草船借箭 (Cǎo chuán jiè jiàn)
Lit. using straw boats to borrow arrows (from Romance of The Three Kingdoms).
Fig. to use others’ manpower and resources for one’s own ends.
Story: When [Zhou] Yu saw that Zhuge Liang had exceptional talents, he was very envious [of him]. One day, Zhou Yu invited Zhuge Liang over to discuss military affairs, [where] he said: “We are going to fight Cao Cao’s army. What weapons are best to use in naval battles?” Zhuge Liang said: “Bow and arrows are best.” Zhou Yu replied: “True, you and I are of the same thoughts. At this moment we are lacking arrows in our army, so I would like to ask you to quickly [help] produce one hundred thousand arrows. As this is a state business, I hope you won’t decline [my request].” Zhuge Liang said: “The Governor [e.g. Zhou Yu] has placed your trusts in me, of course I will do as you wish. I wonder when these one hundred thousand arrows will be needed?” Zhou Yu asked: “Can they be made in ten days?” Zhuge Liang said: “Since we will be at war, taking ten days will surely be detrimental to our war efforts.” Zhou Yu asked: “How many days do you plan to use for this task?” Zhuge Liang said: “Three days.” Zhou Yu said: “The military situation is urgent, you must not joke about this matter.” Zhuge Liang said: “I dare not joke about this matter with you. I am willing to sign a military pledge, and will accept punishment if I cannot have them [ready] within three days.” Zhou Yu was very happy [on hearing this] and asked Zhuge Liang to prepare the military pledge right there, then threw a banquet to entertain him. Zhuge Liang [then] said: “It is too late today. From tomorrow until the third day, please send five hundred troops to the river bank to help make these arrows.” Zhuge Liang [then] drank a couple cups of wine and left.
Lu Su (a subordinate) asked Zhou Yu: “One hundred thousand arrows, can someone make that many in [only] three days? What Zhuge Liang said was a lie, right?” Zhou Yu said: “He said it himself, I did not force him [into saying it]. I have ordered our military craftsmen to deliberately delay and not provide him with all the materials needed for making arrows. When the time comes and he cannot complete the task, we can condemn him [to disobeying military order] and he would not be able to argue against that. Now, you go and find out what he has in mind, then report back to me.”
Lu Su then head over to see Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang said: “We have to produce one hundred thousand arrows within three days, I must ask for your urgent help.” Lu Su said: “This is all your doing, how can I urgently help you?” Zhuge Liang said: “You [can] help provide me with twenty ships, with each ship having thirty veterans on it. Use curtains made out of green cloth to cover up each ship, then placed one thousand bales of straw on both sides of the ships. I will have an ingenious use for them. On the third day I will have one hundred thousand arrows [for us]. However, you must not let the Governor [e.g. Zhou Yu] know. If he does, my plan will be done for.”
Lu Su agreed [to his request]. He did not know how Zhuge Liang will use the borrowed ships for the [arrow-making] purpose, but on returning to report [the situation] to Zhou Yu, he [kept to his words and] did not mention the ship-borrowing matter, and only said that Zhuge Liang did not use bamboo, feathers, glue lacquer and similar materials. Zhou Yu was puzzled and said: “Let’s wait until the third day and see how he will do it!”
Lu Su privately allocated twenty quick [light] ships, where each ship was fitted with thirty veteran troops. He arranged for green-cloth curtains and bales of straws based on Zhuge Liang’s request, and waited for him to give further instructions. On the first day, he didn’t see any instructions coming from Zhuge Liang; on the second day, he still didn’t see any instructions coming from Zhuge Liang; it was not until the fourth watch of the third day (begins at 3am) that Zhuge Liang secretly invited Lu Su to visit him on the ships. Lu Su asked him: “What did you call me here for?” Zhuge Liang said: “I’m inviting you to come fetch arrows with me.” Lu Su asked: “Fetch arrows where?” Zhuge Lian said: “No need to ask, you will know once you’re there.” Zhuge Liang [then] ordered all twenty ships to be bound together by ropes, then headed for the northern shore.
