English Original
During the Warring States period (475-221 BC), there lived a renowned archer named Geng Ying, whose skill was unmatched in his time.
One day, while standing beside the King of Wei, a flock of swan geese flew overhead. Confidently, Geng Ying said to the king, "The mere twang of my bowstring could bring down a bird." The king was skeptical.
Just then, a solitary swan goose appeared, flying low and slow, its cry sad and dolorous. Instantly, Geng Ying bent his bow and pulled the string forcefully. Twang! The shrill sound soared into the air, and down fell the bird to the ground. The king watched in bewilderment.
Geng Ying then explained: "The bird was flying low and slow because it was already injured. It cried bitterly because it had lost its companions. Being hurt and heartbroken, the twang of my strong bow—a sound birds dread most—startled it. The shrill sound made its heart race, its wings weaken, and its balance falter. Thus it fell, much like a man dropping his chopsticks at a sudden clap of thunder during a meal."
Hence comes the idiom "a bird startled by the mere twang of a bowstring," illustrating how someone who has been repeatedly frightened in the past can become numb and paralyzed when faced with a new, similar threat, unsure how to respond.
中文翻译
战国时期（公元前475-221年），有一位著名的弓箭手名叫更羸，他的射箭技艺在当时无人能及。
一天，更羸正站在魏王身旁，一群天鹅从空中飞过。他自信地对魏王说：“我只用弓弦的响声就能让一只鸟掉下来。”魏王十分怀疑。
就在这时，一只孤零零的天鹅出现了，它飞得又低又慢，叫声悲伤而凄厉。更羸立刻弯弓，用力拉动了弓弦。嘣！ 尖锐的弦声直冲云霄，那只鸟应声摔落在地。魏王看得目瞪口呆。
更羸解释道：“这只鸟飞得又低又慢，是因为它已经受伤了；叫声凄厉，是因为它失去了同伴。它本就受伤且内心悲伤，我强弓的弦声——鸟儿最恐惧的声音——惊吓了它。这尖锐的声音使它心跳加速，翅膀无力，身体失去平衡。因此它掉了下来，就像一个人在吃饭时听到突如其来的雷声会吓得丢掉筷子一样。”
由此便产生了成语“惊弓之鸟”，用以比喻一个人过去屡受惊吓，当再次遇到同类性质的新威胁时，会变得麻木、不知所措，不知如何应对。