He sleeps on hard wood and eats bitter food
every day(臥薪嘗膽)
In the Spring and Autumn Period of China,
the Yue Kingdom had a very famous king, whose name was Goujian.
His story is recorded in the history books.
In 496 BC, his father died and he succeeded
him as king of the Yue Kingdom.
His neighboring kingdom was the Kingdom of
Wu, and the king of the kingdom of Wu suddenly launched a large army to attack
them.
He led the army to counterattack, he
successfully repelled the army of Wu Kingdom, and in this war, the king of Wu
Kingdom was injured and died.
Three years later, the new king of Wu
Kingdom led the army of Wu Kingdom to avenge his father.
This time, he did not repel the enemy, the
army he led was almost wiped out, and he only had 5,000 men left to fight with
him.
He sent messengers to ask for peace with
the king of Wu Kingdom, and he also bribed an important official of Wu Kingdom.
In order to survive, he became the servant
of the king of Wu Kingdom.
He was a servant in the palace of Wu
Kingdom for three years, and three years later, the king of Wu Kingdom let him
return to Yue Kingdom.
After he returned to the Kingdom of Yue, he
wanted revenge very much, but the people of the Kingdom of Yue were very poor
and did not have a strong army.
He was afraid that he would lose his
determination to take revenge and forget the humiliation he suffered in the
Kingdom of Wu.
He reminded himself in two ways.
The first way, he sleeps on hard wood every
day, he does not sleep on soft beds, every night, he will remember that he has
not yet avenged, so he cannot relax.
The second way, he puts a very bitter grass
in his room every day, the bitterness of this grass is as bitter as the
gallbladder of animals. He eats this grass every day when he eats, and he
reminds himself every day not to forget the shame of being a servant.
He appointed two very smart ministers, and
these two people gave him a lot of advice to make the Kingdom of Yue strong.
473 BC. After many victories, the king of
Wu Kingdom was surrounded by the army he led, the king of Wu Kingdom begged him
for peace but he did not agree, and the king of Wu Kingdom committed suicide.
He finally succeeded in revenge.
This idiom is used to describe a person who
motivates himself in a very determined and strong way.
Dear friends, what inspiration or thoughts do you have after listening to this story?
What was the most humiliating moment in your life? What ways have you used to motivate yourself?
I hope this story will give you something new to gain.
臥薪嘗膽(He sleeps on hard wood and eats
bitter food every day)
中國的春秋時代，越王國有一位非常著名的國王，他的名字是(勾踐)。
歷史書上記載了一個他的故事。
西元前496年，他的父親過世，他繼任為越王國的國王。
他的鄰國是吳王國，吳王國的國王突然發動大軍來攻打他們。
他率領軍隊反擊，他成功擊退吳王國的大軍，而且這場戰爭中，吳王國的國王受傷因而死亡。
三年後，吳王國的新任國王、率領吳王國的軍隊來替他的父親報仇。
這一次，他沒有擊退敵人，他率領的軍隊幾乎全被消滅，他只剩下5000人陪他作戰。
他派出使者向吳王國的國王求和，他還賄絡吳王國的一個重要的官員。
他為了活命， 他成了吳王國的國王的僕人。
他在吳王國的皇宮當的三年的僕人，三年後，吳王國的國王讓他回到越王國。
他回到越王國後，他很想報仇，但是越王國的人民非常的貧窮，也沒有強大的軍隊。
他很害怕自已失去了報仇的決心與忘記了在吳王國受到的屈辱。
他用兩個方式提醒自己。
第一個方式，他每天睡在堅硬的木頭上，他不睡在柔軟的床上，他每天夜裡，都會想起自己尚未報仇，所以不能鬆懈。
第二個方式，他每天都在自已的房間中放置一種味道很苦的草，這種草的苦味就像是動物的膽囊一樣的苦。他每天吃飯的時候都會吃這種草，他藉此每天提醒自已不樣忘記當人家僕的恥辱。
他任用了兩個很聰明的大臣，這兩個人給了他許多的建議，讓越王國的國力強大。
西元前473年。他經過了多次的勝利，吳王國的國王被他所率領的軍隊包圍，吳王國的國王向他求和但他不答應，吳王國的國王自殺。
他終於成功復仇。
這句成語被用來形容一個人用很堅決與強烈的方式激勵自已。
親愛的朋友，你聽完這個故事有怎樣的啟發或有怎樣的想法呢。
你人生中覺得最屈辱的時刻是因為什麼事呢?你曾經用過那些方式激勵自己?
我希望這故事能讓你產生一些新的收穫。
出處為史記-越王勾踐世家
https://www.arteducation.com.tw/guwen/bookv_128.html