成语故事包涵着我国从古代到现在的大道理大智慧，通过描写生活的一些简单的事，让我们感觉到有趣从而明白需要知道的，成语故事是我国历史的一部分，成语是历史的积淀，每一个成语的背后都有一个含义深远的故事，是我国几千年以来人民智慧的结晶。以下是小编给大家分享的14篇英语成语故事，希望能够让您对于英语成语故事的写作有一定的思路。

精卫填海 篇一

Once upon a time, the youngest daughter of Emperor Yan, legendary ruler of primitive China, went boating on the Eastern Sea. While she was enjoying herself, a strong wind rose on the sea and her boat capsized. Just before she was buried by the surging waves, her spirit turned into a beautiful bird. As it flew over the roaring sea, it cried sadly in the sound "jinwei, jingwei". That was why people called it "Jingwei".

The bird lived on a mountain near the sea. It hated the sea so much that it decided to fill it up. Every day, it flew to and fro between the mountain and the sea, carrying in a twig or a pebble from the mountain and dropping it into the sea.

One day, the roaring sea said to Jingwei, "Poor little bird, stop doing that meaningless thing! You'll never fill me up." Jingwei replied, "I'll fill you up no doubt! I will, even if it'll take me thousands of years! I'll fight on until doomsday!"

The brave little bird kept carrying twigs and pebbles from the mountain to the Eastern Sea without taking a rest.

From this fable comes the idiom "The bird Jingwei trying to fill the sea". We use it to describe people who are firm and indomitable and will not stop until they reach their goal.

从前，炎帝(传说中中国原始社会的统治者)的小女儿在东海上划船。正当她划得高兴时，海面上突然升起一阵大风，把她的小船弄翻了。就在她要被汹涌的波浪吞 没时，她的灵魂变成了一只美丽的小鸟。它飞过那咆哮的海面，伤心的叫着"精卫，精卫"的声音。所以人们就叫她"精卫"。

精卫鸟住在靠海的一座山上。它非常恨大海，所以决心要把它填平。它每天来回于山海之间，把从山上衔来的小树枝和小石子扔在大海里。

一天，咆哮的大海对精卫说："可怜的小鸟，停止你那无谓的举动吧！你是永远都填不平我的。" 精卫回答说："我当然会把你填平的！即使这需要千千万万年的时间，我也一定会斗争到底，直到你的末日来临！"

这只勇敢的小鸟继续从山上衔来小树枝和小石子，扔到东海中，从未有片刻休息。

"精卫填海"这个成语就是由这个传说而来的，形容那些坚定不移，不屈不挠，不到目的决不罢休的人。

英语成语故事：同舟共济 篇二

In the Spring and Autumn period, the State of Wu and the State of Yue didn’t get along well. They had been fighting against each other for years.

People in each country also didn’t have a good relationship. One day, the people of Wu and the people of Yue happened to be on the same boat to cross a river.

At the beginning, they didn’t say a word with each other. When the boat sailed to

the center of the river, a strong wind came. In no time, huge waves hit people’s faces.

It seemed that the boat would sink at any time. Just then, they forgot all the hatred between two countries and began to help each other just like they were family. In the end, they safely got to the river bank under everyone’s effort.

春秋战国时，吴、越两国连年交兵，两国百姓彼此在感情上也很难共容。

有一次，吴国人和越国人碰巧共乘一条船渡河。开始时，他们都不理睬对方。

船至河心，狂风骤起，霎时惊涛骇浪迎面扑来，船随时有可能覆没。

此时，他们忘记了仇恨，相互救济，好像一家人一样。由于全船人的齐心协力，终于安全到达对岸。

后来居上 篇三

Ji Anlived at the time of Emperor Wudi of the Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D.24). He was respected for being upright and just and for daring to speak the truth. He did not bother about amall matters in personal behaviour and in being an official. He was particular about actual effects and ,although he did not cause a stir ,he could keep the prefecture he governed in perfect order. Because of this. the imperial court transferred him to the central government from being the perfect of the Donghai Prefecture to being a commander in charge of the appointment and dismissal of the local officals.

