惊弓之鸟

During the time of the Warring States (475-221 BC), there lived a well-known archer¹（弓箭手） named Geng Ying whose art in shooting was excelled by none at his time. 

 

One day, as he was standing² by the side of the King of Wei, a flock of swan geese were flying over. With confidence, Geng Ying said to the king, "The twang（弦声） of my bow-string might bring down a bird." The King doubted much. 

 

Just then a solitary³ swan goose appeared, low and slow in its flight, sad and dolorous⁴（忧伤的） in its cry. Instantly Geng Ying bended his bow and forcibly pulled the bowstring（弓弦） . Twang! High up went he shrilling⁵ sound into the air and down fell the bird to the ground. The king admired with bewilderment（困惑） . Gang Ying then explained: "The bird was flying low and slow, because it was already hurt; it was crying in a bitter tone, because it had lost its companions. Due to the fact that it was already hurt and sad at heart, the twang of my strong bow, that birds dreaded⁶ most, startled it. The shrilling sound made its heart beat fast, its wings weak, its balance uneven⁷. Thus it fell down just as commonly as a man drops his chop-sticks, at the thunder-stroke, at a dinner table." 

 

Henceforth comes the idiom "A bird startled by the mere⁸ twang of a bow-string", illustrating⁹ a case where a man who had been previously¹⁰ and repeatedly frightened became numb¹¹ and stupefied by a new thing of the same nature not knowing how to face the new situation.

分享到：