杞人忧天

Qǐ Rén Yōu Tiān

杞国有个人担心天会塌下来。比喻为不必要的事情瞎担心。

The man of Qi who worried the sky would fall — fretting over things that are never going to happen.

古gǔ时shí候hòu，杞qǐ国guó有yǒu一yí个gè人rén，整zhěng天tiān愁chóu眉méi苦kǔ脸liǎn。他tā担dān心xīn的de事shì很hěn特tè别bié——他tā怕pà天tiān会huì突tū然rán塌tā下xià来lái，地dì会huì突tū然rán陷xiàn下xià去qù。

他tā越yuè想xiǎng越yuè害hài怕pà，吃chī不bú下xià饭fàn，睡shuì不bù着zhe觉jué。朋péng友yǒu看kàn他tā这zhè样yàng，就jiù来lái劝quàn他tā：“天tiān是shì一yí大dà团tuán气qì，我wǒ们men每měi天tiān都dōu在zài气qì里lǐ走zǒu来lái走zǒu去qù，天tiān怎zěn么me会huì塌tā呢ne？”

他tā又yòu说shuō：“可kě是shì太tài阳yáng、月yuè亮liàng、星xīng星xīng会huì不bú会huì掉diào下xià来lái呢ne？”朋péng友yǒu笑xiào着zhe回huí答dá：“太tài阳yáng月yuè亮liàng也yě是shì在zài气qì里lǐ发fā光guāng，就jiù算suàn掉diào下xià来lái，也yě砸zá不bú到dào人rén。”他tā又yòu担dān心xīn地dì会huì陷xiàn下xià去qù。朋péng友yǒu说shuō：“地dì是shì一yí大dà块kuài土tǔ，哪nǎ里lǐ会huì陷xiàn呢ne？”

听tīng完wán朋péng友yǒu的de话huà，他tā才cái放fàng下xià心xīn来lái，又yòu开kāi开kāi心xīn心xīn地de过guò日rì子zi。

“杞qǐ人rén忧yōu天tiān”这zhè个gè成chéng语yǔ，就jiù是shì笑xiào话huà那nà些xiē爱ài为wèi不bú会huì发fā生shēng的de事shì瞎xiā担dān心xīn的de人rén。

Long ago, in the small state of Qi, there lived a man who worried all day long. His worry was unusual: he was afraid the sky would suddenly fall, and the earth would sink beneath his feet.

The more he thought about it, the more frightened he grew. He could not eat, could not sleep. A friend came to comfort him: “The sky is a great body of air. We walk through it every day. How could it fall?”

“But what about the sun and moon and stars — might they drop down?” the man asked. The friend smiled. “Those shine within that same air. Even if they did fall, they couldn't hurt anyone.” Then the man worried about the earth. His friend said, “The earth is one great mass of soil. It cannot simply sink away.”

At last the man felt at ease, and once more lived his days in peace.

“The man of Qi worrying about the sky” is used to laugh at anyone who frets over things that will never happen.