blessing or bane

塞翁失马

Near China's northern borders lived a man called Sai Weng. He raised a lot of horses.

战国时期，靠近北部边城，住着一个姓塞老人, 他养了许多马。

One day, he lost one of his horses. Everyone commiserated with him.

一天，他的一匹走失了，人们听说这件事，跑来安慰他。

"Perhaps this will soon turn out to be a blessing," said Sai Weng.

塞翁说：“没准会带来什么福气呢。”

After a few months, his horse came back, leading a fine horse from the north.

过了几个月，丢失的马不仅自己回了家，还带回一匹匈奴的骏马。

Everyone congratulated him.

所有人都来祝贺塞翁。

"Perhaps this may turn out to be a cause of misfortune," said Sai Weng.

塞翁反而说：“这或许会带来不幸呢。”

Since he was well-off and kept good horses, his son became fond of riding and eventuallybroke his leg for falling from a horse.

因为塞翁很富有，并且养马养得很好，所以他的儿子也十分喜爱骑马。但没想到有一次骑马时，他的儿子从马上掉了下来，摔断了腿。

Everyone commiserated with him. "Perhaps this will soon turn out to be a blessing," said his father.

人们于是又去安慰塞翁。但塞翁却说：“也许这次又会带来好运呢。”

One year later, the northern tribes started a big invasion of the border regions.

一年以后，匈奴入侵边境。

This man's son did not join in the fighting because he was crippled and so he survived.

但是塞翁的儿子因为腿断了便没有被征入当兵队伍之中，而其他很多当兵的青年都战死在了沙场，塞翁的儿子因此保住了性命。

【文化链接】

成语“塞翁失马”如果用于英文表达，可以使用短语“blessing or bane ”,“blessing”的意思是“好运”，“bane”的意思则是“厄运，祸事”，所以放在一起就可以表达“塞翁失马”的意思。

但是，英文表达“blessing or bane ”常会用来单纯的表示“是祸是福”的意思，比如：

Technology, a blessing or a bane?

高科技，是祸是福?