班門弄斧自相矛盾嗟來之食

（Learn to teⅠI Chinese idiom stories in English）

班門弄斧

Showing Off One‘s Proficiency with the Axe Before Lu Ban ，the Master Carpenter；Teaching a fish to swim。

During the Warring States period， Lu Ban was supposed to be a consummate master in construction and sculpture。 Carpenters respect him as ancestor master。 It is said that he once carved a colorful wooden phoenix that was so lifelike that it actually flew in the sky for three days。 Thus this idiom excoriates those who show off their slight accomplishments in front of experts。

One day， a young man passed by a red gate。 He held up an axe with his hand and said： “This axe is really good。 I can make the greatest tools in the world with it。” Hearing this， people around here all laughed。 One person asked： “So， can you make a more 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！” All people said。

古代有一個建築和雕刻技術非常高超的人，名叫魯班，木匠行裡尊稱他為祖師爺。傳說他曾用木頭製作了一隻五彩斑斕的鳳凰，能夠在空中飛翔三天不掉下來。“班門弄斧”這個成語，用來比喻在行家面前顯示本領。

有天，個年輕的匠漫不經地到個紅門的房前，舉起的斧，說：“我這把斧，別看它不起眼，可不管是什麼料，只要到了我的，我的斧頭這麼弄，就會做出漂亮的東西來。”

旁邊的聽了，覺得他太誇，就指著後的紅門說：“師傅，那你能做出這扇還好的門嗎？”年輕的匠傲慢地說：“不是我吹，告訴你們，我曾經當過魯班的學，難道還做不出這樣扇簡單的門來，簡直是笑話。”

眾聽了，忍不住笑起來，說：“這就是魯班先的家，這扇就是他親做的，你真的能做出這扇還好的門嗎？”那位年輕的匠不好意思地跑掉了。

自相矛盾

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。

古時候，有個，他既賣賣盾。天，他在集市上叫賣，常得意。他舉起他的盾說：“我的盾常堅固。論怎樣好的，都戳不穿它！”說完，他舉起他的誇說：“我的常鋒利。論怎樣堅固的盾都能戳進去！”

站在旁邊的聽了，都暗暗地發笑。

有問他：“照你這樣說，你的是最鋒利的。論怎樣硬的盾都戳得進去。你的盾是最堅固的。論怎樣鋒利的，也別想戳進去。

那麼，現在我你的來戳你的盾，看看結果會怎樣呢？”

那個窘得連句話也答不上來。

嗟來之食

food handed out in contempt

One year during the Spring and Autumn Period （春秋時期，770-476 BC）， the Qi State （齊國） was severely strickend by a famine。

Qian Ao （qián ào 黔敖）， a very rich but arrogant man took the occasion to showcase his generosity through preparing food by the roadside and giving it to the passing refugees in charity。

A man with shabby clothes happened to walk by with his shoes trailing along， he was so hungry as not to open his eye。

Seeing the poor man， Qian Ao held the food by left hand and the drink by right hand， and shouted at him，”Hi， come to eat ！”

Hearing the word， the man glared his eyes and said， “It is because I am not willing to eat the food handed out in contempt that I have been starved to such a degree。 “

Though Qian Ao made an apology to him for that， the man still resolutely refused to eat the food and thus he died of hunger in the end。

This phrase now extensively denotes the disrespectful aims。 This story means that a person who has a strong sense of self-respect would rather die of hunger than be despised。

春秋時代，有一年齊國發生大饑荒。

有一位叫做黔敖有錢貴族，在街邊準備食物分發給來往的難民，以顯示自己的慷慨。

有一個饑民，用衣袖蒙著臉，拖著鞋，餓得眼睛都睜不開的樣子，慢慢地走過來。

黔敖見了，就左手拿著吃的，右手捧著喝的，向他喊道：“喂，來吃吧！”

那人一聽這話，立即瞪著眼睛，說道：“我就是因為不吃‘嗟來之食’，才餓到這般地步的。”

儘管黔敖向他道歉，那人仍然堅決不吃，最後活活餓死了。

此故事講的是一個懷有強烈自尊心的人，寧可餓死也不肯接受人輕視。現在這個成語泛指帶有侮辱性的施捨。

宣告：以上內容根據網路資源整理而成，英文主要採取意譯。