抱薪救火的故事
<p>战国末期，秦国向魏国接连发动大规模的进攻，魏国无力抵抗，大片土地都被秦军占领了。到公元前273年，秦国又一次向魏国出兵，势头空前猛烈。</p><p>魏王把大臣们召来，愁眉苦脸地问大家有没有使秦国退兵的办法。大臣们由于经过多年的战乱，提起打仗就吓得哆嗦，谁也不敢谈“抵抗”二字。在这大兵压境的危急时刻，多数大臣都劝魏王，用黄河以北和太行山以南的大片土地为代价，向秦王求和。</p><p>谋士苏代听了这些话，很不以为然，忙上前对魏王说：“大王，他们是因为自己胆小怕死，才让您去卖国求和，根本不为国家着想。您想，把大片土地割让给秦国虽然暂时满足了秦王的野心，但秦国的欲望是无止境的，只要魏国的土地没割完，秦军就不会停止进攻我们。”</p><p>说到这里，苏代讲了一个故事：从前有一个人，他的房子起火了，别人劝他快用水去浇灭大火，但他不听，偏抱起一捆柴草去救火，是因为他不懂得柴草不但不能灭火反而能助长火势的道理。大王若同意拿着魏国土地去求和，不就等于抱着柴草救火吗？”</p><p>尽管苏代讲得头头是道，但是胆小的魏王只顾眼前的太平，还是依大臣们的意见把魏国大片土地割让给秦国。到公元225年，果然秦军又向魏国大举进攻，包围了国都大梁，掘开黄河大堤让洪水淹没了大梁城，魏国终于被秦国灭掉了。</p><p>故事出自《史记·魏世家》。成语“抱薪救火”比喻用错误的方法去消灭祸害，结果反而使祸害扩大。</p><p></p><p>carryingfaggotstoputoutafire</p><p>inthelastyearsofthewarringstatesperiod,thestateofqinattackedthestateofweionalargescalerepeatedlyandoccupiedlargeareasofland,forthestateofweiwastooweaktodefenditself.in273b.b.,theqinarmylaunchedanotherattackuponthestateofweiwithamomentummorevigorousthanever.thekingofthestateofweisummonedhisofficials,andaskedwithaworriedlookifanyonecouldproposeawaytodefeattheqinarmy.afteryearsofchaoscausedbythewars,theofficialstrembledwhenfightingwasmentioned,andnoonedaredtospeakofresistance.atthecriticalmomentwhenalargeenemyforcewasbearingdownupontheborder,mostoftheoffinialspersuadedthekingtosueforpeace,atthecostofgivingawaytothestateofqinthelargeareaoflandnorthofthehuangheriverandsouthofthetaihangmountain.howeversudai,acounsellor,didnotagree.hehurrieduptothekingandsaid:"yourmajesty,theydon'tthinkabouttheinterestsofthecountryatall.itisjustbecausetheyarecowardlyandafraidofdeaththattheyaskyoutosueforpeacebybetrayingthecountry.ofcourseyoucantemperarilysatisfytheambitionofthekingofthestateofqinisinsatiablygreedy.itwillneverstopassaultingusuntilourlandistotallygivenaway."oncetherewasamanwhosehousewasonfire.peopletoldhimtoputoutthefirewithwater,buthewouldnotlisten.instead,hecarriedafaggottoputoutthefire,onlytomakethefirefiercer.thatwasbecausehedidn'tknowthat,insteadofputtingoutthefire,faggotscouldonlymakeitburningmorevigorously.isn'titequivalenttocarryingfaggotstoputoutafireifyouagreetosueforpeaceatthecostofthelandofthestateofwei?"thoughsudai'sargumentwasveryconvincing,thekingacceptedthesuggestionofthoseofficialsandgaveawaytothestateofqinalargeareaofthelandofthestateofwei.forthekingofthestateofweiwascowardlyandonlycaredforpeaceatthemoment.asmightbeexpected,theqinarmyassaultedthestateofweionalargescalein225b.c.,surroundingthecapitalcitydaliangandfloodingitbydiggingopenthedykesofthehuangheriver.thestateofweiwasfinallydestroyedbythestateofqin.thisstoryappearsinthehistoricalrecordswrittenbysimaqian.thesetphrase"carryingfaggotstoputoutafire"isusedtomeanadoptingawrongmethodtosaveasituationandendingupbymakingitworse.</p><p><br><br><p>
页:
[1]