Luo
Ye Gui Gen 落 葉 歸 根
Falling
leaves return to their roots
Xuan
Jie Zhi Ji 癬 疥 之 疾
Disease
of the skin
Xin
Fu Zhi Huan 心
腹 之 患
Malady
of the heart
Chun
Wan Chi Han 唇 亡 齒 寒
When
the lips are
gone, the teeth are
cold.
Jiao
Tu San Ku 狡 兔
三 窟
A
cunning rabbit has
three warrens
CHAPTER
1
Jiu
Niu Yi Mao 九 牛 一 毛
Loss
of one hair from nine
oxen
CHAPTER
2
Qi
Huo Ke Ju 奇 貨 可 居
Precious
treasure worth cherishing
Han
Dan Xue Bu 邯 鄲 學 步
People
of Han Dan are so
elegant that youths
imitate even the way
they walk
Xin
Zhi Suo Wei 心 知 所 謂
Grasping
the essence of
what he was
alluding to
Yi
Yan Er Wan
Shi Zhi Li
一 言 而 萬 世 之 利
Speaking
one sentence that
results in ten
thousand generations of gain
CHAPTER
3
Jing
Xi Zi Zhi 敬 惜 字 紙
Respect
and cherish written
words
Yi
Zhi Qian Jin 一 字 千 金
One written word
is worth a
thousand pieces of
gold
CHAPTER
4
Guo
Zu Bu Qian 裹 足 不 前
Binding
your feet to
prevent your own
progress
CHAPTER
5
Gu
Zhang Nan Ming 孤 掌 難 鳴
Clapping
with one hand will
produce no sound
Gai
Guan Lun Ding 蓋 棺 論 定
Only
when a person is dead
and the lid
of his coffin
closed can final judgment be passed on
him
Zi
Xiang Mao Dun 自 相 矛 盾
Using
one’s spear
to pierce one’s
shield
Mai
Du Huan Zhu 買 櫝 還 珠
Purchasing
the box and returning the pearls
Zheng
Ren Mai Lu 鄭 人 買 履
A
man from Zheng
buys shoes
Shou
Zhu Dai Tu 守 株 待 兔
Watching
the tree to
catch a hare
CHAPTER
6
Tu
Qiong Bi Xian 圖 窮 匕 見
When
the map is
unrolled, the dagger
is revealed
CHAPTER
7
Fen
Shu Keng Ru 焚 書 坑 儒
Burning
books and burying
scholars
Le
Ji Sheng Bei 樂 極 生 悲
Excessive
happiness will lead
to sorrow
CHAPTER
8
Wang
Guo Zhi Yan 亡 國 之 言
Words
that would cause
a nation to
perish
CHAPTER
9
Zhi
Lu Wei Ma 指 鹿 為 馬
Pointing
to a deer and calling
it a horse
Bu
Ke Sheng Shu
不 可 勝 數
Innumerable
persons were implecated
Ren
Ren Zi Wei 人 人 自 危
Everyone
felt threatened and
feared for his
own safety
Zi Yi Wei
Huo 自 以 為 惑
Self-doubt
about one’s own
sanity
Qian
Shi Bu Wang 前 事 不 忘
Hou
Shi Zhi Shi 後
事 之 師
Use
incidents from the
past as lessons
for the future
CHAPTER
10
Yan
Que Yong You
Hong Hu Zhi
燕 雀 擁 有 鴻 鵠 志
Little
sparrow with dreams
of swans
Shou
Zhu Dai Tu 守 株 待 兔
Watching
the tree to
catch a hare
Wang
Hou Jiang Xiang 王 侯 將 相
Ning
You Zhong Hu 寧
有 種 乎
Kings
and marquises, prime-ministers and generals; such
men are made,
not born.
Jie
Gan Er Qi 揭 竿 而 起
To
hoist a bamboo
pole as a
banner of revolt
CHAPTER
11
Po
Fu Chen Zhou 破 釜 沉 舟
Destroy
the cooking cauldrons
and sink the
boats
Qu
Er Dai Zhi 取 而 代 之
Step
into the emperor’s
shoes and replace
him
Cai
Qi Guo Ren 才 氣 過 人
Outstanding
talent and ability
Xian
Fa Zhi Ren 先 發 制 人
The
one who strikes
first will gain
control of others
Huo
Da Da Du
豁 達 大 度
Generous,
big-hearted and open-minded
Bu
Shi Jia Ren
Sheng Chan 不 事 家 人 生 產
Refused
to do the kind of
work performed by
his father and
brothers.
Min
Bu Liao Sheng 民
不 聊 生
People
had few means
of livelihood. Times
were hard.
Yi
Bai Tu Di
一 敗 塗 地
Smeared
to the ground after a
single defeat
Chu
Sui San Hu, 楚 雖 三 戶 ，
Wang
Qin Bi Chu. 亡 秦 必 楚 。
Even
if there are
but three families
left in Chu,
the Qin empire
will be toppled
by someone from
Chu.
Yu
Bang Xiang Zheng, 鷸 蚌 相 爭 ，
Yu
Weng De Li. 漁 翁 得 利
。
While
the snipe and
mussel were fighting
each other, the
fisherman captured them
both.