At this time the fog was so thick that on the river one could not clearly see another person standing next to him. Before dawn, the ships were already close to Cao Cao’s military camp on the river. Zhuge Liang ordered to have the ships’ afts facing east, forming the character ‘yi’ (一, e.g. ship after ship placed together horizontally), then he asked soldiers on the ships on the one hand to beat the drums, and on the other hand to shout aloud a battle cry. Lu Su was shocked and said: “What if Cao Cao’s troops come out, what will we do?” Zhuge Liang laughed and said: “With fog this thick, Cao Cao will surely not dare to send his troops out. Let us drink and enjoy ourselves, and go back at dawn.”
When Cao Cao heard the beating of the drums and the battle cries, he issued the order: “It is very foggy on the river and the enemy is suddenly attacking. We cannot make out what is real and what is not, so we must not act rashly. Call up our bowmen and crossbowmen and let the arrows fly in their direction, to make sure they won’t be able to get close to us.” Then he ordered men to take the road to another camp on land and bring back six thousand veteran bowmen to support the naval troops. [At this time there were] More than ten thousand veteran troops fired arrows into the river, [and] it looked as if [the sky] was raining arrows. Zhuge Liang then ordered the ships to turn around, with their forwards facing east and their afts facing west. They beat the drums and yelled their battle cries as before, pressing on towards Cao Cao’s naval camp to obtain the arrows.
The sky was getting brighter, yet the fog had not dissipated. At this time, the bales of straws on both sides of each ship were full of arrows. Zhuge Liang [then] instructed the soldiers to shout [aloud] in unison: “Thank you, Prime Minister Cao, for these arrows!” Afterwards he ordered the twenty ships to sail back to the southern shore. Cao Cao knew that he had been fooled, but due to favorable weather conditions, the ships had already sailed more than twenty li’s away, and it was too late to give chase.
After the twenty ships had docked [on the southern shore], Zhou Yu sent five hundred soldiers to come to the river to collect the arrows. Each ship had approximately five, six thousand arrows; twenty ships had more than one hundred thousand arrows in total. Lu Su met with Zhou Yu and told him about the arrow-borrowing process. Zhou Yu let out a long sigh and said: “I am no match for Zhuge Liang’s divine strategizing and clever planning!”
—– VOCABULARY —–
瑜 yú – excellence; luster of gems [[du: ngọc đẹp; vẻ sáng đẹp của ngọc]]
挺 tǐng – straight; erect; to stick out (a part of the body); to (physically) straighten up; to support; to withstand; outstanding; (coll.) quite; very; classifier for machine guns [[đĩnh: rút ra, đưa lên; ưỡn, ngửa; gắng gượng; sinh ra, mọc ra; duỗi thẳng; trội cao, kiệt xuất; rất, lắm]]
才幹 cái gàn – ability; competence [[tài năng, làm được việc]]
妒忌 dù jì – to be jealous of (sb’s achievements etc.); to be envious; envy
妒 dù – to envy (success, talent); jealous [[đố: ghen ghét]]
忌 jì – to be jealous of; fear; dread; scruple; to avoid or abstain from; to quit; to give up sth [[kị: ghen ghét; sợ, e dè; kiêng, cử; hay ghen, hay ganh; điều kiêng cử, cai, chừa]]
弓箭 gōng jiàn – bow and arrow [[cung tiễn]]
