杯弓蛇影(배궁사영)

杯弓蛇影

술잔에 비친 활의 그림자를 뱀으로 오인하다.
쓸데없는 의혹으로 생병을 앓다.
비유적으로 의심이나 의혹을 키우면 병적 공포(phobia)로까지 발전한다는 의미로 쓴다.  
see a bow reflected in a cup as a snake
mistake the shadow of a bow in one's cup for a snake
mistaking the shadow of the bow reflected in the wine glass for a snake
be frightened by the shadow of the snake in a beaker
be jittery with imaginary fear
self-created suspicion
unnecessary suspicions
a false alarm
be overly fearful
be extremely suspicious
  
《晋書 樂廣傳》 樂廣嘗有親客久闕不復來，廣問其故，答曰： "前在坐，蒙賜酒， 方欲飲，見杯中有蛇，意甚惡之，既飲而疾作。"
時河南廳事壁上有角漆畫作蛇，廣意杯中蛇即角影也。復置酒於前處，謂客曰："酒中復有所見不？"
答曰："所見如初。" 廣乃告其所以。豁然意解，沉痾頓愈。
《진서 악광전》 악광상유친객구궐불복래，광문기고，답왈： "전재좌，몽사주， 방욕음，견배중유사，의심악지，기음이질작。"
시하남청사벽상유각칠화작사，광의배중사즉각영야。복치주어전처，위객왈："주중복유소견불？"
답왈："소견여초。" 광내고기소이。활연의해，침아돈유。
Yue Guang had a frequent guest, who used to call on him regularly but had failed to turn up for some time. When Yue asked the reason why, the man answered: "On my last visit, you kindly treated me to wine. Just as I was going to take a sip, I saw a snake wriggling in the goblet and I felt quite sick. Nevertheless, I drank; then I soon fell ill."
Now in those days it was a custom prevailing in Henan Prefecture for a prefect to have a bow painted to look like a snake and hung in his hall. Suspecting that the snake alluded to was nothing but a reflection of the decorated bow, he invited the man again for a drink and set the table in the usual spot. "Do you still see something in the wine cup?" asked the host.
"Yes, exactly as before." was the answer. Then Yue Guang explained what he thought the whole trouble must have been. At that, the guest realized what had happened and instantly relieved of his obsession, and returned to normal.
진나라에 사는 악광(樂廣)이라는 사람은 손님을 초대하여 주연을 베풀기를 즐긴다. 악광의 초대에 자주 응한 어느 손님이 갑자기 초대를 거절한다. 악광이 손님에게 왜 초대를 거절하는지를 묻는다. 손님은 지난 번 초대에서 술잔에 따른 술을 마시려 할 때에 술잔 안에 꿈틀거리는 뱀을 보게 된 사연을 전한다. 손님은 기분이 나쁘지만 그대로 술을 마신 후에 곧 바로 병이 나 고생하고 있다고 들려준다.
당시 하남지방에는 대청(大廳)의 벽에 각궁을 걸어 놓고, 각궁에 옻칠로 뱀을 그려 넣는 관습이 있으므로, 악광은 술잔 속의 뱀이 벽에 걸린 각궁의 그림자라고 생각한다. 악광은 손님을 초대하여 다시 예전의 자리에 술상을 차리고, 손님에게 술잔 속에 뱀이 다시 보이는지 아닌지를 묻는다. 손님은 처음과 같이 보인다고 대답한다. 악광이 그 이유를 알려준다. 손님은 마음이 환하게 풀어지고, 묵은 병까지 갑자기 낳게 된다.
 
