少兒成語雙語故事：塞翁失馬

【成語來源】

blessing or bane塞翁失馬

Near China's northern borders lived a man called Sai Weng. He raised a lot of horses。戰國時期，靠近北部邊城，住着一個姓塞老人， 他養了許多馬。

One day, he lost one of his horses. Everyone commiserated with him. 一天，他的一匹走失了，人們聽說這件事，跑來安慰他。

"Perhaps this will soon turn out to be a blessing," said Sai Weng。塞翁說：“沒準會帶來什麼福氣呢。”

After a few months, his horse came back, leading a fine horse from the north。過了幾個月，丢失的馬不僅自己回了家，還帶回一匹匈奴的駿馬。

Everyone congratulated him。所有人都來祝賀塞翁。

"Perhaps this may turn out to be a cause of misfortune," said Sai Weng。塞翁反而說：“這或許會帶來不幸呢。”

Since he was well-off and kept good horses, his son became fond of riding and eventually broke his leg for falling from a horse。因為塞翁很富有，并且養馬養得很好，所以他的兒子也十分喜愛騎馬。但沒想到有一次騎馬時，他的兒子從馬上掉了下來，摔斷了腿。

Everyone commiserated with him. "Perhaps this will soon turn out to be a blessing," said his father. 人們于是又去安慰塞翁。但塞翁卻說：“也許這次又會帶來好運呢。”

One year later, the northern tribes started a big invasion of the border regions. 一年以後，匈奴入侵邊境。

This man's son did not join in the fighting because he was crippled and so he survived. 但是塞翁的兒子因為腿斷了便沒有被征入當兵隊伍之中，而其他很多當兵的青年都戰死在了沙場，塞翁的兒子因此保住了性命。

【文化鍊接】

成語“塞翁失馬”如果用于英文表達，可以使用短語“blessing or bane ”，“blessing”的意思是“好運”，“bane”的意思則是“厄運，禍事”，所以放在一起就可以表達“塞翁失馬”的意思。

但是，英文表達“blessing or bane ”常會用來單純的表示“是禍是福”的意思，比如：

Technology, a blessing or a bane? 高科技，是禍是福？

（滬江英語）

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