汲黯是西汉武帝时代人，以刚直正义、敢讲真话而受人尊重。他为人和做官都不拘小节，讲求实效。虽然表面上不那么轰轰烈烈，却能把一个郡治理得井井有条，因此，朝廷把他从东海太守调到朝廷当主爵都尉——一种主管地方吏任免的官职。

Onc（）e,Emperor Wudi said that he would implement the policy of benevolence and justice of Confucianism and would do good turns to the Wudi Had hardly finished his remards when Ji An said that there was no need for the emperor to say so.Why should the emperor bother,Ji An said, about pretending to implement the policy of benevolence and justice since he was so greedy and avaricious within himself? This choked the emperor off. The emperor suddenly Changed his countenance and declared the meeting over. All the civilian and military officers at court were breathless with anxiety for fear that Ji An might bring disaster upon himself because of this. After returning, Emperor Wudi said to the people around him that Ji An was a little too rude and too straightforward.

有一次，汉武帝说要实行儒家的仁义之政，为老百姓办好事了。没等皇帝把话说完，汲黯就说：“陛下内心里那么贪婪多欲，表面上却要装得实行仁政，这是何苦呢？”一句话把皇帝噎了回去。汉武帝登时脸色大变，宣布罢朝，满朝文武都为汲黯捏着一把汗，担心他会因此招来大祸。武帝回到宫里以后，对身边的人说，汲黯这个人也未免太粗太直了。

For this reason ,Ji An was never promoted again. When he was the commander in charge of the appointment and dismissal of the local officials, both Gongsun Hong and Zhang Tang were low -ranking lfficials of little importance. Later ,they were promoted continuously. Gongsun Hong became the prime minister and Zhang Tang became the imperial censor. However, JiAn's post remained thesame. One day, Ji An said to Emperor Wudi that the way the emperor used his ministers was just like piling up firewood, which meant that the latecomers surpassed the old-timers. Of course, Emperor Wudi could see that Ji An was complaining. So,turning to his ministers, Emperor Wudi said, "It is true that no one can stop learning.You see, Ji An is making more and more indiscreet remarks."

从此以后，汲黯的官职再也没有提升。他当主爵都尉的时候，公孙弘、张汤都还是不起眼的小官，后来，他们一个劲儿住上升，公孙弘当上了丞相，张汤做上了御史大夫，可他汲黯还蹲在原地没动窝。有一天，汲黯对武帝说，陛下使用群臣，跟码劈柴一样，是“后来者居上”啊！汉武帝当然听得出这是发牢骚。于是，转脸对臣下们说：“人真是不能不学习啊！你们听汲黯说话，越来越离谱了！”

This story comes from The Historical Records. Later generations use the set phrase "the latecomers surpass the old-timers " to indicate that successors can cxcel the predecessors, which is quite different from the original idea when Ji An said that the latecomers surpassed the old-timers.

故事出自《史记·汲郑列传》。成语“后来居上”，往往指后起的可以胜过先前的。和汲黯说这话的原意，大不相同。

子罕拒玉 篇四

A farmer in the state of Song once got a piece of stone with jade init.

宋国人有个农夫得到一块含宝玉的石头后，将它献给了相国子罕。

He presented this stone to Prime Minister Zi Han. But Zi Han refused toaccept it. The farmer explained, “It looks like just a stone, butthere is jade inside. It actually is a piece of treasure and suitable forhonorable men like you, not for us common people.”

