A man of the state of Chu (chǔ guó 楚國) had a spear and a shield for sale.
楚國有個賣兵器的人，在市場上賣矛和盾。
He was loud in praises of his shield."My shield is so strong that nothing can pierce it through."
為了讓人家願意買他的貨，他先舉起盾向人們誇口道：“妳們看，我的盾是世上最堅固的盾，任何鋒利的東西都不能刺穿它。”
He also sang praises of his spear."My spear is so strong that it can pierce through anything."
接著又舉起他的矛，向人吹噓說：“妳們再看看我的矛，它鋒利無比，無堅不摧，無論多麽堅硬的盾，都擋不住它，壹刺就穿!”
"What would happen," he was asked, "if your spear is used to pierce your shield?"
人群中有人問道：“如果用妳的矛去刺妳的盾，結果怎麽樣?”
It is impossible for an impenetrable shield to coexist with a spear that finds nothing impenetrable.
這世界上壹樣無堅不摧的東西永遠不會與壹樣什麽都能摧毀的東西***存。
文化鏈接
“自相矛盾”的英文表達，常用“to contradict oneself”，比如：“妳自相矛盾了”就可以說：“You're contradicting yourself.”或者“You've contradicted yourself.”
曾經有壹個英文帖子就討論過“Can you contradict yourself in one sentence? ”(妳能在壹句話裏面做到自相矛盾嗎?)，答案千奇百怪，這裏就給大家看兩個例子~
1. In the military it's, "Hurry up and wait."(在軍隊裏，有壹種說法叫做“Hurry up and wait. ”，英語解釋是：“The concept of making every effort to arrive at a location ahead of the appointed time, with the expectation of having to wait upon arrival. ”也就是說不惜壹切力量在指定時間之前就到達了目的地，但自己知道到達之後也要壹直等到指定的時間。“hurry up(迅速)” 和“wait(等待)”是含有壹定相對意義的詞，所以就在這麽簡短的壹句話中，就做到了自相矛盾~這句話也被廣泛應用在各個場所、各個領域)
2.Yes, I can't.(這句有很簡短啊，同時還達到效果了~“yes(是的)”和“can't(不能、不會)”形成了自相矛盾的效果)
第二篇：畫餅充饑
看故事學成語：畫餅充饑
Lu Yu lived in the Kingdom of Wei during the Three Kingdoms periods. He was orphanedat the age of ten.
三國時代，魏國有個叫盧毓(Lú Yù )的人，很小的時候就失去了父母和兩個哥哥。
So he undertook the task of supporting his sister-in-law and nephew through a period of extreme hardship.Meanwhile, he also studied hard. He was praised all around for his noble deeds and depth of knowledge.
盧毓從此辛苦工作，除了照顧哥哥們的家人外，自己還努力讀書，受到大家的贊許。
Later he became an official and still worked hard and put forth valuable advice to the emperor, so the emperor placed great trust in him.
後來，盧毓做了官，仍然勤懇工作，經常給皇帝提出好建議，得到皇帝的信任。
At that time, the selection process of government officials depended on the recommendation of powerful and influential men.
那時候，朝廷選拔官吏，壹般都是由有名望的人推薦，而推薦的人，壹般又只在有名望的人裏考慮。
These men would always recommend famous persons who were all mouth and no action which displeased the emperor.
其實，好多有名望的人只是嘴上能說，並不會幹實際的事，因此，皇帝很不滿。
One time, the emperor asked Lu Yu to recommend an official and said to him: "the selection of government officials should not rely solely on one's fame which is just like a cake drawn on the ground, while it may be good to look at it does not satisfy one's hunger."
有壹天，皇帝準備選拔壹個有才能的人，並要盧毓推薦，還說選擇人才不能光找有名聲的人，名聲只不過是畫出來的壹張餅，只能看，不能吃的。
This story gave rise to the idiom "draw a cake to satisfy hunger. " Now it is used to describe someone who uses fantasy to satisfy oneself and means that empty reputation is of no practical value.
後來，人們就用這個成語比喻自己安慰自己，不能解決實際問題的方法。
成語活用
Your action is just like drawing a cake to satisfy hunger, which has no practical effect.
妳這種做法只是畫餅充饑，沒有任何實際作用。
第三篇：刮目相看
看故事學成語：刮目相看
Lv Meng (lǚ méng 呂蒙) was a general of Wu during the Three Kingdoms Period (三國時代,220-280AD).
三國時期(220-280)，吳國有壹個叫呂蒙的將軍
He was born in such a poor family that he did not get any chance to go to the school when he was a child.
呂蒙出生在窮苦人家，小時候沒有機會上學。
However, there was still less time for reading when he served in the army after he grew up.
長大後他參了軍，看書的時間更少了。
Once the king of Wu summoned Lv Meng and said to him, "Since you are now a general in power, you had better read some books to widen your horizon."
壹次，吳國的皇帝召見呂蒙，對他說："現在妳是大將軍了，應該多看看書開闊眼界。"
Lv Meng answered, "I am so busy with military affairs that I am afraid I have little time to read."
呂蒙回答道："軍中的事務這麽忙，我恐怕沒有時間讀書。"
The King said, "Are you busier than I am? Even I often find time to read books on the art of war and gain much benefit from them. To read more about the experience left by our ancestors will make you progress."
吳國的皇帝說："妳難道比我還忙嗎?我常常抽空閱讀兵書，從中得到了不少好處。多看看前人的經驗之談，妳會有更大的進步。"
Lv Meng then did according to what the king said. He concentrated himself on reading history and military writings.
