杯弓蛇影

Bēi Gōng Shé Yǐng

把杯子里弓的影子当成蛇。比喻因为疑心而自己吓自己。

Mistaking a bow's reflection in a cup for a snake — frightening yourself over something that was never really there.

古gǔ时shí候hòu,有yǒu一yí位wèi叫jiào乐yuè广guǎng的de人rén,请qǐng朋péng友yǒu到dào家jiā里lǐ喝hē酒jiǔ。两liǎng人rén坐zuò在zài客kè厅tīng里lǐ,高gāo高gāo兴xìng兴xìng地de聊liáo天tiān喝hē酒jiǔ。

朋péng友yǒu举jǔ起qǐ酒jiǔ杯bēi,忽hū然rán看kàn见jiàn杯bēi里lǐ好hǎo像xiàng有yǒu一yì条tiáo小xiǎo蛇shé在zài动dòng。他tā心xīn里lǐ害hài怕pà,但dàn还hái是shì把bǎ酒jiǔ喝hē了le下xià去qù。回huí到dào家jiā以yǐ后hòu,他tā越yuè想xiǎng越yuè怕pà,觉jué得de自zì己jǐ喝hē了le带dài蛇shé的de酒jiǔ,很hěn快kuài就jiù病bìng倒dǎo了le。

乐yuè广guǎng听tīng说shuō后hòu,觉jué得de奇qí怪guài,就jiù来lái到dào客kè厅tīng四sì处chù看kàn。原yuán来lái,墙qiáng上shàng挂guà着zhe一yì张zhāng弓gōng,弓gōng的de影yǐng子zi正zhèng好hǎo映yìng在zài酒jiǔ杯bēi里lǐ,看kàn起qǐ来lái像xiàng一yì条tiáo蛇shé在zài动dòng。

乐yuè广guǎng再zài次cì请qǐng朋péng友yǒu到dào家jiā里lǐ,把bǎ他tā坐zuò在zài原yuán来lái的de位wèi置zhì,又yòu倒dào了le一yì杯bēi酒jiǔ。朋péng友yǒu一yí看kàn,杯bēi里lǐ又yòu有yǒu“蛇shé”。乐yuè广guǎng指zhǐ着zhe墙qiáng上shàng的de弓gōng笑xiào着zhe说shuō:“你nǐ看kàn,这zhè就jiù是shì你nǐ那nà天tiān看kàn到dào的de‘蛇shé’。”朋péng友yǒu顿dùn时shí明míng白bái过guò来lái,病bìng也yě很hěn快kuài就jiù好hǎo了le。

“杯bēi弓gōng蛇shé影yǐng”就jiù是shì用yòng来lái形xíng容róng那nà种zhǒng疑yí神shén疑yí鬼guǐ、自zì己jǐ吓xià自zì己jǐ的de样yàng子zi。

Long ago, a man named Yue Guang invited a friend over for wine. They sat together in the main room, chatting cheerfully and sipping from their cups.

The friend lifted his cup and thought he saw a little snake wriggling inside. He was frightened, but drank the wine anyway. Once home, the more he thought about it, the more afraid he became. Convinced he had swallowed something poisonous, he fell ill.

When Yue Guang heard about this, he was puzzled and went to look around the room. On the wall hung a bow, and its shadow fell perfectly into the wine cup — looking just like a little snake in motion.

Yue Guang invited his friend back and seated him in the same spot, poured another cup, and sure enough the “snake” appeared again. Yue Guang pointed to the bow on the wall and laughed, “There's your snake.” The friend understood at once, and his illness quickly passed.

Today “a bow's shadow in a cup looking like a snake” describes those who scare themselves with worries that have no real cause.