[成語故事]
有一年夏天，县令请杜宣喝酒。酒席设在厅堂里，北墙上挂着一张红色的弓。由于光线折射，酒杯中映入了弓的影子。杜宣看了，以为是一条蛇在酒杯里蠕动，顿时吓得要死。但县令是他的上司，又是特意请他来喝酒的，不敢不喝，所以硬着头皮喝了几口。
回到家，杜宣越来越疑心刚才饮下的是有蛇的酒，又感到蛇在肚中蠕动，觉得腹部疼痛异常，难以忍受，吃饭、喝水都非常困难。家里人请了大夫为他治病。但他吃了很多药，病情还是不见好转。
县令听说了此事，问他怎么会生病的，杜宣便讲了那天喝酒时酒杯里有蛇的事儿。县令也觉得很奇怪，回家坐在厅堂里反复回忆和思考，弄不明白杜宣酒杯里怎么会有蛇的。突然，北墙上的那张红色的弓引起了他的注意。他马上坐在那天杜宣坐的位置上，取来一杯酒，也放在原来的位置上。
结果发现，酒杯中有弓的影子，不仔细看，确实像是一条蛇在蠕动。他马上让人把杜宣接来，让他坐在原位上，叫他仔细看看酒杯里的影子，并说： "你说的杯中的蛇，不过是墙上那张弓的倒影罢了，没有其他的怪东西，现在你可以放心了。" 杜宣弄清原委后，疑虑立即消失，病也很快痊愈了。
유일년하천，현령청두선갈주。주석설재청당리，북장상괘착일장홍색적궁。유우광선절사，주배중영입료궁적영자。두선간료，이위시일조사재주배리연동，돈시혁득요사。단현령시타적상사，우시특의청타래갈주적，불감불갈，소이경착두피갈료궤구。
회도가，두선월래월의심강재음하적시유사적주，우감도사재두중연동，각득복부동통이상，난이인수，흘반、갈수도비상곤난。가리인청료대부위타치병。단타흘료흔다약，병정환시불견호전。
현령은설료차사，문타즘요회생병적，두선편강료나천갈주시주배리유사적사인。현령야각득흔기괴，회가좌재청당리반복회억화사고，농불명백두선주배리즘요회유사적。돌연，북장상적나장홍색적궁인기료타적주의。타마상좌재나천두선좌적위치상，취래일배주，야방재원래적위치상。
결과발현，주배중유궁적영자，부자세간，학실상시일조사재연동。타마상양인파두선접래，양타좌재원위상，규타자세간간주배리적영자，병설： "니설적배중적사，불과시장상나장궁적도영파료，몰유기타적괴동서，현재니가이방심료。" 두선롱청원위후，의려립즉소실，병야흔쾌전유료。
One summer, Xiàn Lìng(縣令) invited Dù Xuān(杜宣) for a drink. They met at a big hall, and on the north wall of this hall was a painting of a red archery bow. Because of how the light refracted, the image of the archery bow appeared in their glass. Dù Xuān was startled to see the refraction and thought there was a snake wriggling in his glass. But as Xiàn Lìng was his superior and had invited Dù Xuān, especially for a drink, there was no way he could refuse to drink it. So he stiffened up his upper lip and took a few sips.
When he got home, Dù Xuān became increasingly worried about the snake in his drink and felt like it was wriggling in his stomach. His stomach started to hurt, and the pain was unbearable. Eating and drinking became increasingly difficult. His family members called the doctor to treat him, but he did not get any better, even after taking a lot of medication.
Xiàn Lìng heard about this and asked how he got so ill. So Dù Xuān had to tell him about the snake in his glass. Xiàn Lìng thought this was very strange. He returned to the hall and went over the events of that day in his mind. He could not figure out how the snake got into the glass. Suddenly, the archery bow on the wall caught his attention. He rushed to where Dù Xuān sat that day, filled a glass, and sat down exactly as he was that day.
He discovered that the archery bow created a reflection, and if you weren’t careful, you could easily mistake it for a wriggling snake. He instantly summoned his people to bring Dù Xuān over. He asked him to sit at the same seat he was at that day to have a closer look at the reflection in this glass and said: "You said there was a snake in your glass, but it was nothing more than the reflection of the archery bow painting. Nothing strange, you can now relax." Once the story was cleared up, Dù Xuān’s worries disappeared. He also made a full recovery.