During the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 B.C.), prince Zhouyu of the State of Wei killed his brother, Duke Huan of Wei, and became the new emperor. Zhouyu was a tyrant, oppressing his people and indulging in wars of aggression. By launching wars, he tried to divert his people's attention and reduce their discontent with him.
The Duke of the State of Lu learned about Zhouyu's usurpation of state power and his ambitious plan to annex other states. He then asked one of his officials, "Could Zhouyu, in your opinion, attain what he aims for?" The official answered, "He indulges in wars and brings his people much disaster. He won't get their support. And he's capricious, so few of his close friends follow him. He will never achieve his ambition. Moreover, war is like fire. If one launches wars endlessly without restraint, he'll eventually burn himself."
As it turned out, with the help of the State of Chen, the people of Wei overthrew Zhouyu and killed him in less than a year.
Later, people use the idiom to say that those who do evil will ultimately ruin themselves.
wán hu? zì fén
玩火自焚
?????? 春秋時(shí)期，衛(wèi)國的公子州吁殺死了他的哥哥衛(wèi)桓公，成了衛(wèi)國的國君。州吁是個(gè)暴君，他壓迫百姓，到處侵略別的國家。他想利用戰(zhàn)爭來分散百姓的注意力，減少人們對他的不滿，從而鞏固他的專政。
?????? 魯國的君王知道州吁篡奪了王位，還企圖吞并其他國家，就問他手下的一名官員：“你認(rèn)為州吁的目的能達(dá)到嗎？”那位官員說道：“州吁到處打仗，給人民帶來了災(zāi)難，人民不會支持他。他這個(gè)人又反復(fù)無常，身邊沒有什么親信，他不可能實(shí)現(xiàn)自己的野心。而且，戰(zhàn)爭就像火，無休止地打仗，最后，火會燒到自己身上?！?/p>
?????? 果然，不到一年，衛(wèi)國人民就在陳國的幫助下推翻了州吁的統(tǒng)治，并處死了他。
?????? 后來，人們用這個(gè)成語來比喻干害人的勾當(dāng)，最后受害的還是自己。
míng zhēng àn dòu
明爭暗斗
both open strife and veiled rivalry
yǒu y?n wú zhū
有眼無珠
have eyes but no pupils; have eyes but see not; undiscerning
xiōng duō jí sh?o
兇多吉少
bode ill rather than well; be faced with a precarious situation; be fraught with grim possibilities
huà xi?n wéi yí
化險(xiǎn)為夷
turn danger into safety; get out of the jaws of danger
tóng gān gòng k?
同甘共苦
share weal and woe; share comforts and hardships; go through thick and thin together
qiú tóng cún yì
求同存異
seek common ground while reserving differences
View all?lessons >>
