打草惊蛇

时间：2012-08-27 05:39:47

（单词翻译:单击）

Long long ago, a county magistrate¹（地方法官） named Wang Lu worked in present day Anhui province, East China. Wang Lu was very greedy and took many bribes². One of his secretaries was equally corrupt³, and often schemed for Wang Lu's deeds.

One day a man went to the magistrate to lodge⁴ a complaint（提起诉讼） against the secretary. The secretary's crimes were almost the same as the crimes the magistrate himself committed. Wang Lu was so frightened, he forgot his proper role in handling the case. Instead of issuing a judgment⁵, he couldn't help writing these words concerning the complaint: "By beating the grass, you have startled me who am like a snake under the grass!"

The above story provided the idiom "Beat the grass and startle the snake". The original meaning is that punishment for someone can serve as a warning to others. But people now use the idiom to indicate that premature⁶ actions which put the enemy on guard.

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1 magistrate
n.地方行政官，地方法官，治安官
参考例句：
The magistrate committed him to prison for a month.法官判处他一个月监禁。 John was fined 1000 dollars by the magistrate.约翰被地方法官罚款1000美元。

2 bribes
n.贿赂( bribe的名词复数 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂v.贿赂( bribe的第三人称单数 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂
参考例句：
It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。 corrupt officials accepting bribes 接受贿赂的贪官污吏

3 corrupt
v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的
参考例句：
The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。 This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。

4 lodge
v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆
参考例句：
Is there anywhere that I can lodge in the village tonight?村里有我今晚过夜的地方吗？ I shall lodge at the inn for two nights.我要在这家小店住两个晚上。

5 judgment
n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见
参考例句：
The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。 He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

6 premature
adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的
参考例句：
It is yet premature to predict the possible outcome of the dialogue.预言这次对话可能有什么结果为时尚早。 The premature baby is doing well.那个早产的婴儿很健康。