缺 quē – deficiency; lack; scarce; vacant post; to run short of [[khuyết: sứt mẻ, vỡ lỡ; chỗ thiếu sót, chỗ không hoàn hảo; chỗ trống (chỉ chức vụ); thiếu, không đủ; suy vi, suy nhược]]
趕 gǎn – to overtake; to catch up with; to hurry; to rush; to try to catch (the bus etc); to drive (cattle etc) forward; to drive (sb) away; to avail oneself of (an opportunity); until [[cản: đuổi theo; xua, lùa, đánh xe (súc vật kéo); đuổi đi; làm gấp cho kịp; gặp, gặp đúng lúc]]
推卻 tuī què – to repel; to decline
推 tuī – to push; to cut; to refuse; to reject; to decline; to shirk (responsibility); to put off; to delay; to push forward; to nominate; to elect; massage [[thôi: đẩy, đùn; trừ bỏ, bài trừ; kéo dài thời gian, lần lữa; thoái thác, khước từ; tuyển chọn, bầu lên, tiến cử; tìm gỡ cho ra mối, suy tìm, nghiên cứu; mở rộng, suy rộng]]
卻 què – but; yet; however; while; to go back; to decline; to retreat; nevertheless; even though [[khước: từ chối, không nhận; lùi về, thối lui; rồi, mất, được; vẫn, nhưng; biểu thị phản vấn – sao, sao lại; đang; lại]]
督 dū – to supervise and direct; army title [[đốc: coi sóc, giám sát; thúc dục; khiển trách; tên chức quan]]
委托 wěi tuō – to entrust; to trust; to commision [[ủy thác]]
委 wěi – to entrust; to cast aside; to shift (blame etc.); to accumulate; roundabout; winding; dejected; listless; committee member; council; end; actually; certainly [[ủy: giao phó; vất bỏ, trút bỏ; đổ cho, đùn cho, gán; chồng chất, chất chứa; khô héo, tiều tụy; đặt, để; ngọn, cuối, ngọn nguồn]]
托 tuō – to trust; to entrust; to be entrusted with; to act as trustee; prop, support (for weight), rest (e.g. arm rest), thanks to, to hold in one’s hand, to support in one’s palm, to give, to base, to commit, to set [[thác: bưng, nâng, chống, nhấc; lót, đệm; bày ra; cái khay, cái đế]]
照辦 zhào bàn – to follow the rules; to do as instructed; to play by the book; to comply with a request
既然 jì rán – since; as; this being the case [[bởi vì]]
誤 wù – mistake; error; to miss; to harm; to delay; to neglect; mistakenly [[ngộ: sự sai lầm; lầm lẫn; lỡ, bỏ lỡ; mê hoặc; làm hại, làm lụy]]
預計 yù jì – to forecast; to predict; to estimate
預 yù – to advance; in advance; beforehand; to prepare [[dự: sẵn, trước, cùng nghĩa với “dự” 豫; cùng với, tham gia]]
緊急 jǐn jí – urgent; emergency
緊 jǐn – tight; strict; close at hand; near; urgent; tense; hard up; short of money; to tighten [[khẩn: cần kíp, cấp bách; quan trọng, nghiêm trọng; chặt chẽ, khít khao; túng thiếu, chật vật; căng, chặt; liên tiếp, không ngừng]]
玩笑 wán xiào – to joke; joke; jest
玩 wán – to play; to have fun; to trifle with; toy; sth used for amusement; to keep sth for entertainment [[ngoạn: khinh thường, khinh nhờn; thưởng thức, ngắm; nghiền ngẫm; đùa giỡn, nô đùa; chơi; trêu chọc, đùa bỡn]]
狀 zhuàng – accusation; suit; state; condition; strong; great [[trạng: hình dạng, dáng; tình hình, tình huống; công trạng, công tích; lễ mạo, sự tôn trọng; bài văn giải bày sự thực để kêu với thần thánh, vua quan; văn chương tự thuật]]
甘 gān – sweet, willing [[cam: ngọt; tốt, lành, ngon ngọt; chịu nhận; bằng lòng, tự nguyện]]
懲罰 chéng fá – penalty; punishment; to punish [[trừng phạt, trừng trị]]
懲 chéng – to punish; to reprimand; to warn [[trừng: trách phạt; răn bảo; ngăn cấm; hối hận, hối tiếc]]
罰 fá – to punish; to penalize [[phạt: hình phạt; bỏ tiền ra chuộc tội; trừng trị, đánh dẹp]]
擺 bǎi – to arrange; to exhibit; to move to and fro; a pendulum [[bãi: mở ra, vạch ra; bày, sắp đặt; lay, lắc, dao động; lên mặt, vênh mặt; hãm hại]]
