In the Spring and Autumn Period (chūn qiū 春秋時期,770-476 BC), King Jing of the State of Jin (Jìn guó 晉國) fell ill. One night he dreamed that the disease turned into two small figures talking beside him. One said, ‘I’m afraid the doctor will hurt us.’ The other said, ‘Do not worry. We can hide above huang and below gao. Then the doctor will be able to do nothing to us.’ The next day, having examined the king, the doctor said, ‘Your disease is incurable, I am afraid, Your Majesty. It’ above huang and below gao, where no medicine can reach.’
The idiom indicates a hopeless condition.
春秋時期,晉景公有一次得了重病,聽說秦國有一個醫(yī)術(shù)很高明的醫(yī)生,便專程派人去請來。醫(yī)生還沒到。晉景公恍惚中做了個夢。夢見了兩個小孩,正悄悄地在他身旁說話。一個說:“那個高明的醫(yī)生馬上就要來了,我看我們這回難逃了,我們躲到什么地方去呢?” 另一個小孩說道:“這沒什么可怕的,我們躲到肓的上面,膏的下面,無論他怎樣用藥,都奈何我們不得。” 不一會兒,秦國的名醫(yī)到了,立刻被請進了晉景公的臥室替晉景公治病。診斷后,那醫(yī)生對晉景公說:“這病已沒辦法治了。疾病在肓之上,膏之下,用灸法攻治不行,扎針又達不到,吃湯藥,其效力也達不到。這病是實在沒法子治啦。”
晉景公聽了,心想醫(yī)生所說,果然驗證了自己夢見的兩個小孩的對話,便點了點頭說:“你的醫(yī)術(shù)真高明啊!”說畢,叫人送了一份厚禮給醫(yī)生,讓他回秦國去了。不過這只是一個傳說! 現(xiàn)在意指病已危重到了無法救治的地步。亦喻事情到了無可挽回的地步。
病入膏肓 【翻 譯】The disease has attacked the vitals.