惊弓之鸟

Jīng Gōng Zhī Niǎo

被弓箭吓怕了的鸟。比喻受过惊吓的人,遇到类似的情况就很容易害怕。

A bird startled by the mere twang of a bow — someone so scarred by past fear that the smallest reminder sets them trembling.

zhànguóshíhòuwèiguóyǒuwèishèjiàngāoshǒumíngjiàogēngléidejiànfēichángzhǔntiānxiàwénmíng

yǒutiāngēngléipéiwèiwángzàihuāyuánsàntáitóukànjiànzhīyàncóngyuǎnchùfēiláifēidehěnmànjiàoshēngyòuhěnbēishānggēngléiduìwèiwángshuō:“wángyòngjiànzhǐxiàgōngjiùnéngzhèzhǐyànshèxiàlái。”

wèiwángxìngēngléigōngyòng,“bēngdeshēngzhǐyàntīngjiànxiánshēngxiàde使shǐjìnwǎnggāochùfēiyòngjiùshāngjiùlièkāiletōngshēngcóngtiānshàngdiàolexiàlái

wèiwánghěnjīnggēngléishuō:“zhèzhǐyànfēidemànshìyīnwèishēnshàngyǒujiùshāngjiàodebēishìyīnwèikāiletóngbàntīngdàogōngxiándexiǎngshēngjiùxiàdeyàomìngsuǒdiàoxiàláile。”

cóngrénmenjiùyòngjīnggōngzhīniǎoláixíngróngxiēshòuguòjīngxiàtīngdàodiǎnérshēngyīnjiùhàiderén

During the Warring States period, there was a master archer in the state of Wei named Geng Lei. His arrows never missed, and his name was known across the land.

One day, Geng Lei was walking with the King of Wei in the royal garden. He looked up and saw a wild goose flying slowly in the distance, crying a sad cry. Geng Lei said, “Your Majesty, I don't even need an arrow. Just the pull of my bow will bring that goose down.”

The king did not believe him. Geng Lei lifted his bow and pulled hard — twang! The goose heard the snap of the bowstring and, terrified, beat its wings to climb higher. But the effort reopened an old wound, and it tumbled down from the sky.

The king was amazed. Geng Lei explained, “It flew slowly because it carried an old injury. It cried sadly because it had lost its flock. The sound of my bowstring was all it took to frighten it to death — it fell on its own.”

Ever since, people use “a bird startled by a bow” to describe someone so haunted by past fear that the slightest sound makes them panic.