子罕拒绝接受这块石头，农夫解释说：“表面上它是块石头，但里面含有宝玉，是个宝物，适合您这样的贵人使用，我们普通百姓用它就不合适了。”

“I know there is jade inside,” Zi Han said,” but I disagree with I think to have the virtue of declining things that do not belongto oneself is the real treasure. ”

子罕说：“我知道里面是宝玉。但我的观点和你不同，我认为具有不接受不应得的东西的品德才是真正的宝玉。”

A farmer in the state of Song once got a piece of stone with jade init.

宋国人有个农夫得到一块含宝玉的石头后，将它献给了相国子罕。

He presented this stone to Prime Minister Zi Han. But Zi Han refused toaccept it. The farmer explained, “It looks like just a stone, butthere is jade inside. It actually is a piece of treasure and suitable forhonorable men like you, not for us common people.”

子罕拒绝接受这块石头，农夫解释说：“表面上它是块石头，但里面含有宝玉，是个宝物，适合您这样的贵人使用，我们普通百姓用它就不合适了。”

“I know there is jade inside,” Zi Han said,” but I disagree with I think to have the virtue of declining things that do not belongto oneself is the real treasure. ”

子罕说：“我知道里面是宝玉。但我的观点和你不同，我认为具有不接受不应得的东西的品德才是真正的宝玉。”

英语成语故事：杯水车薪 篇五

One evening, Zhao Da passed by a tea house when he came back from cutting firewood.

There were a lot of people drinking tea there. He put the firewood outside and walked into the tea house.

When he finished a cup of tea, he found his firewood on fire. Zhao Da shouted: “Oh no! It’s on fire!”

He took a cup of water, ran out of the door and splashed the water on the fire. Other people in the tea house also took their own cups to fight the fire.

However, instead of being put out, the fire burned even harder.

一天傍晚，赵大砍柴回来，路过一个茶馆，里面坐了很多人，有的在喝茶，有的在乘凉。他就把柴车停放在外面，也走进茶馆。

赵大坐在那刚刚喝完一杯茶，只见茶馆外面一片红光，赵大放下茶杯，走到门口一看：原来是自己的一车柴草着火了，忽忽的光苗直往上窜。

赵大喊起来："不好了，着火啦！"边喊边跑进茶馆，端起桌子上的一杯水，跑到门外往车上的柴草上泼去。茶馆里的人，一听赵大的叫喊声，也都忙着端起自己的茶杯，往车上泼去。

可是，劈里叭啦一阵响声之后，火不但没灭，反而燃烧得更猛烈了。赵大心疼地连声喊道："完了，完了！"

卧薪尝胆 篇六

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.

春秋时期，吴国和越国之间进行了一场战争，吴王不幸受了重伤，不久就死了。他的儿子夫差作了吴国的新国王，他发誓要替父亲报仇。于是，他严格的操练他的士兵，把他们训练成了一支非常厉害的军队。三年以后，他对越国发动了战争，抓住了越王勾践，把他带回了吴国。

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.

为了复仇，夫差让勾践住在他父亲墓旁的破石屋里天天看墓、喂马。勾践表面上服从，心里面却想着复仇。几年以后，勾践被放回越国。他立刻开始秘密聚集一支军队。为了提醒自己不要忘了报仇，他睡在柴上，还每天在吃饭睡觉前尝一尝苦胆。同时，他专心治理国家，大力发展农业，加强民众教育。几年后，越国又变得强大起来，然后，勾践抓住一个适当的机会消灭了吴国。

Later, people use it to describe one who endures self-imposed hardships to strengthen one's resolve to realize one's ambition.

后来，人们用它来形容人刻苦自励以达到自己定下的目标。

英语成语故事：囫囵吞枣 篇七

Long ago, there was a young man who bought many fruits, like pears and dates.

He sat at the roadside to eat them. An old man saw him and said: “Eating too many pears is good for teeth, but bad for your body.”

The man asked: “How about dates?” The old man answered: “The dates are good for body but bad for teeth.”

The young man thought for a while and said: “I've got a good idea! I can eat pears with teeth and don't swallow them. And I can swallow dates without chewing.”

