94．止 foot

望watch 梅plum 止quench (stop) 渴thirst

This story takes place during the Three Kingdoms Period. Before Cao Cao became King of the Wei State he first served as the General of Wei.

One steamy summer day he led his army on a march through a mountain ridge in order to attack their enemies. Their pace was greatly slowed by the humidity and high temperature. The soldiers had no water to drink and some of them were suffering from heatstroke. Cao Cao was very worried that the battle would be lost because the men were exhausted.

He asked the guide if there was any water nearby. The guide told him, there was no water near but there was a wood a few miles ahead. Cao Cao pondered for a few minutes, then he addressed his soldiers. "There is a forest of plum trees just ahead. I understand you are all thirsty and want to have some juicy plums. Let's move faster and get to the plum forest." The soldiers were immediately encouraged.

Dreaming about the mouthwatering plums they felt they were not so thirsty, and so they picked up their pace and reached the destination as scheduled. Although the troop did not see a plum forest during their marching, they quenched their thirst by just thinking of plums.

望梅止渴 describes a situation of imagined satisfaction.

【拼音】wàng méi zhǐ kě

【解释】原意是梅子酸，人想吃梅子就会流涎，因而止渴。后比喻愿望无法实现，用空想安慰自己。

【出处】南朝宋·刘义庆《世说新语·假谲》：“魏武行役失汲道，军皆渴，乃令曰：‘前有大梅林，饶子，甘酸可以解渴。’士卒闻之，口皆出水，乘此得及前源。”

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