指鹿为马

Zhǐ Lù Wéi Mǎ

指着鹿说是马。形容故意颠倒黑白，欺骗别人。

Pointing at a deer and calling it a horse — twisting the truth on purpose to mislead others.

秦qín朝cháo末mò年nián，有yǒu一yí个gè权quán力lì很hěn大dà的de丞chéng相xiāng，名míng叫jiào赵zhào高gāo。他tā想xiǎng自zì己jǐ当dāng皇huáng帝dì，可kě是shì又yòu怕pà朝cháo廷tíng里lǐ的de大dà臣chén不bù听tīng他tā的de话huà。

有yǒu一yì天tiān，赵zhào高gāo牵qiān来lái一yì只zhī鹿lù，送sòng到dào秦qín二èr世shì面miàn前qián，说shuō：“陛bì下xià，这zhè是shì一yì匹pǐ好hǎo马mǎ，献xiàn给gěi您nín。”秦qín二èr世shì笑xiào了le：“丞chéng相xiāng，你nǐ弄nòng错cuò了le吧ba？这zhè明míng明míng是shì一yì只zhī鹿lù。”

赵zhào高gāo转zhuǎn身shēn问wèn周zhōu围wéi的de大dà臣chén：“你nǐ们men说shuō，这zhè到dào底dǐ是shì鹿lù还hái是shì马mǎ？”有yǒu的de大dà臣chén害hài怕pà赵zhào高gāo，就jiù跟gēn着zhe说shuō是shì马mǎ；也yě有yǒu几jǐ位wèi大dà臣chén不bú愿yuàn说shuō谎huǎng，说shuō那nà是shì鹿lù。

赵zhào高gāo记jì下xià了le说shuō“鹿lù”的de人rén的de名míng字zì，不bù久jiǔ就jiù找zhǎo借jiè口kǒu把bǎ他tā们men害hài死sǐ了le。从cóng此cǐ，朝cháo廷tíng里lǐ再zài没méi有yǒu人rén敢gǎn和hé他tā作zuò对duì。

“指zhǐ鹿lù为wéi马mǎ”就jiù是shì从cóng这zhè里lǐ来lái的de，用yòng来lái形xíng容róng颠diān倒dǎo黑hēi白bái、故gù意yì把bǎ错cuò的de说shuō成chéng对duì的de。

At the end of the Qin dynasty, a powerful prime minister named Zhao Gao wanted to seize the throne. He feared the other officials might not support him, so he decided to test them.

One day, Zhao Gao brought a deer before the young Emperor Qin Er Shi and said, “Your Majesty, here is a fine horse for you.” The emperor laughed. “Prime Minister, you must be mistaken. This is clearly a deer.”

Zhao Gao turned to the officials around them. “You decide — is this a deer or a horse?” Some were afraid of Zhao Gao and quickly agreed it was a horse. A few brave officials said it was a deer.

Zhao Gao remembered every name of those who had said “deer,” and before long he found excuses to have them killed. After that, no one at court dared to speak against him.

From this story comes “pointing at a deer and calling it a horse” — used for anyone who twists the truth and calls wrong right.