80．齿【歯】部 tooth

唇lips亡gone齿teeth寒cold

During the Warring States Period战国时期, the King of the Jin State晋 wanted to expand his territory. He decided to invade the Guo State虢. In order to reach Guo State, Jin’s army had to go through the Yu State虞. So the King of Jin sent his ambassador to Yu to get the King’s permission to march an army through his lands.

The ambassador presented two gifts – a priceless jade and a precious horse to the King of Yu. Yu was very pleased with these gifts and wanted to let the Jin army through. However, a senior official advised the King of Yu that it was not a good idea to allow the Jin army go through Yu’s territory to attack Guo. He reminded the King that Guo and Yu had always had good relations, and had become interdependent. If the Guo State was conquered by Jin, then the state of Yu would be sandwiched between the Jin’s two territories and the Jin would inevitably attack Yu.

He likened the relationship of Guo and Yu to teeth and lips: When the lips were gone the teeth would be exposed to the cold. The King of Yu, however, did not take this good advice. He let the Jin army go through his state to attack the State of Guo. After the Jin conquered Guo, they turned around and conquered Yu.

唇亡齿寒describes an interdependent relationship between two things. It is a reminder that when your ally falls, you are in danger.

【拼音】chún wáng chǐ hán

【解释】唇没有了，牙齿就寒冷。比喻双方休戚相关，荣辱与共。

【出处】《左传·僖公五年》：“晋侯复假道於虞以伐虢。宫之奇谏曰：虢，虞之表也；虢亡，虞必从之……谚所谓‘辅车相依，唇亡齿寒’者其虞虢之谓也。”

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