▸ 很久hěn jiǔ以前yǐ qián，在zài中国zhōng guó的de一yī片piàn森林sēn lín里lǐ，住zhù着zhe一yī只zhī很hěn凶猛xiōng měng的de老虎lǎo hǔ。

A long time ago, in a forest in China, there lived a very fierce tiger.

▸ 森林sēn lín里lǐ所有suǒ yǒu的de动物dòng wù都dōu很hěn怕pà它tā。

All the animals in the forest were very afraid of it.

▸ 有一天yǒu yī tiān，老虎lǎo hǔ在zài森林sēn lín里lǐ散步sàn bù时shí，遇到yù dào一yī只zhī小xiǎo狐狸hú li。

One day, while the tiger was walking in the forest, it met a small fox.

▸ 老虎lǎo hǔ肚子dù zi很hěn饿è，觉得jué de这zhè只zhī小xiǎo狐狸hú li一定yī dìng很hěn好吃hǎo chī。

The tiger was very hungry and thought that this small fox must be delicious.

▸ 就jiù在zài老虎lǎo hǔ准备zhǔn bèi要yào吃chī狐狸hú li的de时候shí hou，狐狸hú li突然tū rán大叫dà jiào：「等等děng děng！你nǐ不能bù néng吃chī我wǒ。天上tiān shang派pài我wǒ来lái做zuò百兽bǎi shòu之zhī王wáng，如果rú guǒ你nǐ吃chī了le我wǒ，天上tiān shang的de神shén一定yī dìng会huì很hěn生气shēng qì！」

Just as the tiger was about to eat the fox, the fox suddenly shouted: 'Wait! You can’t eat me. Heaven sent me to be the king of all beasts, and if you eat me, the gods in heaven will surely be very angry!'

▸ 老虎lǎo hǔ听tīng了le觉得jué de有点yǒu diǎn奇怪qí guài：这zhè只zhī小xiǎo狐狸hú li真的zhēn de会huì是shì动物dòng wù们men的de王wáng吗ma？

The tiger heard this and felt a bit strange: Could this small fox really be the king of the animals?

▸ 狐狸hú li看到kàn dào老虎lǎo hǔ有点yǒu diǎn不bù相信xiāng xìn，赶快gǎn kuài说shuō：「如果rú guǒ你nǐ不bù相信xiāng xìn，你nǐ跟gēn我wǒ一起yī qǐ走zǒu一yī走zǒu，当dāng它tā们men看见kàn jiàn我wǒ，所有suǒ yǒu动物dòng wù都dōu会huì害怕hài pà逃走táo zǒu。」

Seeing that the tiger didn’t quite believe it, the fox quickly said: 'If you don’t believe me, walk with me, and when the animals see me, all the animals will run away in fear.'

▸ 老虎lǎo hǔ同意tóng yì了le。

The tiger agreed.

▸ 狐狸hú li很hěn得意dé yì地dì走zǒu在zài前面qián miàn，强壯qiáng zhuàng的de老虎lǎo hǔ跟gēn在zài它tā后面hòu miàn。

The fox walked proudly in front, with the strong tiger following behind it.

▸ 当dāng它tā们men一起yī qǐ经过jīng guò森林sēn lín时shí，所有suǒ yǒu看见kàn jiàn它tā们men的de动物dòng wù都dōu吓xià得de赶紧gǎn jǐn跑开pǎo kāi了le。

As they passed through the forest together, all the animals that saw them were scared and quickly ran away.

▸ 老虎lǎo hǔ看kàn了le，心里xīn lǐ想xiǎng：「哇wā！它tā们men真的zhēn de很hěn怕pà狐狸hú li！」

The tiger saw this and thought to itself: 'Wow! They really are afraid of the fox!'

▸ 从cóng那nà一yī天tiān起qǐ，老虎lǎo hǔ就jiù相信xiāng xìn狐狸hú li的de话huà，再也zài yě不bù敢gǎn伤害shāng hài它tā了le。

From that day on, the tiger believed the fox’s words and never dared to harm it again.

▸ 但dàn事实shì shí上shàng，其他qí tā动物dòng wù怕pà的de根本gēn běn不是bù shì狐狸hú li，而是ér shì狐狸hú li后面hòu miàn那nà只zhī强大qiáng dà的de老虎lǎo hǔ。

But in fact, the other animals weren’t afraid of the fox at all, but rather the powerful tiger behind it.

▸ 现在xiàn zài中文zhōng wén里lǐ常cháng说shuō：「狐假虎威hú jiǎ hǔ wēi」，意思yì si就是jiù shì有人yǒu rén靠kào着zhe别人bié rén的de力量lì liang或huò权力quán lì来lái吓人xià rén或huò让ràng自己zì jǐ看起来kàn qǐ lái很hěn厉害lì hai。

Now in Chinese, we often say: 'Fox borrows the tiger’s power,' meaning that someone relies on another’s strength or authority to intimidate others or make themselves appear formidable.

▸ 比如bǐ rú，有yǒu一yī个gè叫jiào小凯xiǎo kǎi的de男生nán shēng。

For example, there’s a boy named Xiao Kai.

▸ 他tā平常píng cháng一yī个gè人rén的de时候shí hou很hěn胆小dǎn xiǎo，可是kě shì只要zhǐ yào哥哥gē ge在zài旁边páng biān，他tā就jiù会huì假装jiǎ zhuāng很hěn凶xiōng地dì指挥zhǐ huī其他qí tā小孩xiǎo hái。

Normally, when he’s alone, he’s very timid, but as long as his older brother is nearby, he pretends to be fierce and order other kids around.

▸ 小凯xiǎo kǎi这樣zhè yàng的de行为xíng wéi，就是jiù shì「狐假虎威hú jiǎ hǔ wēi」。

This behavior of Xiao Kai is exactly what 'fox borrows the tiger’s power' means.

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