在很久很久以前的春秋时期，楚国有一个国王叫做楚庄王。
他虽然已经当上了国王三年，但是在这段时间里，他并没有像大家期望的那样，积极地处理国家的事情。
这可让大臣们非常担心。
有一天，右司马这个大臣用了一个比喻来和楚庄王谈话：“我听说有一只大鸟，它住在南面的山丘上。这只鸟已经在那里待了三年了，可是它既没有挥动翅膀飞起来，也没有发出任何声音，就像不存在一样。您知道这是什么鸟吗？”
楚庄王想了想，回答说：“这只鸟三年不飞翔，是在长它的翅膀；它不飞也不叫，是为了看看臣子们是否尽职尽责。这只鸟并不是不能飞，只是现在还不想飞而已。但是一旦它飞起来，就会直冲云霄；虽然现在它还没有叫，但是只要它一叫，就一定会震惊天下。你放心，我知道自己该做什么了。”
果然，过了半年后，楚庄王开始亲自处理政事。
他把一些不合理的规定废除了，又制定了新的法令，并且惩罚了一些不尽职的大臣，提拔了一些有才能的人。
在他的治理下，楚国变得越来越强大，而楚庄王也成为了当时最有权力的五个国王之一。
这个故事后来被人们总结成一个成语“一鸣惊人”，用来形容一个人平时很低调，但是突然间有了惊人的表现。
Long, long ago in the Spring and Autumn Period, there was a king named King Chu of Chu.
Although he had been king for three years, during this time he did not actively deal with state affairs as everyone expected.
This worried the ministers very much.
One day, the minister Right Sima used a metaphor to talk to King Chu: "I have heard of a big bird that lives on a hill in the south. This bird has been there for three years, but it has not flapped its wings to fly or made any sound, as if it did not exist. Do you know what kind of bird this is?"
King Chu thought for a moment and replied, "This bird does not fly for three years because it is growing its wings; it does not fly nor call out to see if its ministers are fulfilling their duties. This bird is not incapable of flying, it just doesn't want to fly yet. But once it flies, it will soar into the sky; although it has not called out now, when it does, it will surely shock the world. You can rest assured, I know what I should do."
Sure enough, half a year later, King Chu began to handle political affairs personally.
He abolished some unreasonable regulations, enacted new laws, punished some incompetent ministers, and promoted some talented people.
Under his governance, Chu became stronger and stronger, and King Chu became one of the five most powerful kings at that time.
This story was later summarized by people into the idiom 'A Startling Roar', describing a person who is usually low-key, but suddenly has an astonishing performance.
