前倨后恭
古往今来，势利眼常有，成语“前倨后恭”便是贬斥形容势利眼的用语。“倨”字粤语和普通话都读作“句”音，是傲慢的意思，所以，“前倨后恭”是先前傲慢、而后恭敬。
这种情况在生活中时有发生，比如你若穿戴普通一点儿，在高档用品商店常被冷遇，但是当你这布衣客掏出厚厚一叠千元大钞时，售货员马 上换了恭维嘴脸；再如，一群人在高谈阔论，根本没把身边某君看在眼里，突然有人称呼了他一句“局长”、“司长”之类的话，谈笑者立刻鸦雀无声，对其毕恭毕 敬起来。这都是前倨后恭的生动写照。
这个成语，来源于战国时期苏秦的故事，在《战国策》和《史记》中都有记载。苏秦最早曾游说秦惠王，但是遭冷遇不成功，他穿着破旧的袍子，钱也花光了，形容枯槁面有愧色地回家了。
一进家门，妻子连织布机也不离开，低头织布不去理他；嫂嫂不给他做饭；父母根本不同他说话。
苏秦自此发愤读书、学成之后，他又到赵国游说，受到赵王重用。再后，苏秦逐一说服了共六个国家，联合抗秦。苏秦还掌握了六国的相印，威风八面！
一次，他又回家，父母走出三十里外迎接他；妻子见到他不敢正视，洗耳恭听他的说话；嫂嫂甚至跪下拜见他。苏秦感慨地问：“为何前倨而后恭啊！”嫂嫂回答：“你现在地位尊贵多了呀！”
To be supercilious first, and then deferential
Today’s idiom reads “Qian Ju Hou Gong” literally meaning “to be supercilious first, and then deferential.” And here is the story behind it.
Su Qin was a famous philosopher living in the Warring States Period, when the country was divided into several kingdoms. But before his viewpoints became widely accepted and his name well known, he had but a few ragged old clothes, and was virtually penniless. Everybody, including his family members, looked down upon him. His sister-in-law especially disliked Su Qin, deriding the young man for being a loafer and predicting he would amount to nothing.
Su Qin was angry about what his relatives thought about him, but not discouraged: He concentrated on studying and developing his own teachings. Then he went to different kingdoms to publicize his ideas. At last, he persuaded some kingdoms, including that of the Yan, to unite and fight against the most powerful state, the State of Qin. Of course, Su Qin got a big promotion. And he was given piles of gold and beautiful silk.
One day, the king of Yan sent Su Qin to negotiate with the ruler of another country. To get to this country, Su Qin had to pass by his home. Hearing that Su Qin was coming, his parents ran a long way to receive him. They invited him back home for a banquet. To show obedience and respect, his wife and brother didn’t even dare to make eye contact with Su Qin. And his sister-in-law at last kneeled down to apologize for how she had treated him in the past.
Su Qin asked his sister-in-law, “What on earth made you be so supercilious at first, but so deferential now?” The woman kept kowtowing out of great shame and replied, “It’s because you’re a rich man who has great power.” Sun Qin sighed, “I’m the same person I’ve always been. But when I was poor, even my parents treated me badly. But now, when I have power and money, all the people around me have changed their attitudes. It’s so hard to find a person who treats others equally, no matter they are rich or poor.”
This story about how Su Qin’s relatives changed their attitudes when he was rich inspired this idiom: “Qian Ju Hou Gong.” Literally it means: “first supercilious, afterwards deferential.” We use the idiom nowadays to describe those who radically change their opinion about a person or thing.
(Source:english.cri.cn)
