▸ 很久hěn jiǔ以前yǐ qián，在zài中国zhōng guó有yǒu一yī位wèi很hěn有名yǒu míng的de将军jiāng jūn曹操cáo cāo。

A long time ago, there was a very famous general named Cao Cao in China.

▸ 有yǒu一yī年nián夏天xià tiān，曹操cáo cāo带着dài zhe士兵shì bīng经过jīng guò一片yī piàn又yòu热rè又yòu干gān的de土地tǔ dì。

One summer, Cao Cao led his soldiers through a hot and dry land.

▸ 太阳tài yáng非常fēi cháng强烈qiáng liè，大家dà jiā都dōu觉得jué de又yòu渴kě又yòu累lèi，身体shēn tǐ变得biàn de越来越yuè lái yuè没méi力气lì qi。

The sun was very strong, and everyone felt thirsty and tired, their bodies becoming weaker and weaker.

▸ 曹操cáo cāo看到kàn dào士兵shì bīng们men的de力量lì liang渐渐jiàn jiàn减弱jiǎn ruò，知道zhī dào他们tā men还hái有yǒu很hěn远yuǎn的de路lù要yào走zǒu。

Cao Cao saw that the soldiers' strength was gradually weakening and knew they still had a long way to go.

▸ 突然tū rán，他tā想到xiǎng dào一个yī gè办法bàn fǎ。

Suddenly, he thought of a plan.

▸ 他tā大声dà shēng说shuō：「大家dà jiā加油jiā yóu！我wǒ记得jì de前面qián miàn不远bù yuǎn有yǒu一大片yī dà piàn梅林méi lín，里面lǐ miàn长满了zhǎng mǎn le青青酸酸qīng qīng suān suān的de梅子méi zi。等děng我们wǒ men到了dào le那里nà lǐ，就能jiù néng吃到chī dào又yòu酸suān又yòu多汁duō zhī的de梅子méi zi！」

He loudly said: 'Everyone, keep going! I remember there's a large plum grove not far ahead, full of unripe tart plums. When we get there, we can eat the tart, juicy plums!'

▸ 士兵shì bīng们men一yī听tīng，立刻lì kè想像xiǎng xiàng那nà酸酸多汁suān suān duō zhī的de味道wèi dào，嘴里zuǐ lǐ忍不住rěn bù zhù流liú口水kǒu shuǐ，很快hěn kuài就jiù忘了wàng le口渴kǒu kě。

Upon hearing this, the soldiers immediately imagined the tart, juicy flavor, their mouths watering, and they soon forgot their thirst.

▸ 他们tā men的de精神jīng shén好了hǎo le不少bù shǎo，脚步jiǎo bù也yě加快jiā kuài了le。

Their spirits improved a lot, and their pace quickened.

▸ 最后zuì hòu，他们tā men顺利shùn lì到达dào dá目的mù dì地dì。

Finally, they successfully reached their destination.

▸ 现在xiàn zài，人们rén men用yòng成语chéng yǔ「望梅止渴」“wàng méi zhǐ kě”来lái形容xíng róng：一个yī gè人rén透过tòu guò想像xiǎng xiàng美好měi hǎo的de事情shì qing来lái安慰ān wèi自己zì jǐ，即使jí shǐ那件nà jiàn事shì还hái没méi发生fā shēng。

Now, people use the idiom **望梅止渴 (wàng méi zhǐ kě)** to describe how a person consoles themselves by imagining something desirable, even if it hasn't happened yet.

▸ 例如lì rú，有个yǒu gè学生xué sheng汤姆tāng mǔ准备zhǔn bèi考试kǎo shì准备zhǔn bèi得de很hěn累lèi时shí，会huì想像xiǎng xiàng考完kǎo wán试shì后hòu放松fàng sōng的de样子yàng zi。

For example, when a student named Tom is tired from preparing for an exam, he imagines how relaxed he will be after the exam.

▸ 这种zhè zhǒng想法xiǎng fǎ让ràng他tā暂时zàn shí舒服shū fu一些yī xiē，虽然suī rán还要hái yào读书dú shū，但dàn他tā已经yǐ jīng在zài「望梅止渴」“wàng méi zhǐ kě”了le。

This thought makes him feel temporarily comfortable, even though he still has to study, but he is already 'gazing at plums to quench thirst'.

Hover a word for its pinyin & meaning; click to pin it.