用英语讲中国故事 第55期 三人成虎

In the Warring States Period, in order to make everyone really abide by the letter, countries and countries usually gave the prince to each other as a hostage. The Warring States Strategy Wei Ce has such a record:

战国时代，互相攻伐，为了使大家真正能遵守信约，国与国之间通常都将太子交给对方作为人质。《战国策·魏策》有这样一段记载：

Pang Cong, a minister of the State of Wei, was about to accompany the Prince of Wei to the State Of Zhao as a hostage. Before he left, he said to the King:

魏国大臣庞葱，将要陪魏太子到赵国去作人质，临行前对魏王说：

"Now there is a person who says that there is a tiger in the market, Your Majesty, can you believe it?"

“现在有个一人来说街市上出现了老虎，大王可相信吗？”

The King of Wei said, "I don't believe it."

魏王道：“我不相信。”

Pang Cong said, "If a second person said there was a tiger in the market, would you believe it?"

庞葱说：“如果有第二个人说街市上出现了老虎，大王可相信吗？”

The King of Wei said, "I am half convinced."

魏王道：“我有些将信将疑了。”

Pang Cong said, "If a third person said there was a tiger in the market, would you believe it?"

庞葱又说：“如果有第三个人说街市上出现了老虎，大王相信吗？”

The King of Wei said, "Of course I will believe you."

魏王道：“我当然会相信。”

Pang Cong said: “It was obvious that there would be no tigers in the street, but after three people talked about it, it seemed that there really was a tiger. Now Handan, the capital city of Zhao, is far away from Daliang, the capital city of Wei. There are more than three people talking about me. I hope Your Majesty sees it well.”

庞葱就说：“街市上不会有老虎，这是很明显的事，可是经过三个人一说，好像真的有了老虎了。现在赵国国都邯郸离魏国国都大梁，比这里的街市远了许多，议论我的人又不止三个。希望大王明察才好。”

"I know everything myself," said the King of Wei.Pang Cong accompanied the prince to return home, and the king of Wei did not summon him again.

魏王道：“一切我自己知道。”庞葱陪太子回国，魏王果然没有再召见他了。

The city is a densely populated place, and of course there will be no tigers. To say that there is a tiger in the market is obviously a rumor and deception, but many people have said so, and if they do not look at the problem from the truth of the matter, they will often believe it to be true.

市是人口集中的地方，当然不会有老虎。说市上有虎，显然是造谣、欺骗，但许多人这样说了，如果不是从事物真相上看问题，也往往会信以为真的。

This story was originally intended to satirize the ignorance of King Hui of Wei, but later generations extended this story into the idiom "Three men make a tiger," which is borrowed to mean that rumors can sometimes cover up the truth.

　　这故事本来是讽刺魏惠王无知的，但后世人引伸这故事成为“三人成虎”这句成语，乃是借来比喻有时谣言可以掩盖真相的意思。