Zuo
Bu An Xi
坐 不 安 席
Unable
to sit with ease on
his mat
Cheng
Bai Zai Ci
Yi Ju 成 敗 在 此 一 舉
Success
or failure depends
on my next move
Zuo
Bi Shang Guan 坐 璧 上 觀
Watching
the action from
the safety of
their tents
Yi
Yi Dang shi 以 一 當 十
Everyone
was equal to
ten of the enemy
Wei
Ji Si Fu 危 機 四 伏
Beset
with danger and
opportunity on four
sides
CHAPTER
12
Ru
Zi Ke Jiao 孺 子 可 教
This
young man is
worth educating
Yi
Mu Pi Xiang 以 目 皮 相
Judging
ability by appearance
Wu
He Zhi Zhong 烏 合 之 眾
Assortment
of rough and
untrained ruffians
Zi
Tou Hu Kou 自 投 虎 口
Voluntarily
stepping into the
tiger’s mouth
Si
Tong Ba Da 四 通 八 達
Many
highways radiate from
this hub city
in all directions
Wu
Zhong Fu Che 誤 中 副 車
Accidentally
struck the wrong
vehicle
Tong
Xing Wu Zu 通 行 無 阻
Free
passage without hindrance
San
Cun Bu Lan
Zhi She 三 寸 不 爛 之 舌
Three
inches of immortal
tongue
Zhong
Yan Ni Er
Li Yu Xing 忠 言 逆 耳 利 於 行
Liang
Yao Ku Ko u
Li Yu Bing 良 藥 苦 口 利 於 病
Loyal
advice that sounds
unpleasant must still
be followed. Effective
medicine that tastes
bitter must still
be swallowed.
Yue
Fa San Zhang 約 法 三 章
Code
that consists of
only three laws
CHAPTER
13
Hong Men Yan 鴻 門 宴
Banquet
at Wild Goose
Gate
Qiu
Hao Wu Fan 秋 毫 無 犯
Not
disturbing the finest
downy hair
Xiang
Zhuang Wu Jian, 項 莊 舞 劍，
Yi
Zai Pei Gong. 意 在 沛 公 。
While
Xiang Zhuang ostensibly
performs a sword
dance, his real
intention is to
kill Liu Bang.
Mu
Zi Jin Lie 目 眥 盡 裂
Split
the corners of
one’s own
eyes open with
the blazing anger
in one’s gaze
Ren Wei Dao
zu, 人 為 刀 俎，
Wo
Wei Yu Rou. 我 為 魚 肉 。
They
are like the
knife and chopping
board, whereas we
are like fish
and meat about
to be minced.
CHAPTER
14
Yi
Jin Ye Xing 衣 錦 夜 行
Dressed
in the finest brocade to
parade in the
dark of night
Da Shi Suo
Wang 大 失 所 望
Greatly
disappointed in their
hopes
Mu
Hou Er Guan 沐 猴 而 冠
Restless
monkeys in tall
hats
Guo
Shi Wu Shuang 國 士 無 雙
No
comparable talent in
the entire country
Piao
Mu Zhi En 漂 母 之 恩
Kindness
from a washer-woman
Zi
Shi Qi Li
自 食 其 力
Feed
oneself by one’s
own effort
Kua
Xia Zhi Ru 胯 下 之 辱
Insults
from under the
hips
Chi
Zha Feng Yun 叱 吒 風 雲
All
powerful and earth-shaking, commanding the winds
and the clouds
Pi
Fu Zhi Yong 匹 夫 之 勇
An
ordinary man whose
bravery is really
recklessness
Fu
Ren Zhi Ren 婦 人 之 仁
Benevolence
of a woman
Tong
Ru Gu Sui
痛 入 骨 髓
Hatred
that has gone
into the marrow
Ji
Feng Er Shi 及 鋒 而 試
Using
without delay as
a weapon while
sharp
Yi
Jin Huan Xiang 衣 錦 還 鄉
Returning
home in silken
robes after having
made good
CHAPTER
15
Fan
Jian Ji
反 間 計
Plot
to sow discord and create
enmity
Ming
Xiu Zhan Dao, 明
修 棧 道
， An Du
Chen Cang.
暗 渡 陳 倉 。
Openly
repairing the plank
roads but secretly
crossing via Chen
Cang
Da
Ni Wu Dao
大 逆 無 道
Treason
and heresy of
the worst kind
Min
Yi Shi Wei
Tian 民 以 食 為 天
To
the people, the
essence of what
is most important
is food.
CHAPTER
16
Ren
Xin Gui Han
人 心 歸 漢
The
heart of the
people belongs to
Han
Wen Jing Zhi
Jiao 刎 頸 之 交
A
friendship so close
they would risk
having their throats
cut rather than
betray each other
Zhi
Zhi Si Di
Er Hou Sheng 置 之 死 地 而 後 生
Confront
a man with the danger
of death, and
he will fight
to live.
Zhi
Zhe Qian Lu,
智 者 千 盧 ,
Bi
You Yi Shi.
必 有 一 失 。
The
wisest among us
are not always
free from error
Yu
Zhe Qian Lu,
愚 者 千 盧 ，
Bi
You Yi De.
必 有 一 得 。
Even
the fool sometimes
hits on a
good idea
Kuang
Fu Zhi Yan, 狂 夫 之 言
，
Sheng
Ren Ze Yan. 聖 人 擇 焉 。
The
ranting and raving
of a madman is occasionally approved by sages
as appropriate
Xian
Sheng Hou Shi 先 生 後 實
Discussion
first and military
force later
CHAPTER
17
Ren
Xin Nan Ce 人 心 難 測
The
human heart is
difficult to fathom
Yan
Ting Ji Cong
言 聽 計 從
Listened
and adopted all
my suggestions
Gui
Bu Ke Yan
貴 不 可 言
Limitless
and indescribably brilliant
life
Tian
Yu Bu Qu, 天 與 不 取 ，
Fan
Shou qi Jiu.
反 受 其 咎 。
When
gifts from Heaven
are spurned, intended
recipients will be
censured.
Shi
Zhi Bu Xing,
時 至 不
行 ，
Fan Shou Qi