118-119老马识途An old horse knows the way
One spring, Guan Zhong and xi peng followed Huan Gong,  King of the State of Qi, in an expedition against the State of Gu back. They lost their way, Guan Zhong said:
有一年春天，管仲、xi朋跟随齐桓公讨伐竹国。战争持续到冬天才结束。返回时，他们迷路了。管仲说：
“Old horses are wise animals who know their way. Let them lead the way for us!”
“老马说一种智慧的动物，能认路，让老马来给我们带路吧！”
Thereupon, they let several old horses lead in front and the army followed behind. Finally they found their way home.
于是，他们就让几匹老马走在前面，军队尾随在后，终于踏上了归途。
When the army entered the hills, they ran out of water. Then Xi Peng said:” In winter, the ants stay on the south side of a hill, and in summer, on the north side. There is sure to be water so
urce under their nest. ”
军队走近山里，水没有了。这时xi朋说：“蚂蚁冬天住在向阳坡，夏天住在背阴坡，蚂蚁窝的下面一定有水源。”
Thereupon, the soldiers exerted strenuous efforts to dig the ground. Sure enough, they found water under the ants’ nest.
于是，士兵们奋力挖土，果然在蚂蚁窝的下面挖到了水。
Men of great learning like Guan Zhong and Xi Peng, when coming across difficulties, would also seek help from horses and ants of lower intelligence than human beings to find a way out.
像管仲，xi朋这样学识渊博的人，在遇到困难时，也会求助于智慧不及人类的马和蚂蚁来解决问题。
116-117不死之药Medicine for Immortality
There was, a man who came to the palace of the State of Chu and gave the guard a kind of medicine for immortality to be presented to the king.
有一个人来到楚国王宫，把一种长生不死的药交给守卫官，请他奉献给国王。
As the guard held the medicine in both hands and walked towards the inner palace, he met an archer of the bodyguard. The archer asked him:” Is what you hold in hands edible.”in one spring是什么意思
守卫官捧着药朝内宫走去，迎面碰上卫队的一个弓箭手。弓箭手问他：“你手里捧着的东西，人可以吃吗？”
The guard answered:” Of course, it is.”
守卫官回答：“人可以吃。”
Upon hearing this, the archer snatched the medicine, stuffed in into his mouth and swallowed it.
弓箭手听了，一把夺过药，塞到嘴里就吞了下去。
The King of Chu was very angry. He ordered to have the archer beheaded. The archer said:　＂It is not my fault but the fault of the guard, because he told me ‘It is edible.’＂
楚王非常生气，下令将这个弓箭手斩首。弓箭手说：“这不是我的过错，而是守卫官的过错，因为他回答我‘人可以吃’”
Then he continued: “This is a medicine for immortal life. Now I have taken it, but I am going to be killed by your Majesty. Then, the so-called medicine for immortal life will become ‘a medicine hastening death’, won’t it? The man who presented this medicine was trying to deceive Your Majesty.”
又说：“这是不死之药，现在我吃了，反而要被大王处死，那么，这不死之药，不就成了‘催死之药’了吗？这是献药的人在欺骗大王呀！”
Finally he said: “If today your Majesty should kill me, an innocent man, then people would say: ‘The King would rather be deceived than believe his own bodyguard.’”
最后说：“今天，如果大王杀了我这个无罪的人，那么众人就会说：“大王宁愿被人欺骗，也
不愿意相信自己的卫士。”
While the King of Chu heard this, he felt that there was something in what the archer said, so he let him go.
楚王听了，觉得这些话有点道理，就把弓箭手放了。
114-115 一鸣惊人Startling the world with a Single Cry
It had been three years since King Zhuang of Chu ascended the throne, but he had neither issued a decree nor dealt with any state affairs. Furthermore, there no deeds worth mentioning. All the civil and military officials of the court couldn’t understand what was the matter.
楚庄王即位已经三年了，可是他还没有颁布过一项法令，没有处理过一件政事，更谈不上有什么作为。朝廷中的文武百官都弄不懂这是怎么回事。
One day, a military official quietly asked King of Chu in the carriage. “Your Majesty, I heard t
hat in the south, there was a big bird dwelling in the hills. Three years passed, it neither flew nor cried. Could Your Majesty tell me the reason.”
一天， 右司马在马车里悄悄地问楚王：“大王，我听说南方有一只大鸟栖息在山三年过去了，既不飞，也不鸣。请问大王，这是什么原因呢？”
King Zhuang of Chu smiled and answered: ”It didn’t spread its wings to fly for three years in order to grow full-fledged. It didn’t cry for three years in order to carefully observe the conditions of the people in the world. This bird, once it flies, will soar high into the sky; once it cries, it will startle the world with a single cry.”
楚庄王笑了一笑，回答说：“是为了让羽翼长得更加丰满，三年不鸣，是细心观察天下的民情。这只鸟，不飞则已，一飞冲天；不鸣则已，一鸣惊人。“
Another half a year passed before King Zhuang of Chu began to personally administer state affairs. He abolished ten outmoded rules and regulations, issued nine new policies, sentenced five ministers to death for their evil deeds and promoted six persons with real talents. From then on, the State of Chu became stronger and stronger.
又过了半年，楚庄王开始亲自处理政事，他废除了十项旧的规章制度；颁布了九项新的政策；处决了专干坏事的大臣；还提拔了六个有才能的人。从此，楚国终于强大起来。

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