越王勾践兵败吴王夫差后，假装投降，在吴国饱受屈辱，每天尝苦胆以提醒自己不忘亡国之耻，终博得吴王信任，被放回越国，勾践回国后励精图治，终究越打败了吴国。
卧薪尝胆的故事
公元前496年，吴王阖闾派兵攻打越国，被越王勾践打得大败，阖闾也受了重伤，临死前，嘱咐儿子夫差要替他报仇。夫差牢记父亲的话，日夜加紧练兵，准备攻打越国。 过了两年，夫差率兵把勾践打得大败，勾践被包围，无路可走，准备自杀。这时谋臣文种劝住了他，说：“吴国大臣伯嚭贪财好色，可以派人去贿赂他。”勾践听从了文种的建议，就派他带着珍宝贿赂伯嚭，伯嚭答应和文种去见吴王。
文种见了吴王，献上珍宝，说：“越王愿意投降，做您的臣下伺候您，请您能饶恕他。”伯嚭也在一旁帮文种说话。伍子胥站出来大声反对道：“人常说‘治病要除根’，勾践深谋远虑，文种、范蠡精明强干，这次放了他们，他们回去后就会想办法报仇的！”这时的夫差以为越国已经不足为患，就不听伍子胥的劝告，答应了越国的投降，把军队撤回了吴国。
吴国撤兵后，勾践带着妻子和大夫范蠡到吴国伺候吴王，放牛牧羊，终于赢得了吴王的欢心和信任。三年后，他们被释放回国了。
勾践回国后，立志发愤图强，准备复仇。他怕自己贪图舒适的生活，消磨了报仇的志气，晚上就枕着兵器，睡在稻草堆上，他还在房子里挂上一只苦胆，每天早上起来后就尝尝苦胆，门外的士兵问他：“你忘了三年的耻辱了吗？”他派文种管理国家政事，范蠡管理军事，他亲自到田里与农夫一起干活，妻子也纺线织布。勾践的这些举动感动了越国上下官民，经过十年的艰苦奋斗，越国终于兵精粮足，转弱为强。
而吴王夫差盲目力图争霸，丝毫不考虑民生疾苦。他还听信伯嚭的坏话，杀了忠臣伍子胥。最终夫差争霸成功，称霸于诸侯。但是这时的吴国，貌似强大，实际上已经是走下坡路了。
公元前482年，夫差亲自带领大军北上，与晋国争夺诸侯盟主，越王勾践趁吴国精兵在外，突然袭击，一举打败吴兵，杀了太子友。夫差听到这个消息后，急忙带兵回国，并派人向勾践求和。勾践估计一下子灭不了吴国，就同意了。公元前473年，勾践第二次亲自带兵攻打吴国。这时的吴国已经是强弩之末，根本抵挡不住越国军队的强势猛攻，屡战屡败。最后，夫差又派人向勾践求和，范蠡坚决主张要灭掉吴国。夫差见求和不成，才后悔没有听伍子胥的忠告，非常羞愧，就拔剑自杀了。
卧薪尝胆的材料
【拼音】：wò xīn cháng dǎn
【解释】：形容人刻苦自励、发奋图强。
【出处】：《史记˙越王勾践世家》
【近义词】：奋发图强、励精图治、发愤图强
【反义词】：胸无大志、妄自菲薄、自甘堕落
【语法】：联合式；作谓语、定语、状语；含褒义。
卧薪尝胆英文版
Sleep on Brushwood and Taste Gall
During the Spring and Autumn periodt the State of Wu launched an attack against the State of Yue.
The King of Wu was seriously wounded and soon died.
His son Fu Chai became the new King.
Fu was determined to revenge.
He drilled his army rigidly until it was a perfect fighting force.
Three years later, he led his army against the State of Yue and caught its king Gou Jian.
Fu took him to the State of Wu.
In order to avenge his father’s death, Fu let him to live in a shabby stone house by his fathers tomb and ordered him to raise horses for him.
Gou pretended to be loyal to Fu but he never forgot his humiliation.
Many years later, he was set free.
Gou secretly accumulated a military force after he went back to his own state.
In order to make himself tougher he slept on firewood and tasted a gall-bladder before having dinner and going to bed.
At the same time he administered his state carefully, developing agriculture and educating the people.
After a few years，his country became strong.
Then Gou seized a favorable opportunity to wipe off the State of Wu.
Later, people use it to describe one who endures self-imposed hardships to strengthen one’s resolve to realize one’s ambition.
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