Chinese Idiom Story 塞翁失马焉知非福 Once upon a time, there was an old man who lived near the border and was well versed in divination. One day their horse accidentally fled to Hu(a northern barbarian tribe). People came to comfort him. The old man said: "How do you know this mustn't be a good thing?" After a few months, the horse came back with lots fine horses of Hu. People came to congratulate their family. The old man said: "How do you know this mustn't be a bad thing?" Since then, they had a lot of good horses, and his son liked horseback riding, which resulted in falling from the horse and broking his thigh. People came to comfort him. The old man said: "How do you know this mustn't be a good thing?" After one year, Hu invaded the border area, and the young men near the border took up bows and arrows to fight. Most of them were dead. However, because of his lame leg, the son was not enlisted. Therefore, he and his father survived the war. This idiom story tells us that the good things and the bad things can be transformed reciprocally under certain conditions, and everything has two sides. ----------------------------------------------- 靠近边境一带居住的人中有一个精通占卜的老人，他们家的马无缘无故跑到了胡人的住地。人们都前来慰问他。那个老人说：“你怎么知道这不是一件好事呢？”过了几个月，那匹马带着胡人的良马回来了。人们都前来祝贺他们一家。那个老人说：“你怎么知道这不是一件坏事呢？”自此，他家中有了很多好马，他的儿子喜欢骑马，结果从马上掉下来摔得大腿骨折。人们都前来安慰他们一家。那个老人说：“你怎么知道这不是一件好事呢？”过了一年，胡人大举入侵边境一带，靠近边境一带的壮年男子都拿起弓箭去作战。绝大部分都死了。唯独这个人因为腿瘸的缘故免于征战，父子得以保全生命。 这个成语故事告诉了我们：祸福在一定条件下可以互相转化，任何事物都有两面性。 原文： 近塞上之人，有善术者，马无故亡而入胡。人皆吊之，其父曰：“此何遽不为福乎？”居数月，其马将胡骏马而归。人皆贺之，其父曰：“此何遽不能为祸乎？”家富良马，其子好骑，堕而折其髀。人皆吊之，其父曰：“此何遽不为福乎？”居一年，胡人大入塞，丁壮者引弦而战。近塞之人，死者十九。此独以跛之故，父子相保。