Meaning of the Idiom
wo xin chang dan（To sleep on brushwood and taste gall）
During the Spring and Autumn period （770－476BC）, the State of Wu launched an attack against the State of Yue. The King of Wu was seriously wounded and soon died. His son Fu Chai became the new King. Fu was determined to get revenge. He drilled his army rigidly until it was a perfect fighting force. Three years later, he led his army against the State of Yue and caught its king Gou Jian. Fu took him to the State of Wu.
In order to avenge his father’s death, Fu let him live in a shabby stone house by his father’s tomb and ordered him to raise horses for him. Gou pretended to be loyal to Fu but he never forgot his humiliation. Many years later, he was set free. Gou secretly accumulated a military force after he went back to his own state. In order to make himself tougher he slept on firewood and ate a gall-bladder before having dinner and going to bed every night. At the same time he administered his state carefully, developing agriculture and educating the people. After a few years, his country became strong. Then Gou seized a favorable opportunity to wipe out the State of Wu.
Later, people use it to describe one who endures self-imposed hardships to strengthen one’s resolve to realize one’s ambition.
卧薪尝胆
wò xīn cháng dǎn，意思是形容一个人忍辱负重，发愤图强。
出自《旧五代史·汉书·隐帝纪》，《史记˙越王勾践世家》。
例句
自从上次比赛失利，在过去的一年中我们卧薪尝胆、刻苦训练，团队实力转弱为强，终于在这次的全国竞赛中成为冠军。
勾贱卧薪尝胆的故事告诉我们，有志者事竟成。
做为学生要想出类拔萃，考入理想大学，必须有卧薪尝胆的刻苦精神，才能梦想成真。
Reading The Paragraphs!
Meaning of Words
| 词语 | 华文解释 | 英文解释 |
|---|---|---|
| 嘱咐 | 意思是告诉对方记住应该怎样，不应该怎样。 例句：妈妈已经嘱咐书店老板，要他等新书到货就保留一本给我。 | enjoin |
| 牢记 | 意思是牢牢记住，不忘记。 例句：母亲临终的话，他一直都牢记在心里。 | remember well |
| 贿赂 | 指给予对方金钱或其它利益，希望获得更大利益的行为。 例句：他们用贵重的礼物贿赂他，希望能获得这份合约。 | bribe |
| 深谋远虑 | 意思指计划得很周密，考虑得很长远。 例句：总理深谋远虑，很早就制定了环境保护的法规。 | forethought |
| 精明强干 | 指机灵聪明，办事能力强。 例句：他这个人精明强干，这些事交给他办一定没问题。 | clever and capable |
| 不足为患 | 意思是不足以成为问题。 例句：这场比赛下来他们已经失去冠军资格，对我们而言已不足为患。 | not a threat |
| 发奋图强 | 意思是下定决心，努力追求进步，一般情况下与“奋发图强”通用。 例句：自从那次的实验失败以后，科学家没有灰心，继续发奋图强的开展研究。 | rise in great vigor |
| 消磨 | 常指消耗；磨灭；消遣，打发时光；犹琢磨。 例句：假期里我有更多的时间来看书消磨时间。 | wear down |
| 耻辱 | 指声誉上所受的损害。 例句：去欺负小孩子，你不觉得耻辱吗？ | shame |
| 兵精粮足 | 意思是兵士精壮，粮草充足。形容军力强盛，战备充分。 例句：这位将军仗着自己兵精粮足，守着城池不出战。 | have a large army of veterans and ample supplies |
| 盲目 | 比喻无意义、无目的的一种状态。 例句：在没有得到足够的证据前，不要盲目的相信任何结论。 | blind |
| 力图 | 极力谋求；竭力打算的意思。 例句：球赛已经接近尾声，但落后一方仍旧力图扭转战局。 | try hard to |
| 称霸 | 因具有更大的势力、权威而占据统治地位。 例句：美国作为二战后最强大的国家，称霸世界数十年。 | to dominate |
| 强弩（nǔ）之末 | 为强弩所发的弓箭已达射程的最远处，比喻强大的力量已经衰竭。 例句：经过两个小时的竞赛，看对方已经是强弩之末，我们应该再坚持下去，就一定会胜利。 | an arrow at the end of its flight |
| 屡战屡败（lǚ zhàn lǚ bài） | 意思是多次打仗多次失败。 例句：这位将军根本没有战斗力，几场战役下来，屡战屡败。 | can’t win for losing |
Daily Language 