酒席 jiǔ xí – feast; banquet
席 xí – woven mat; seat; banquet; place in a democratic assembly; classifier for banquets, conversations etc [[tịch: cái chiếu; chỗ ngồi; tiệc, bàn tiệc, mâm cỗ; chức vị; buồm; nhờ vào, dựa vào]]
來不及 lái bu jí – there’s not enough time (to do sth); it’s too late (to do sth)
假 jiǎ – fake; false; artificial; to borrow; if; suppose [[giả: không phải thật, hư ngụy; ví phỏng, nếu; mượn, lợi dụng]]
逼 bī – to force (sb to do sth); to compel; to press for; to extort; to press on towards; to press up to; to close in on [[bức: uy hiếp, cưỡng bách, ép buộc; tới gần, sát; chật hẹp; rất, hết sức]]
匠 jiàng – craftsman [[tượng: thợ mộc; ngày nay gọi chung các người thợ là “tượng”; tiếng tôn xưng người tài ba, xuất sắc về một bộ môn hoặc phương diện nào đó, bậc thầy; lành nghề, tinh xảo, khéo léo]]
遲延 chí yán – to delay [[chậm trễ]]
遲 chí – late; delayed; slow [[trì: chậm, thong thả, chậm chạp; chậm lụt, không mẫn tiệp; muộn, trễ; do dự, không quyết]]
延 yán – to prolong; to extend; to delay [[diên: dài, xa; kéo dài; lan tràn, lan rộng; kéo dài thời gian; tiến nạp, tiến cử, dẫn vào; dây dưa, dắt tới; trì hoãn]]
齊全 qí quán – complete
探聽 tàn tīng – to make inquiries; to try to find out; to pry
探 tàn – to explore; to search out; to scout; to visit; to stretch forward [[tham, ta quen đọc là thám: tìm kiếm; tìm tòi, truy xét, tra cứu; thử xét, thí trắc; dò xét, nghe ngóng; hỏi thăm, thăm viếng; thử; thò, duỗi, ló, nhô]]
打算 dǎ suàn – to plan; to intend; to calculate; plan; intention; calculation [[dự định, tính toán, toan tính, lên kế hoạch]]
幫 bāng – to help; to assist; to support; for sb (i.e. as a help); hired (as worker); side (of pail, boat etc); outer layer; upper (of a shoe); group; gang; clique; party; secret society [[bang: giúp, phụ trợ; phụ họa; phần bên cạnh của một vật thể; đoàn thể tổ chức của một số người có chung mục đích hoặc tính chất về chính trị, kinh tế, v.v.]]
封 fēng – to confer; to grant; to bestow a title; to seal; classifier for sealed objects, esp. letters [[phong: bao, gói; từ đơn vị – lá, bức; bờ cõi, cương giới; đóng, đậy kín, che kín; đóng, khóa lại, cấm không cho sử dụng]]
忙 máng – busy; hurriedly; to hurry; to rush [[mang: vội gấp, cấp bách; bận rộn, không được thư nhàn]]
幔 màn – curtain [[mạn: màn che, rèm]]
遮 zhē – to cover up (a shortcoming); to screen off; to hide; to conceal [[già: ngăn trở, chận; che lấp]]
排 pái – a row; a line; to set in order; to arrange; to line up; to eliminate; to drain; to push open; platoon; raft; classifier for lines, rows, etc. [[bài: đẩy, gạt ra; tiêu trừ, trừ khử; ruồng bỏ, bài xích; xếp đặt, thiết trí; tập diễn; lượng từ – dãy, hàng, rặng, loạt]]
妙 miào – clever; wonderful [[diệu: tốt, hay, đẹp; khéo léo, tinh xảo, mầu nhiệm, thần kì; non, trẻ]]
管 guǎn – to take care (of); to control; to manage; to be in charge of; to look after; to run; to care about; tube; pipe; woodwind; towards [[quản: ống sáo, làm bằng tre, có sáu lỗ; chỉ chung các nhạc khí thổi được, như ống sáo, ống tiêu, kèn; ống; mượn chỉ cái bút; phép tắc; hẹp, ít, nhỏ; trông coi, đứng đầu; câu thúc, gò bó, dạy bảo]]
保有 bǎo yǒu – to keep; to retain
完了 wán le – to be finished; to be done for; ruined; gone to the dogs; oh no