Then he put a date into his mouth and swallowed it immediately. Unluckily, he was choked by the date.

从前，有个人买了一堆水果，有梨儿，也有枣儿，坐在路边上吃。有个老头儿看见了，

对他说：“小伙子，梨儿可不能多吃呀。它虽然对牙齿有好处，可是吃多了对身体不好。”

青年人就问：“枣儿吃多了呢？”老头儿说：“枣儿对身体是好的，可吃多了对牙齿不好，也不能多吃。”

青年人看了看梨儿，又看了看枣儿，想了一会儿，说：“哈哈，我想出了个好办法！我吃梨儿就只用牙齿嚼，不吞到肚子里去。吃枣儿，我就把它整个儿吞下去，不用牙齿嚼。”

说完话，他就拿起一个枣儿放在嘴里，直接吞了下去。没想到，他一下子就被枣儿噎住了。

天衣无缝 篇八

one summer night, when the moon was very bright he suddenly saw a girl descending(下降) slowly from the sky. he observed the girl closely, and found that the dress she was wearing was seamless(无缝的) . he was puzzled, and asked why. the girl answered,"heavenly clothes are not sewn with needle and thread."

传说古代太原人郭翰在夏夜里乘凉，见一个仙女从天上下来，她身穿白衣，美丽绝伦。她告诉他她名叫织女。郭翰仔细欣赏织女的衣裳浑然一体，竟看不出一丝线缝，好奇问织女。织女答道：“天衣本非针线为也。”

this idiom is used metaphorically to indicate the flawless handling of things. it can also be used to indicate a perfectly written poem or other literary article.

神话传说，仙女的衣服没有衣缝。比喻事物周密完善，找不出什么毛病。

英语成语故事：黔驴技穷 篇九

In ancient times there were no donkeys in Guizhou province. Somebody brought a donkey from somewhere and tied it to a tree at the foot of a mountain.

A tiger saw the donkey, and thought that it must be a fearsome(可怕的) monster. It hide behind a tree and spied on the donkey.

When the donkey brayed(叫) , the tiger was frightened, thinking that the donkey was about to devour(吞食，毁灭) it. After a while, seeing that the donkey had not moved, the tiger approached it and teased it. The donkey became angry, and kicked the tiger.

The tiger thought to itself: "Its then all it is capable of?" It then jumped on the donkey and ate it.

This idiom is used to mean that one has exhauseted one's skills.

一鸣惊人 篇十

In the Warring States Period, Duke Wei of Qi neglected state affairs, for the first three years of his reign, giving himself over to dissipation. One of his ministers, Chun Yukun who had a good sense of humour, said to him: 'There is a big bird which has neither taken wing nor sung for three years.' The duke answered, 'Once that bird starts to fly and sing, it will astonish the world.' The duke thereupon devoted himself to his duties and built his state up into a powerful one.

战国时代，齐威王即位后做了三年国君，只顾享乐，不理政事。有个善于说笑话的人叫淳于髡，一天对齐威王说：“城里有一只大鸟，三年不飞也不叫，你知道这是什么道理？”齐威王说：“这鸟不飞则罢，一飞就冲天；不鸣则罢，一鸣就惊人。”在淳于髡的激发下，齐威王开始治理国家，取得很大成绩，齐国的声威一直保持了几十年。

画龙点睛 第十一篇

Mr. Li is a good painter. One day he draws a beautiful dragon without eyes.

李先生是位很好的画家。一天画了一条栩栩如生的龙，但是这只龙没有眼睛。

Mr. Zhou looks at the picture and says, “The dragon has no eyes. It isn’t a good picture.”

周先生见了说：“这条龙没有眼睛。这不算一张好画。”

But Mr. Li smiles and says, “If I add eyes to the dragon, it will fly away.”

可是李先生笑着说：“如果我给它加上眼睛，它就会飞走了。”

Mr. Zhou shakes head and says, “You are boasting. I don’t believe you.”

