悬梁刺股

Xuán Liáng Cì Gǔ

形容人学习非常刻苦，为了不让自己睡着，什么办法都想得出来。

Hair tied to a beam, thigh pricked with an awl — the fiercest kind of studying.

古gǔ时shí候hòu有yǒu两liǎng个gè爱ài读dú书shū的de人rén，一yī个gè叫jiào孙sūn敬jìng，一yī个gè叫jiào苏sū秦qín。他tā们men的de故gù事shì合hé在zài一yī起qǐ，就jiù成chéng了le“悬xuán梁liáng刺cì股gǔ”。

孙sūn敬jìng是shì汉hàn朝cháo人rén。他tā每měi天tiān从cóng早zǎo读dú到dào晚wǎn，常cháng常cháng读dú到dào深shēn夜yè，可kě是shì书shū一yī翻fān开kāi，眼yǎn皮pí就jiù开kāi始shǐ打dǎ架jià。怎zěn么me办bàn呢ne？他tā想xiǎng出chū一yī个gè办bàn法fǎ：用yòng一yī根gēn长cháng绳shéng子zi，一yī头tóu拴shuān在zài房fáng梁liáng上shàng，一yī头tóu系xì在zài自zì己jǐ的de头tóu发fà上shàng。只zhǐ要yào一yī打dǎ瞌kē睡shuì，头tóu一yī低dī，头tóu发fà就jiù被bèi拉lā得de生shēng疼téng，他tā立lì刻kè精jīng神shén起qǐ来lái，继jì续xù读dú书shū。

苏sū秦qín是shì战zhàn国guó时shí候hòu的de人rén。他tā读dú书shū读dú累lèi了le，也yě想xiǎng睡shuì觉jiào，就jiù在zài桌zhuō子zi旁páng边biān放fàng一yī把bǎ锥zhuī子zi。每měi当dāng困kùn得de睁zhēng不bù开kāi眼yǎn，他tā就jiù用yòng锥zhuī子zi往wǎng自zì己jǐ的de大dà腿tuǐ上shàng一yī刺cì，疼téng得de跳tiào起qǐ来lái，再zài也yě不bù敢gǎn打dǎ盹dǔn，接jiē着zhe读dú书shū。

他tā们men两liǎng个gè就jiù这zhè样yàng日rì日rì夜yè夜yè地dì苦kǔ读dú，学xué问wèn越yuè来lái越yuè大dà。后hòu来lái苏sū秦qín成chéng了le著zhù名míng的de说shuō客kè，孙sūn敬jìng也yě成chéng了le有yǒu学xué问wèn的de大dà儒rú。

“悬xuán梁liáng刺cì股gǔ”这zhè个gè成chéng语yǔ，就jiù是shì用yòng孙sūn敬jìng悬xuán头tóu发fà、苏sū秦qín刺cì大dà腿tuǐ这zhè两liǎng件jiàn事shì，形xíng容róng读dú书shū学xué习xí非fēi常cháng刻kè苦kǔ，想xiǎng尽jǐn办bàn法fǎ，不bù让ràng自zì己jǐ偷tōu懒lǎn。

In ancient times there were two men who loved to study: one named Sun Jing, the other named Su Qin. Their two stories together became the idiom “hair to the beam, awl to the thigh.”

Sun Jing lived in the Han dynasty. He read from morning till late at night, but his eyelids kept drooping. He thought of a plan: he tied one end of a long rope to a roof beam and the other end to his own hair. The moment he nodded off, his head would drop, the rope would pull his hair painfully, and he would jolt awake and go on reading.

Su Qin lived in the Warring States period. When he grew tired, he too wanted to sleep. So he kept a sharp awl beside his desk. Whenever his eyes fell shut, he would jab his thigh with the awl. The pain sent him jumping up, and he would return to his book.

Day after day the two studied like this, and their learning grew ever deeper. Su Qin later became a famous diplomat, and Sun Jing became a respected scholar.

“Hair to the beam, awl to the thigh” now describes studying with such fierce determination that one will try every trick to keep from slacking off.