29th, Mar,2006
<唇亡齿寒>
春秋时候,晋献公想要扩充自己的实力和地盘,就找借口说邻近的虢(guó)国经常侵犯晋国的边境,
要派兵灭了虢国。可是在晋国和虢国之间隔着一个虞国,讨伐虢国必须经过虞地。“怎样才能顺利通过
虞国呢?”晋献公问手下的大臣。大夫荀息说:“虞国国君是个目光短浅、贪图小利的人,只要我们送
他价值连城的美玉和宝马,他不会不答应借道的。”晋献公一听有点舍不得,荀息看出了晋献公的心思
,就说:“虞虢两国是唇齿相依的近邻,虢国灭了,虞国也不能独存,您的美玉宝马不过是暂时存放在
虞公那里罢了。”晋献公采纳了荀息的计策。虞国国君见到这两份珍贵的礼物,顿时心花怒放,听到荀
息说要借道虞国之事时,当时就满口答应下来。虞国大夫宫之奇听说后,赶快阻止道:“不行,不行,
虞国和虢国是唇齿相依的近邻,我们两个小国相互依存,有事可以彼此帮助,万一虢国灭了,我们虞国
也就难保了。俗话说:‘唇亡齿寒’,没有嘴唇,牙齿也保不住啊!借道给晋国万万使不得。”虞公说
:“人家晋国是大国,现在特意送来美玉宝马和咱们交朋友,难道咱们借条道路让他们走走都不行吗?
”宫之奇连声叹气,知道虞国离灭亡的日子不远了,于是就带着一家老小离开了虞国。
果然,晋国军队借道虞国,消灭了虢国,随后又把亲自迎接晋军的虞公抓住,灭了虞国。
故事出自《左传·僖公五年》。成语“唇亡齿寒”,比喻双方关系密切,相互依存。
If the Lips Are Gone, the Teeth Will Be Cold During the Spring and Autumn Period (707-
476 B.C.), Duke Xian of the State of Jin Wanted to expand his position of strength and sphere
of influence. Therefore he would like to send his troops to destroy the State of Guo on the
pretest that the State of Guo often encroached on theborders of the State of Jin. But there
was a third state, the State of Yu,between the State of Jin and the State of Guo, and the Jin
army had to cross the State of Yu before it could reach the State of Guo . "How can my army
cross the State of Yu without a hitch?" Duke Xian of the State of Jin asked his ministers.Xun
Xi, one of the ministers, said, "The monarch of the State of Yu is short - sighted and covets
small advantages. If we give him priceless precious stones and fine horses, it is not unlikely
that he will allow our army to pass through his country. " Seeing that Duke Xian of the State
of Jin was a little bit grudging, Xun Xi continued to say, "The State of Yu and the State of
Guo are neighbor stated as closely related as lips and teeth. The State of Yu cannot exist
independently if the state of Guo is destroyed. Your precio