cross a river in the same boat——pull together in times of trouble

According to Sunzi·Nine Terrains，during the Spring and Autumn Period， because of constant fighting between the States of Wu and Yue， the people of the two states looked upon each other with hatred，and their hostility was very serious. There was a ferry boat on the river where the two states met， and sometimes the people of the two states were in the same boat but they paid no attention to each other.

One day， when the boat rowed to the middle of the river， the weather suddenly changed.A violent storm attacked the boat heavily. The children of the State of Wu cried loudly and the old men of the State of Yue fell down to the deck. The situation was so serious that they must lower the sail at once. In this moment of extreme crisis， no matter what state people were from， all the young passengers rushed to the mast to lower the sail against the strong wind.Because they cooperated very well， the sail was taken down quickly， and the boat was stable.

After looking at the people of the two states in the same storm-tossed boat and standing together through thick and thin， the old boatman said. \"If the people of the States of Wu and Yue can live in harmony forever， how nice it would be.\"

Now we usually use it to encourage people in the same plight cooperate towards achieving the same aim.

此語出自《孫子·九地》。春秋時期，由于吳國和越國經(jīng)常交戰(zhàn)，因而兩國人民之間互相仇恨，敵對情緒比較嚴重。吳越交界的河上有一只渡船，船上有時同時乘坐著兩國人民，可他們互不搭理。

有一天，渡船行至江心，天氣突變，刮起狂風，下起傾盆大雨，河水猛漲，大浪撲向渡船。吳國孩子哇哇大哭，越國老人跌倒在船艙，情況十分危急。這時必須把船帆降下來，才能減少一些危險。就在這千釣一發(fā)之際，不管是越人還是吳人，年輕的乘客都沖向桅桿，頂著風浪，一起去解船帆的繩索。由于他們的相互配合，渡船的篷帆終于降了下來，顛簸的船變得比較穩(wěn)定些。

老艄公望著這些風雨同舟、共度危難的人們，感慨地說：“吳越兩國如果能永遠和睦相處該多好啊!”

后用此典勉勵人們在危難時同心協(xié)力，共同渡過困難。