提 tí – to carry (hanging down from the hand); to lift; to put forward; to mention; to raise (an issue); upwards characters stroke; lifting brush stroke (in painting); scoop for measuring liquid [[đề: nâng lên, cầm, dắt; nâng đỡ, dắt cho lên trên, kéo cho tiến lên; nêu ra, đưa ra, bày ra, kể ra; lấy, rút ra, lĩnh; chú ý, cảnh giác; quan đề]]
翎毛 líng máo – feather; plume; plumage
翎 líng – tail feathers; plume [[linh: lông cánh loài chim; lông trang trí đuôi mũi tên; cánh loài côn trùng]]
膠 jiāo – to glue; glue; gum; rubber [[giao: keo (chất lỏng dùng để dán được), như “giao tất” 膠漆 keo sơn; dán, gắn liền; dùng để dán được, có chất dính]]
漆 qī – paint; lacquer [[tất: cây sơn (thực vật); sơn (chất liệu); sơn]]
私自 sī zì – private; personal; secretly; without explicit approval
撥 bō – to push aside with the hand, foot, a stick, etc.; to dial; to allocate; to set aside (money); to poke (the fire); to pluck (a string instrument); to turn around; classifier – a group, batch [[bát: vén, bài trừ, đánh tan; chuyển, xoay lại; phát ra; khêu, bới, cạy, nạy, gảy; đụng chạm, xung đột; cái vuốt (phiến nhỏ như cái móng để gảy đàn; lượng từ – nhóm, toán, đám, đợt]]
配 pèi – to join; to fit; to mate; to mix; to match; to deserve; to make up (a prescription); to allocate [[phối: đôi lứa, vợ chồng; vợ; sánh đôi, sánh ngang; hợp, kết hợp; nam nữ kết hôn; gả con gái; phân phát, xếp đặt; đày tội nhân đi xa; điều hòa, điều chỉnh; lấy giống, gây giống (cho thú vật giao hợp)]]
布置 bù zhì – to put in order; to arrange; to decorate; to fix up; to deploy [[bố trí]]
置 zhì – to install; to place; to put; to buy [[trí: tha cho, thả, phóng thích; vứt bỏ; đặt để, để yên; thiết lập, dựng nên; mua, sắm; nhà trạm, dịch trạm]]
調度 diào dù – to dispatch (vehicles, staff, etc); to schedule; to manage; dispatcher; scheduler
仍然 réng rán – still; yet [[vẫn còn, vẫn chưa]]
直到 zhí dào – until
直 zhí – straight; to straighten; fair and reasonable; frank; straightforward; (indicates continuing motion or action); vertical; vertical downward stroke in Chinese characters [[trực: thẳng; thẳng thắn; không tư riêng, không thiên lệch; thẳng đờ, mỏi đờ; uống thẳng, làm cho thẳng; hầu (để trực tiếp sai bảo); giá trị; chỉ, bất quá; ngay, chính nên; một mạch, cứ, mãi; thực là]]
秘密 mì mì – secret
秘 mì – secret; secretary; same use as 祕 [[bí: không biết được, giữ kín không cho người ngoài cuộc biết, không công khai; trân quý, hiếm lạ]]
密 mì – secret; confidential; close; thick; dense [[mật: rậm rạp, liền kín, sát, khít, dày; kín đáo, không để lộ, không cho người ngoài cuộc biết tới; thân gần, thân thiết, liền kề; chu đáo, tỉ mỉ; sự việc giữ kín, việc không để công khai; kín đáo, ngầm]]
一起 yī qǐ – in the same place; together; with; altogether (in total)
繩索 shéng suǒ – rope
朝 cháo – facing; towards; to make a pilgrimage to; court or assembly held by a sovereign or emperor; reign of a sovereign or emperor; dynasty; government; imperial or royal court [[triều: hướng, xoay về; tham bái thần minh; chầu, vào hầu; triều đại, thời đại của nước quân chủ]]
霧 wù – fog; mist [[vụ: Sương mù. § Xa đất là “vân” 雲 mây, gần đất là “vụ” 霧 mù; cái gì giốngnhư bụi nước, sương mù đều gọi là “vụ”]]
寨 zhài – stronghold; stockade; camp; (stockaded) village [[trại: trại, cắm tre cắm gỗ xung quanh để phòng giữ; chỗ giặc cướp tụ tập; thôn trang]]
船尾 chuán wěi – back end of a shift; aft
尾 wěi – tail; remainder; remnant; extremity; sixth of the 28 constellations; classifier for fish [[vĩ: đuôi; phần cuối; lượng từ – đơn vị đếm số con cá; thuộc về phần cuối, phía sau; lẻ, còn lại; đuổi theo sau]]