周先生摇头说：“你吹牛。我不相信。”

Mr. Li isn’t angry. He holds the paintbrush and adds eyes to the dragon. Woe! The dragon really flies.

李先生也不生气，只是拿起笔给龙点上眼睛。哇！龙真的飞走了。

英语成语故事：自相矛盾 第十二篇

A young man ran a business in the market.

One day, he held up a shield and said proudly: “My shield is very strong.

It can stop any spear in the world.” Then he held up his spear and bragged: “My spear is very sharp. No matter how strong a shield is, my spear can pierce it.”

People all around here laughed when they heard the words of the young man.

One of them asked: “So, according to what you said, your spear is the sharpest. No matter how strong a shield is, your spear can pierce it. And your shield is also the strongest.

No matter how sharp a spear is, it can’t pierce your shield. Well, what will happen if I pierce your shield with your spear?"

The young man was too embarrassed to say anything.

古时候，有一个人，他既卖矛又卖盾。一天，他在集市上叫卖，非常得意。他举起他的盾说：“我的盾非常坚固。无论怎样好的矛，都戳不穿它！”说完，他又举起他的矛夸口说：“我的矛非常锋利。无论怎样坚固的盾都能戳进去！”

站在旁边的人听了，都暗暗地发笑。

有人问他：“照你这样说，你的矛是最锋利的。无论怎样硬的盾都戳得进去。你的盾又是最坚固的。无论怎样锋利的矛，也别想戳进去。

那么，现在我用你的矛来戳你的盾，看看结果会怎样呢？”

那个人窘得连一句话也答不上来。

英语成语故事：班门弄斧 第十三篇

During the Warring States period, there wasa carpenter named Lu Ban. He was good at making woody tools.

One day, a youngman passed by a red gate. He held up an axe with his hand and said: “This axeis really good.

I can make the greatest tools in the world with it.” Hearingthis, people around here all laughed. One person asked: “So, can you make amore beautiful gate than this one?”

“That’s so easy! I was a student of Lu Ban before!Making a similar gate is like a piece of cake!” The young man said arrogantly.

“But the gate was made by Lu Ban!” Allpeople said.

鲁班是战国时代的鲁国人。他是一个善于制作精巧器具的能手，人们叫他“巧人”，民间历来把他奉为木匠的始祖。

有一天，一个年轻的木匠漫不经心地走到一个大红门的房子前，举起自己手里的斧子，说：“我这把斧子，别看它不起眼，可不管是什么木料，只要到了我的手里，用我的斧头这么一弄，就会做出漂亮无比的东西来。”

旁边的人听了，觉得他太夸口，就指着身后的大红门说：“小师傅，那你能做出比这扇还好的门吗？”年轻的木匠傲慢地说：“不是我吹牛，告诉你们，我曾经当过鲁班的学生，难道还做不出这样一扇简单的大门来，简直是笑话。”

众人听了，忍不住大笑起来，说：“这就是鲁班先生的家，这扇就是他亲手做的，你真的能做出比这扇还好的门吗？”那位年轻的木匠不好意思地跑掉了。

杞人忧天 第十四篇

In the Spring and Autumn Period, in the State of Qi there was a man who always let his imagination run away with him. One day he even worried that the sky would fall on his head. He was so worried that he could neither eat nor sleep. Later, someone persuaded him that his fears were Ground-less.

春秋时代，杞国有一个喜欢胡思乱想的人。一天，他竟然想到，天会塌下来，地会陷下去，自己到哪里去安身？这个人越想越害怕，整天愁眉苦脸，坐立不安，白天吃不下饭，晚上睡不着觉。后来有人耐心地开到他，他才放下了心。

夫参署者，集众思，广忠益也。上面这14篇英语成语故事就是小编为您整理的英语成语故事范文模板，希望可以给予您一定的参考价值。