Historical Tales
历史故事
Gou Jian Slept on Firewood and Tasted Gall to Avenge a National Humiliation
卧薪尝胆
During the Spring and Autumn period, remitted by the monarch of Wu State, the defeated monarch of the Yue State, Gou Jian, returned to his state.
春秋时期，受到吴国君主的宽恕，被击败的越国君主勾践回到了自己的国家。
He underwent self-imposed hardships and was mentally worried. Placing a bitter gall in front of his seat, he had a look at it when he sat or slept and tasted it when he had meals to remind himself of his humiliation and steel his determination to avenge it.
他经受了自己强加跟自己的艰辛与心理上的担忧。
About four years later, Yue State launched another attack on Wu State and defeated it.
他将苦胆汁放置在自己的座前——当自己坐下或睡觉时就看一眼，在用膳的时候就尝一口——以此来提醒自己的耻辱并坚定自己复仇的决心。
There is no mention of “sleeping in firewood”.
大约4年之后，越国发动另一场与吴国的战争并击败了它。
In “A Fabricated Reply Letter from Sun Quan to Cao Cao”，Su Shi first used the allusion to Gou Jian's “sleeping in firewood and tasting gall”.
历史上并没有提到“卧薪”。
在《孙权致曹操的回信》中，苏轼第一次运用了勾践的典故“卧薪尝胆”。
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