千金买骨Buy a Carcass with a Thousand Taels of Silver

Buy a Carcass with a Thousand Taels of Silver（成语 千金买骨 英文）


King Zhao of the State of Yan became ruler after clearing up a messy situation.(1) To take revenge on the State of Qi, he humbly offered a generous reward to any capable and honest man who was willing to serve hem....

He went to call on Guo Wei and asked him,"Whom should I visit, I mean, which talented man?"

"Well, let me tell you what I have heard. In the old days there was a ruler who offered a thousand taels of silver for any fine steed that could cover a thousand li a day. For three years he failed to get one. Then, a eunuch ventured to suggest,'Let me try.' So, the ruler gave him that mission, and in three months the eunuch found one real steed, but a dead one. He paid five hundred taels for its carcass and returned with it to report to the ruler. The ruler flew into a rage and shouted,'What I want is a living horse. What's the use of dead one? And you paid five hundred taels for it!"

"'Since a dead horse costs five hundred taels, how much more will a living one cost?' answered the eunuch.'From this transaction people of the whole land will certainly see that you are a serious buyer. Just wait, good steeds will come very soon.'Truly as the man had said, in less than a year three thousand-league horses were brought to the ruler."

"If Your Highness is serious about getting talented people to help you, please start with me. Then people will think that with a man like me in an important position, those who are much more talented than I am will surely be given still higher posts. Capable men will come from even a housand li away. Don't you worry."

Thereupon, King Zhao built a palace for Guo Wei and honoured him as his teacher. Soon Le Yi, a famous general, came to Yan from Wei; Zhou Yi, an eloquent debater, from Qi; Jue Xin, a gifted counsellor, from Chao; and many more scholars hailed from other states and gathered in the State of Yan.

_____________remark_________________
(1) The State of Yan was in a mess because of civil war followed by a great defeat at the hands of the State of Qi.

千金买骨(chinese idioms)


燕昭王收拾了残破的燕国以后登上王位，他礼贤下士，用丰厚的聘礼来招摹贤才，想要依靠他们来报齐国破燕杀父之仇。为此他去见郭隗先生，说：“齐国乘人之危，攻破我们燕国，我深知燕国势单力薄，无力报复。然而如果能得到贤士与我共商国是，以雪先王之耻，这是我的愿望。请问先生要报国家的大仇应该怎么办?”

郭隗先生回答说：“成就帝业的国君以贤者为师，成就王业的国君以贤者为友，成就霸业的国君以贤者为臣，行将灭亡的国君以贤者为仆役。如果能够卑躬曲节地侍奉贤者，屈居下位接受教诲，那么比自己才能超出百倍的人就会光临；早些学习晚些休息，先去求教别人过后再默思，那么才能胜过自己十倍的人就会到来；别人怎么做，自己也跟着做，那么才能与自己相当的人就会来到；如果凭靠几案，拄着手杖，盛气凌人地指挥别人，那么供人驱使跑腿当差的人就会来到；如果放纵骄横，行为粗暴，吼叫骂人，大声喝斥，那么就只有奴隶和犯人来了。这就是古往今来实行王道和招致人才的方法啊。大王若是真想广泛选用国内的贤者，就应该亲自登门拜访，天下的贤人听说大王的这一举动，就一定会赶着到燕国来。”

昭王说：“我应当先拜访谁才好呢?”郭隗先生说道：“我听说古时有一位国君想用千金求购千里马，可是三年也没有买到。宫中有个近侍对他说道：‘请您让我去买吧。国君就派他去了。三个月后他终于找到了千里马，可惜马已经死了，但是他仍然用五百金买了那匹马的脑袋，回来向国君复命。国君大怒道：‘我要的是活马，死马有什么用，而且白白扔掉了五百金?'这个近侍胸有成竹地对君主说：‘买死马尚且肯花五百金，更何况活马呢?天下人一定都以为大王您擅长买马，千里马很快就会有人送了。'于是不到一年，三匹千里马就到手了。如果现在大王真的想要罗致人才，就请先从我开始吧；我尚且被重用，何况那些胜过我的人呢?他们难道还会嫌千里的路程太遥远了吗?”

于是昭王为郭隗专门建造房屋，并拜他为师。消息传开，乐毅从魏国赶来，邹衍从齐国而来，剧辛也从赵国来了，人才争先恐后集聚燕国。

千金买骨,比喻重视人才，渴望得到人才。