擺 bǎi – to arrange; to exhibit; to move to and fro; a pendulum [[bãi: mở ra, vạch ra; bày, sắp đặt; lay, lắc, dao động; lên mặt, vênh mặt; hãm hại]]
擂 lèi – to beat (a drum) [[lụy: đánh, đập; ném đá, lăn đá từ trên cao xuống]]
呐喊 nà hǎn – shout; rallying cry; cheering; to shout
呐, 吶 nà – battle cry [[nột: reo hò, gào thét; ấp úng, nói năng không lưu loát]]
喊 hǎn – to yell; to shout; to call out for (a person) [[hảm: hô lớn, quát tháo; kêu, gọi]]
吃驚 chī jīng – to be startled; to be shocked; to be amazed
取樂 qǔ lè – to find amusement; to amuse oneself
忽然 hū rán – suddenly; all of a sudden [[bất ngờ, bất chợt, đột ngột]]
輕易 qīng yì – easily; lightly; rashly弩 nǔ – crossbow [[nỗ: cái nỏ]]
旱 hàn – drought [[hạn: nắng mãi không mưa; khô, cạn; thuộc về đường bộ]]
支援 zhī yuán – to provide assistance; to support; to back [[chi viện, cung ứng, chu cấp]]
援 yuán – to help; to assist; to aid [[viện: cứu giúp, cứu trợ]]
掉 diào – to fall; to drop; to lag behind; to lose; to go missing; to reduce; fall (in prices); to lose (value, weight, etc); to wag; to swing; to turn; to change; to exchange; to swap; to show off; to shed (hair) [[điệu: rơi, rớt; mất, đánh mất, bỏ sót; giảm sút; lay động, vẫy; ngoảnh, quay lại; trao đổi, thay thế]]
仍舊 réng jiù – still (remaining); to remain (the same); yet [[vẫn còn]]
逼近 bī jìn – to press on towards; to close in on; to approach; to draw near
漸漸 jiàn jiàn – gradually
漸 jiàn – gradual; gradually [[tiệm: dần dần, từ từ; tiêm: chảy vào; ngâm, tẩm, thấm; nhiễm, tiêm nhiễm; chìm ngập]]
斬 zhǎn – to behead (as form of capital punishment); to chop [[trảm: chém, chặt, cắt; dứt hết; rất, cực, một loạt]]
散 sàn – to scatter; to break up (a meeting etc); to disperse; to disseminate; to dispel; (coll.) to sack [[tán: tan; buông, phóng ra; giãn ra, cởi bỏ, buông thả; tản: rời rạc, tạp loạn, không có quy tắc; nhàn rỗi; tên khúc đàn]]
插 chā – to insert; stick in; pierce; to take part in; to interfere; to interpose [[sáp: cắm, cài; xen vào, lách vào, nhúng vào; trồng, cấy; cái mai, cái cuốc]]
駛 shǐ – to gallop; speedily; to proceed to; to pilot (ship, plane, etc); to sail [[sử: xe, ngựa chạy nhanh; đi nhanh, trôi mau; lái (xe, thuyền, máy bay, …)]]
來不及 lái bu jí – there’s not enough time (to do sth); it’s too late (to do sth)
上當 shàng dàng – taken in (by sb’s deceit); to be fooled; to be duped
靠 kào – to lean against or on; to stand by the side of; to come near to; to depend on; to trust [[kháo: nương tựa vào vật khác cho vững; dựa vào, ỷ vào, trông cậy; tin cậy; sát lại, nhích gần]]
正好 zhèng hǎo – just (in time); just right; just enough; to happen to; to chance to; by chance; it just so happens that
搬 bān – to move (i.e. relocate oneself); to move (sth relatively heavy or bulky); to shift; to copy indiscriminately [[ban: khuân, bưng; dời đi; diễn lại, rập theo; xúi giục]]
般 bān – sort; kind; class; way; manner [[ban: đem về, trở lại, thông “ban” 班; bực, loại, hàng, lớp, kiểu; giống như, đồng dạng]]
大約 dà yuē – approximately; probably [[xấp xỉ, gần bằng, khoảng chừng]]
總共 zǒng gòng – altogether; in sum; in all; in total [[tổng cộng]]
經過 jīng guò – to pass; to go through; process; course
歎, 嘆 tàn – to sigh; to exclaim [[thán: than, thở dài; ngâm; khen ngợi]]
神機妙算 shén jī miào suàn – divine strategy and wonder planning (idiom); clever scheme; supremely clever in his schemes