HSK 4 · Story · 356 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/hu-jia-hu-wei-the-fox-and-the-tiger

狐假虎威

The fox and the tiger: borrowing a tiger’s power

Name: ________________ Date: ________

两千多liǎngqiānduō年nián前qián，有yǒu一yì只zhī老虎láohǔ饿è了le，出去chūqù找zhǎo吃chī的de。它tā一下yíxià就jiù抓住zhuāzhù了le一yì只zhī狐狸húli。

狐狸húli心里xīnli很hěn害怕hàipà，可是kěshì它tā马上mǎshàng大声dàshēng说shuō：“你nǐ敢gǎn吃chī我wǒ？天帝tiāndì让ràng我wǒ来lái管guǎn所有suóyǒu的de动物dòngwù，我wǒ就是jiùshì动物dòngwù们men的de王wáng！你nǐ吃chī了le我wǒ，天帝tiāndì会huì很hěn生气shēngqì的de。”

老虎láohǔ不太bútài相信xiāngxìn。

狐狸húli说shuō：“不bú信xìn？那nà你nǐ跟gēn在zài我wǒ后面hòumiàn，我们wǒmen去qù走zǒu一yì走zǒu。你nǐ看看kànkan，哪个nǎge动物dòngwù见jiàn了le我wǒ不bú害怕hàipà！”

就jiù这样zhèyàng，它tā在zài前面qiánmiàn走zǒu，老虎láohǔ在zài后面hòumiàn跟着gēnzhe。小鸟xiáoniǎo看见kànjiàn了le，马上mǎshàng飞走fēizǒu了le；兔子tùzi看见kànjiàn了le，马上mǎshàng跑pǎo了le；别的biéde动物dòngwù看见kànjiàn了le，也yě都dōu不见bújiàn了le。

老虎láohǔ想xiǎng：“原来yuánlái它tā真的zhēnde是shì动物dòngwù们men的de王wáng！”老虎láohǔ不bù知道zhīdào，大家dàjiā怕pà的de其实qíshí不是búshì狐狸húli，是shì走zǒu在zài后面hòumiàn的de自己zìjǐ。

狐狸húli笑xiào着zhe问wèn：“怎么样zěnmeyàng？还hái吃chī我wǒ吗ma？”老虎láohǔ说shuō：“不bù吃chī了le，不bù吃chī了le！您nín慢走mànzǒu。”

这zhè个gè故事gùshi来自láizì两千多liǎngqiānduō年nián前qián的de《战国策zhànguócè》。那nà时候shíhou，楚国chǔguó有yǒu一个yígè大官dàguān，北方běifāng的de国家guójiā都dōu很hěn怕pà他tā。楚王chǔwáng问wèn：“这zhè是shì真的zhēnde吗ma？”一个yígè叫jiào江乙的de人rén就jiù讲jiǎng了le这zhè个gè故事gùshi。他tā说shuō：大家dàjiā怕pà的de其实qíshí不是búshì他tā，是shì站zhàn在zài他tā后面hòumiàn的de大王您nín。

今天jīntiān，“狐假虎威hújiá-hǔwēi”的de意思yìsi是shì：自己zìjǐ没什么méishénme本事běnshi，可是kěshì借jiè着zhe别人biéren的de力量lìliang，让ràng别人biéren害怕hàipà。比如bǐrú：“他tā只是zhǐshì经理jīnglǐ的de朋友péngyǒu，可是kěshì天天tiāntiān狐假虎威hújiá-hǔwēi，对duì同事tóngshì说话shuōhuà很hěn不客气búkèqi。”

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
饿	è	hungry
心里	xīnli	in one's heart; in one's mind
害怕	hàipà	to be afraid; to be scared
动物	dòngwù	animal
生气	shēngqì	to get angry; to be mad
相信	xiāngxìn	to believe; to trust
信	xìn	letter
别的	biéde	other; else
其实	qíshí	actually; in fact
故事	gùshi	story; tale
来自	láizì	to come from; to originate from
国家	guójiā	country; nation; state

English (for the teacher)

More than two thousand years ago, a tiger got hungry and went out looking for food. In no time it had caught a fox.

The fox was terrified, but it immediately shouted, “You dare to eat me? The Lord of Heaven sent me to rule all the animals. I am the king of the animals! Eat me, and the Lord of Heaven will be very angry.”

The tiger didn’t quite believe it.

“Don’t believe me?” said the fox. “Then follow behind me and we’ll take a little walk. You’ll see: there isn’t an animal that isn’t afraid when it sees me!”

So off they went, the fox walking in front and the tiger following behind. The birds saw them and flew straight off; the rabbits saw them and ran; every other animal that saw them vanished too.

The tiger thought, “So it really is the king of the animals!” What the tiger didn’t know was that the animals weren’t afraid of the fox at all, but of the one walking behind it: the tiger itself.

The fox smiled and asked, “Well? Still going to eat me?” “No, no, not any more!” said the tiger. “Mind how you go, sir!”

This story comes from the Zhanguo ce, more than two thousand years old. At the time, the state of Chu had a high official whom all the northern states feared. The King of Chu asked, “Is this true?” A man named Jiang Yi answered by telling him this story. What they really fear isn’t him, he said; it’s you, Your Majesty, standing behind him.

Today 狐假虎威, “the fox borrows the tiger’s might”, means having no real ability yourself but using someone else’s power to scare people. For example: “He’s only the manager’s friend, but he throws the manager’s weight around every day and is rude to everyone he works with.”