危如累卵
危如累卵
春秋时，晋灵公为了享乐，不惜花费大量人力物力，要建造一座九层的高台。由于建了三年还没建好，弄得民穷财尽，百姓都很不满。他怕大臣前来劝谏，便下令说﹕「如果谁敢来劝谏我，一律处斩！」大臣们都很害怕，不知如何是好。
大臣荀息为了挽救国家，不顾安危前来求见。晋灵公认为荀息一定是来劝谏，就命卫士拈弓搭箭，只要他开口规劝，便立即射死他。荀息拜见灵公后，若无其事地说﹕「我今天只是来给您表演一个小小的绝技。我能把十二个棋子迭起来，再把九个鸡蛋一个个加上去而不会倒下来。」灵公觉得有趣，消除了戒心，便让他表演。荀 息把棋子堆起来，再把鸡蛋一个个迭上去。灵公在一旁看得提心吊胆，紧张得连声喊道﹕「危险啊！危险啊！」
荀息却不慌不忙地说﹕「这怎算危险，还有比这更危险的呢！」灵公连忙问：「还有更危险的？快让我看看！」荀息说﹕「大王，您建的九层高台建了三年还没建 好，就已弄得国内男人无法耕田，女人无法织布，国库空虚，百姓叫苦连天了。现在邻国正准备入侵，我们国家已危在旦夕，这不是更危险吗？」灵公听了这番话， 猛然醒悟，立刻下令说：「马上停建九层高台！」
as precarious as a pile of eggs
During the Spring and Autumn Period (chūn qiū 春秋时期,770-476 BC), Duke Ling of the Kingdom of Chin ordered a nine-level platfrom built for himself, and issued an order prohibiting people from dissuading him.
When the minister Shiun Shi heard about this, he immediately went to see the duke with a petition, Surrounding Shiun Shi were men armed with bows and arrow, ready to shoot should be mention the platfrom. But Shiun Shi simply said to the duke, "I've come today to demonstrate a little skill of mine; I can pile nine duck eggs on top of a stack of twelve chessmen." Feeling that this would be very interesting indeed, Duke Ling ordered the armed men to retreat. As Shiun Shi piled up first the chessmen and then the eggs, the people watching all exclaimed how dangerous it was.
To which Shiun Shi replied, "This is not dangerous. In order to build a nine-level platfrom, our national treasury has benn emptied and there is no one left to cultivate the land or weave cloth. Neighboring countries are planning to attack us, and we have no way to protect ourselves." Duke Ling was deeply moved, and issued an order to cease construction of the platform.
Today, a dangerous situation can be described as being "as precarious as a pile of eggs."
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