改过自新

Gǎi Guò Zì Xīn

改正错误，重新做人。形容一个人认识到自己的错误，愿意改正，从头开始。

To mend one's ways and start anew — facing your mistakes honestly and becoming a better person.

晋jìn朝cháo时shí候hòu，有yǒu一yí个gè年nián轻qīng人rén叫jiào周zhōu处chǔ。他tā力lì气qì很hěn大dà，可kě是shì脾pí气qì很hěn坏huài，常cháng常cháng打dǎ人rén骂mà人rén，乡xiāng里lǐ的de人rén都dōu怕pà他tā。

那nà时shí，山shān上shàng有yǒu一yì只zhī老lǎo虎hǔ，水shuǐ里lǐ有yǒu一yì条tiáo蛟jiāo龙lóng，都dōu伤shāng害hài过guò很hěn多duō人rén。大dà家jiā私sī下xià把bǎ周zhōu处chǔ、老lǎo虎hǔ和hé蛟jiāo龙lóng一yì起qǐ叫jiào“三sān害hài”。周zhōu处chǔ听tīng说shuō后hòu，决jué心xīn除chú掉diào这zhè两liǎng个gè害hài。他tā上shàng山shān打dǎ死sǐ了le老lǎo虎hǔ，又yòu跳tiào进jìn水shuǐ里lǐ和hé蛟jiāo龙lóng搏bó斗dòu了le三sān天tiān三sān夜yè，终zhōng于yú把bǎ蛟jiāo龙lóng也yě杀shā了le。

周zhōu处chǔ回huí到dào村cūn子zi里lǐ，却què看kàn见jiàn大dà家jiā在zài庆qìng祝zhù，以yǐ为wéi他tā已yǐ经jīng死sǐ在zài水shuǐ里lǐ了le。这zhè时shí他tā才cái明míng白bái，原yuán来lái乡xiāng亲qīn们men把bǎ他tā也yě当dàng成chéng一yí害hài。他tā心xīn里lǐ很hěn难nán过guò，决jué定dìng改gǎi过guò自zì新xīn。

从cóng此cǐ，周zhōu处chǔ努nǔ力lì读dú书shū，认rèn真zhēn做zuò人rén，后hòu来lái成chéng为wéi一yí位wèi有yǒu名míng的de好hǎo官guān，大dà家jiā都dōu很hěn敬jìng重zhòng他tā。

“改gǎi过guò自zì新xīn”这zhè个gè成chéng语yǔ就jiù告gào诉sù我wǒ们men：人rén都dōu会huì犯fàn错cuò，只zhǐ要yào愿yuàn意yì改gǎi，就jiù能néng重chóng新xīn做zuò一yí个gè好hǎo人rén。

In the Jin dynasty, there was a strong young man named Zhou Chu. He was powerful, but his temper was terrible — he often hurt others, and everyone in his village was afraid of him.

In those days, a tiger lived on the mountain and a fierce water dragon lived in the river. Both had harmed many people. In secret, the villagers called Zhou Chu, the tiger, and the dragon the Three Scourges. When Zhou Chu heard this, he set out to remove the other two. He killed the tiger on the mountain, then plunged into the water and fought the dragon for three days and three nights, finally slaying it.

When he returned to the village, he found the people celebrating — they had thought he too had died in the river. That was when he understood: he had been counted as a scourge as well. His heart filled with shame, and he decided to change his ways.

From then on, Zhou Chu studied hard and lived honestly. In time he became a respected official, admired by everyone.

The phrase “mend one's ways and start anew” reminds us that anyone who is willing to face their mistakes can still become a better person.