中國傳統文化 第29期:四面楚歌

Xiang Yu Heard the Folk Songs of the Chu State on All Sides

四面楚歌

When Xiang Yu, the Sovereign of the Chu State, camped his defeated troops in Gaixia, he suffered from a shortage of forces and food. And the troops of Liu Bang, the King of the Han State, and of the dukes rounded up Xiang Yu’s troops in tight rings.

劉邦終於佈置了幾層兵力，把項羽緊緊圍在垓下（在今安徽靈璧縣東南）時，項羽手下的兵士已經很少，糧食又沒有了。

At night, Xiang Yu heard the folk songs of Chu on all sides.

夜裏聽見四面圍住他的軍隊都唱起楚地的民歌，

Terribly shocked，he murmured，“ Has Han troops occupied all the lands of Chu?”

不禁非常吃驚地說:“劉邦已經得到了禁地了嗎？爲什麼他的部隊裏面楚人這麼多呢? ”

Now when one is said to hear the Chu Songs on all sides, it refers to an endangered situation, or a state of being utterly isolated.

所以以後的人就用“四面楚歌”這句話，形容人們遭受各方面攻擊或逼迫的客觀環境，而致陷於孤立窘迫的境地。