塞翁失马When the Old Man on the Frontier Lost His Mare

When the Old Man on the Frontier Lost His Mare(1) （成语 塞翁失马 英文)


On the frontier(2) there was a man who was skilled in divination. One day his mare, for an unknown reason, fled north into the doman of the Hu tribes. On learning this, sympathetic people came to console him,but his father remarked,"Who says that this may not be a blessing?"

Several months later, the mare returned, not alone but with a fine steed of the Hu breed.Sympathizers again came to congratulate the owner of the new horse, but again his father observed,"Who says this won't be a misfortune?"

Now that there was a fine steed in his stable, the son, fond of riding mounted the new-comer. During the ride he fell from the horse and broke his hio bone. Sympathetic people again came to console him, but his father as usual passed the matter off with the same remark,"Who says this won't be a blessing?"

A year went by. The Hu tribes made inroads, crossing the frontier line. The able bodied took up arrows and bows to fight,and nine out of every ten of the frontier inhabitants were killed. But the son,being crippled, had not gone to fight, so he and his father survived.

Therefore, a blessing may turn out a misfortune and a misfortune, a blessing.It is extremely difficult to tell, as things are so changeable.

______________remark_____________________
(1) This idiomatic expression is generally followed by another phrase "yan zi fei fu", meaning "who knows it wasn't a blessing in disguise?"
(2) generally referring to the Great Wall, north of which was then called"beyond the frontier".

塞翁失马(chinese idioms)

边塞的地方，住着一位老翁。老翁精通术数，善于算卜过去未来。有一次，老翁家的一匹马，无缘无故（大概是雌马发情罢）挣脱羁绊，跑入胡人居住的地方去了。邻居都来安慰他，他心中有数，平静地说：“这件事难道不是福吗？”几个月后，那匹丢失的马突然又跑回家来了，还领着一匹胡人的骏马一起回来。邻居们得知，都前来向他家表示祝贺。老翁无动于衷，坦然道：“这样的事，难道不是祸吗？”老翁家畜养了许多良马，他的儿子生性好武，喜欢骑术。有一天，他儿子骑着烈马到野外练习骑射，烈马脱缰，把他儿子重重地甩了个仰面朝天，摔断了大腿，成了终身残疾。邻居们听说后，纷纷前来慰问。老翁不动声色，淡然道：“这件事难道不是福吗？”又过了一年，胡人侵犯边境，大举入塞。四乡八邻的精壮男子都被征召入伍，拿起武器去参战，死伤不可胜计。靠近边塞的居民，十室九空，在战争中丧生。惟独老翁的儿子因跛脚残疾，没有去打仗。因而父子得以保全性命，安度残年余生。所以福可以转化为祸，祸也可变化成福。这种变化深不可测，谁也难以预料。

塞翁失马，比喻一时虽然受到损失,也许反而因此能得到好处。