春秋时期，齐国有两位非常要好的朋友，一位名叫管仲，另一位叫鲍叔牙。
管仲是齐国的名相，他帮助齐桓公治理国家，使齐国成为强大的霸主。
鲍叔牙是一位贤明的大夫，他以识人著称。
在他们年轻的时候，齐国的君王是齐襄公。
管仲和鲍叔牙分别侍奉着齐襄公的儿子公子纠和他的弟弟公子小白。
当时公子纠和公子小白都在国外。
后来齐襄公去世，群臣决定迎接公子纠回国当国君，而公子小白也想返回齐国当国君。
管仲为了阻止公子小白先回到齐国，追上了他，并射了他一箭。
但是公子小白很聪明，他假装中箭，骗过了管仲，然后与鲍叔牙一起快马加鞭回到了齐国，成功地当上了国君，也就是齐桓公。
齐桓公即位后，想要请鲍叔牙来做宰相，但鲍叔牙却向齐桓公推荐了还被关在牢中的管仲。
齐桓公听从了鲍叔牙的建议，请管仲来做宰相。
管仲在齐国执政后，帮助齐桓公成为了春秋五霸之一。
管仲曾经回忆说：“我贫穷时，和鲍叔一起做生意。分财利时，我总是多拿，鲍叔从不认为我是贪心，他知道我只是因为贫穷。我曾经替鲍叔出谋划策，反而让他陷入困境，鲍叔没有认为我愚蠢，他知道是因为时机不对。我曾经三次做官，三次都被国君驱逐，鲍叔没有认为我不好，他知道我没有遇到好时机。我曾经三次打仗，三次逃跑，鲍叔没有认为我胆小，他知道我要照顾年迈的母亲。”
在管仲临终前，齐桓公问他是否可以让鲍叔牙接替他的相位，管仲回答说不行，因为他认为鲍叔牙善恶分明，不能包容坏的一面。
鲍叔牙知道这件事后，不仅没有生气，反而很高兴，因为他知道只有管仲最了解他。
“管鲍之交”这个成语就是用来形容管仲和鲍叔牙之间深厚的友谊。
现在我们常用这个成语来形容彼此之间交情深厚的朋友。
During the Spring and Autumn Period, there were two very good friends in the State of Qi. One was named Guan Zhong, and the other was named Bao Suya.
Guan Zhong was a famous prime minister of the State of Qi. He helped King Huan of Qi govern the country and made Qi a powerful overlord.
Bao Suya was a wise physician known for his ability to recognize people's talents.
When they were young, the king of the State of Qi was King Xiang of Qi.
Guan Zhong and Bao Suya served King Xiang's sons, Prince Jiu and his younger brother Prince Xiao Bai, respectively.
At that time, both Prince Jiu and Prince Xiao Bai were abroad.
Later, King Xiang of Qi passed away, and the ministers decided to welcome Prince Jiu back to become the king, while Prince Xiao Bai also wanted to return to Qi to become the king.
In order to prevent Prince Xiao Bai from returning to Qi first, Guan Zhong caught up with him and shot an arrow at him.
But Prince Xiao Bai was very clever. He pretended to be hit by the arrow, fooled Guan Zhong, and then returned to Qi with Bao Suya. He successfully became the king, which was King Huan of Qi.
After King Huan of Qi ascended the throne, he wanted to invite Bao Suya to be the prime minister, but Bao Suya recommended Guan Zhong who was still in prison.
King Huan of Qi followed Bao Suya's advice and invited Guan Zhong to be the prime minister.
After Guan Zhong took power in Qi, he helped King Huan of Qi become one of the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period.
Guan Zhong once recalled: 'When I was poor, I did business with Bao. When dividing profits, I always took more, but Bao never thought I was greedy. He knew I was just poor. I once gave Bao advice that instead got him into trouble, but he didn't think I was stupid. He knew it was because the timing was wrong. I have been dismissed from office three times by the king, but Bao didn't think I was bad. He knew I just hadn't met the right opportunity. I have run away from battle three times, but Bao didn't think I was cowardly. He knew I had to take care of my elderly mother.'
On his deathbed, King Huan of Qi asked Guan Zhong if Bao Suya could succeed him as prime minister, to which Guan Zhong replied no, because he believed Bao was too strict in distinguishing good and evil and could not tolerate the bad side.
After learning about this, Bao Suya was not only not angry but also very happy because he knew that only Guan Zhong understood him best.
'The Friendship of Guan and Bao' is an idiom used to describe the deep friendship between Guan Zhong and Bao Suya.
Now we often use this idiom to describe close friends.
