉颇羞愧极了。他脱掉上衣，露着肩膀，背着一根荆条，直奔蔺相如的家。廉颇跪在地上，把荆条高高举起，请蔺相如鞭打自己。蔺相如连忙把荆条扔在地上，又把廉颇扶起。从此，两人成为了好朋友，一文一武同心协力效忠国家。秦国因此也更不敢欺负赵国了。
In the period of the Warring States, the Sate of Zhao was weak and oppressed by the State of Qin, the strongest power among all states. At the time there was a man in the State of Zhao named Lin Xiangru, who was wise and courageous. He fought hard for the dignity of his state when he participated in the negotiation with Qin as a diplomatic envoy. The king of Zhao gave him a position of authority due to his excellent contributions, which annoyed the general Lian Po, who thought defiantly: “I have fought in so many battles to defend the state. Compared with my feats, Lin Xiangru’s work of simply a few words amounts to nothing at all. Why should he take a position higher than me?” The more he thought about it, the more he got irritated. He said in public that he would disgrace Lin Xiangru in person. Lian Po’s words reached Lin Xiangru’s ears, who then avoided meeting Lian Po on purpose. However, the men of Lian Po became more aggressive and audacious. When people asked Lin Xiangru whether he was afraid of Lian Po, he answered with a smile: “How am I supposed to fear General Lian Po when I am not afraid of the king of Qin? It is because of the unity among the officials of Zhao that Qin can find no opportunity to attack our state. If I get into conflict with General Lian Po, it would allow opportunity for the Qin to wage their attack, and our state would be in great danger. I shouldn’t sacrifice the future of my country for personal dignity.” Later, what Lin Xiangru said was heard by Lian Po, who was greatly ashamed of himself. He took off his upper garments and went to Lin Xiangru’s house with a rod, wher he knelt down in front of Lin Xiangru, gave Lin the rod and begged a good lash as a punishment. Seeing this, Lin Xiangru threw away the rod immediately and raised Lian Po from his knees. From then on the two became intimate friends and contributed to their country with their individual strengths, one in battles, the other in foreign affairs, and Qin was terrified by the strengthening of Zhao even more.

Words：
欺负qīfu： to bully(v.)
交涉jiāoshè： to negotiate(v.)
面子miànzi： face(n.)
地位dìwèi： position; place(n.)
服气fúqì： be convinced(v.)
嚣张xiāozhāng： aggressive(adj.)
团结tuánjié： united(adj.)
羞愧xiūkuì： ashamed(adj.)
荆条jīngtiáo： a twig of the chaste tree; a rod(n.)
鞭打biāndǎ： lash(v.)
Meanings：
负荆请罪：背着荆条来向对方请罪，形容认识到自己的错误，主动要求惩罚，真诚地请求对方的原谅。
“负荆请罪” means bearing a rod to ask for punishment. It is used when a person realizes his mistakes and offers a humble apology by accepting punishment willingly.

Sentences：
1.Zhè jiàn shìqíng wǒ zuò cuò le, jīntiān tè dì lái xiàng nǐ fùjīng qǐngzuì.
这件事情我做错了，今天特地来向你负荆请罪。
I am in the wrong, and today I have come specifically to 负荆请罪.

2.Fù jīng qǐngzuì shì yì zhǒng shífēn nán dé de jīngshén, tā tǐxiàn le rén zhīcuò jiù gǎi de měihǎo pǐndé.
负荆请罪是一种十分难得的精神，它体现了人知错就改的美好品德。
负荆请罪 is a good virtue, which shows one is willing to be responsible for his mistakes.