望梅止渴

Wàng Méi Zhǐ Kě

望着梅子解渴。比喻用空想或好的希望来安慰自己,让人暂时坚持下去。

Quenching thirst by thinking of plums — using a hopeful thought to help us keep going when the real thing is still far away.

三sān国guó时shí候hòu,曹cáo操cāo带dài着zhe大dà军jūn在zài路lù上shàng行xíng军jūn。那nà天tiān天tiān气qì非fēi常cháng热rè,路lù又yòu远yuǎn,士shì兵bīng们men走zǒu了le半bàn天tiān,水shuǐ早zǎo就jiù喝hē完wán了le。大dà家jiā渴kě得de嘴zuǐ唇chún发fā干gàn,走zǒu不bú动dòng路lù。

曹cáo操cāo看kàn见jiàn士shì兵bīng们men这zhè个gè样yàng子zi,心xīn里lǐ很hěn着zháo急jí。他tā忽hū然rán想xiǎng出chū了le一yí个gè办bàn法fǎ,骑qí着zhe马mǎ站zhàn在zài高gāo处chù,大dà声shēng喊hǎn道dào:“前qián面miàn不bù远yuǎn有yǒu一yí大dà片piàn梅méi林lín,梅méi子zi又yòu酸suān又yòu甜tián,大dà家jiā快kuài走zǒu几jǐ步bù,就jiù能néng吃chī到dào!”

士shì兵bīng们men一yì听tīng到dào“酸suān梅méi”,嘴zuǐ里lǐ立lì刻kè流liú出chū了le口kǒu水shuǐ,好hǎo像xiàng真zhēn的de尝cháng到dào了le酸suān味wèi。他tā们men马mǎ上shàng来lái了le精jīng神shén,加jiā快kuài脚jiǎo步bù往wǎng前qián走zǒu,很hěn快kuài就jiù走zǒu到dào了le有yǒu水shuǐ的de地dì方fang。

从cóng这zhè个gè故gù事shì就jiù有yǒu了le“望wàng梅méi止zhǐ渴kě”这zhè个gè成chéng语yǔ。它tā告gào诉sù我wǒ们men,有yǒu时shí候hòu一yí个gè希xī望wàng、一yí个gè好hǎo念niàn头tóu,就jiù能néng让ràng人rén鼓gǔ起qǐ勇yǒng气qì,坚jiān持chí下xià去qù。

During the Three Kingdoms period, Cao Cao was marching with a great army on a long road. The day was blazing hot, the water had run out, and the soldiers' lips were cracked with thirst. Many could barely walk another step.

Cao Cao saw their state and grew worried. Then an idea struck him. He rode up onto a rise and called out, “Just a little farther ahead is a great grove of plums — sweet and sour! Keep going, and soon you'll be eating your fill!”

At the words “sour plums,” the soldiers' mouths watered as if they could already taste them. New energy rushed through the ranks, their pace quickened, and soon they reached a place with real water.

From this comes “gazing at plums to quench thirst.” It reminds us that a hopeful thought, even an imagined one, can give us the courage to push on.