呂蒙接受了皇帝的建議，從此開始專心閱讀，看了很多歷史和軍事書籍。
On day, Military Governor Lu Su visited Lv Meng and was surprised to find that Lv Meng had become very knowledgeable.
壹天，主帥魯肅來拜訪呂蒙，驚訝地發現呂蒙變得很有學問。
Lu Su, who held Lv Meng in contempt earlier, said, "I did not expect that you would know so much besides fighting! You are not the one you used to be!"
曾經非常輕視呂蒙的魯肅說："我以為妳只會打仗，沒想到妳這麽博學。妳已經不是過去的那個呂蒙了!"
Lv Meng replied, "You should look at a person with new eyes even only after a three days' separation."
呂蒙回答道："即使妳和別人只分開了三天，三天後再遇到他時也不能用三天前的老眼光來看待他。"
Today, when a person does something that causes others to see him differently, we can say that people "look at him with new eyes."
今天，當壹個人做了某些事，令別人另眼相待時，我們就可以說，對他“刮目相看”了。
中外差別
英語中有壹個與“刮目相看”意義大致相近的短語，叫做“knock the socks off”，直譯就是“把~的襪子都撞掉了”，也就是讓某人刮目相看的意思啦。同樣的，如果別人讓妳刮目相看的話，妳也可以說：“Hey，dude~You really knocked my socks off!”
成語活用
Next quarter I really want to knock the socks off the competition.
下壹季我非常希望可以讓競爭對手刮目相看。
第四篇：拔苗助長
看故事學成語：拔苗助長
There once was an impatient farmer who lived during the Song Dynasty.(sòng cháo,960-1279 AD).
春秋時代，宋國有個急性子的農夫。
Everyday the anxious farmer would measure the growth of the crops.
莊稼長出禾苗以後，他每天都去觀看。
To his dismay, his crops were growing much slower than he expected.
令他沮喪的是，禾苗長得太慢。
The farmer racked his brains trying to find better ways of planting in order to get quickerresults.
農夫絞盡腦汁想讓禾苗長快些。
One day he finally came up with a solution.
壹天他終於想出方法。
He started to physically pull the crops out of the ground, thus making them taller.
他跑到田裏，把禾苗壹顆顆往上拔，使它們長高。
The farmer worked very hard and at day’s end was physically exhausted but mentally happy as his plan had produced the desired results.
農夫雖然很累但他很高興看到禾苗長高。
When the farmer went home, he told his son of his “brilliant” method.
當農夫回家時，把這個好辦法告訴了他兒子。
His son went to the field only to discover that all of his crops were all dead.
他的兒子趕忙跑到田裏去看，禾苗全都枯萎了。
成語活用
To educate the young generation in such a way is just like helping the shoots grow by pulling them upward.
用這種方法教育下壹代無異於拔苗助長。
第五篇：東窗事發
看故事學成語：東窗事發
During the final years of the Song dynasty (sòng cháo 宋朝), China was invaded by Jin(jīn金) people from the north.
宋朝末年，北方的金人來侵犯。
General Yue Fei led the army in resistance, and defeated the enemy.
將軍嶽飛率領軍隊勇敢抵抗，終於把敵人打敗。
Just as he was about to take advantage of his victory and attack the Jin army, he received word that the emperor had ordered him to return.
正想乘勝追擊敵人的時候，忽然皇帝下了十二道金牌，命令嶽飛和軍隊立刻回去。
As it turned out, this was actually a plot of Chin Hui, a Sung dynasty official who wasconspiring with the enemy.In order to frame Yue Fei, Chin Hui had tricked him intoreturning early.
原來這是私通敵人的太師秦檜的詭計，假冒皇帝的意思來陷害嶽飛。
Chin Hui had thought this plot up together with his wife, under the east window of their house.
秦檜的這些詭計，都是他和妻子王氏在家裏的東窗下秘密商量出來的。
Sometime later, Chin Hui and his son Chin Shi died, one right after the other. Chin Hui's wife hired someone who could communicate with ghosts and spirits to come and find out how her husband and son were doing after death.
後來秦檜和他的兒子秦僖相繼死亡，王氏請了幾個研究神鬼靈魂的人來，想知道他們父子死後的情形。
After he had finished, the man said to her, "I first went to see your son, who told me that your husband was in the city of Feng-du. So I went there and found him doing hard labor, wearing iron cangue. He asked me to tell you that the thing which you two discussed under the east window has already been exposed."
來的人在做法以後告訴王氏說：“我先見到了公子秦僖，他告 訴我秦太師在酆都城，我到了酆都城，看見太師正戴著鐵枷做苦工呢。他讓我轉告妳，妳們在東窗下商量的那件事已經被揭發了。”
Now, when a wrong-doing is brought to light, it may be said that "the affair of the east window has been exposed."
現在當壹件醜事被曝光之後，就可以說是：“東窗事發”了。
中外差異
A secret is like a cat that has been kept in a bag. Once you let the cat out of the bag, it goes wherever it wants.
英語中的與“東窗事發”意義相近的是“the cat is out of the bag”,就是“貓從袋子裏走出來了”，可以把貓想象成“秘密”，把不為人知的秘密藏在袋子裏，貓壹旦從袋子中走出，秘密也就隨之公開了，也就是“東窗事發”。
成語活用
I've been keeping that thing a family secret.But now the cat is out of the bag because of you!
我壹直把那件事當做家族的秘密，但如今卻因為妳而東窗事發!