很久很久以前，有一戶人家住在黃河邊上，靠割蘆葦、編簾子簸箕為生，日子過得非常貧困。

　　有一天，兒子在河邊割蘆葦，烈日當空，曬得他頭昏眼花，于是他就坐下來休息。他望著眼前的河水在陽光下閃耀著粼粼波光，想起父親說過，在河的最深處有許多珍寶，可是誰也不敢去，因為那里住著一條兇猛的黑龍叫驪龍，他想，要是潛到河底，找到珍寶，我們一家人就用不著像現在這樣一天干到晚，三頓還吃不飽，不如豁出去試一試。他把心一橫，三下兩下脫了衣服，一頭扎進冰冷的河里。

　　開始他還看得見四周的小魚在游來游去，再往深處，光線變得越來越暗，水也越來越涼，最后，他什么都看不見了，四周一團漆黑。他心里有點害怕，不知該往哪兒游。就在這時，不遠處有一個圓圓的物體在閃閃發光，定睛細看，啊，原來是明珠！他憋足一口氣游過去，雙手抱住明珠，使勁一拽，明珠就到了他懷里。他迅速浮出水面，上岸后撒腿就往家跑。

　　父親一見明珠，就問他是從哪兒得到的。他把經過一五一十地向父親講述一遍。父親聽了說：“好險哪！這顆價值千金的明珠是長在黑龍下巴底下的，你摘它的時候黑龍必定是睡著了。它要是醒著，你可就沒命了。”故事見于《莊子列御寇》。成語“探驪得珠”，比喻寫文章能緊扣主題，抓住要點。

 

groping about the chin of the black dragon to get a pearl-bringing out the best

 

  long,long age,there lived a family by the yellow river.they lived a very poor lift,depending on cutting reeds,weaving hanging screens and dustpans for a livelihood.

  one day,the son was cutting reeds by the riverside.with the scroching sun directly overhead,his head was swimming,so he sat down to take a rest.looking at the river water in front which was his father had once told him.in the depths of the river there were a lot rare treasures,but nobody dared to get them because a fierce black dragon was residing there.he thought that,if he could dive into the depts of the river and get the treasures,the whole family would mot have to toil from morning till night and yet could mot have enough to eat as now.he thought it would be better to have a try,and he was resolved to try in desperation.so he took off his clothes nimbly and dived into the cold water with a splash.

  at first,he could see small fish here and there all around.however,the deeper he dived ,the darker it became,and the colder the river water.at last,it was pitch-dark all around,and he could see nothing.he became frightened,and was at a loss where he should swim to.just at that time,he noticed a round object which was glittering not far away.he fixed his eyes on it,and saw it was a bright pearl.he held his breath and swam over there,held the pearl with both hands,pulled it with a great effort,and the bright pearl come into his arms.he came out from the water immediately,climbed up the bank,and made off for home at once.

  his father saw the bright pearl,and asked where he had got it.he told his father the whole story exactly as it had happened.hearing this,his father said repeatedly,"how dangerous it was!this precious pearl was grown on the chin of the black dragon.the black must have been sleeping when you were pulling the pearl.if the black dragon were awake,you would be dead."when the son heard this,he considered himself very lucky indeed.

  this story appears in the works of zhuang zi.from this story,later generations have derived the set phrase "groping about the chin of the black dragon to get a pearl-- bringing out the best" to indicate that an article is to the point.