弃书捐剑，意思是比喻胸怀大志的人不屑于小事。出自《史记·项羽本纪》。

成语来源：

项籍少时，学书不成，去；学剑，又不成。项梁怒之。籍曰：“书，足以记名姓而已。剑，一人敌，不足学，学万人敌。”于是项梁乃教籍兵法，籍大喜，略知其意，又不肯竟学。

后刘、项相争，刘邦智取，项籍以力斗，然终为刘所败，乃智穷也。

参考翻译：

Xiang Yu learned literacy and writing when he was young, and he gave up in the half way; then he changed to learn swordsmanship, nothing learned. Xiang Liang, his uncle,was very angry. Xiang Yu said, "Writing is just be used to remember the name; swordsmanship can only be against one enemy. None of them is worth learning. I will learn is what can defeat thousands of opponents." Then Xiang Liang taught Xiang Yu the Art of War. Xiang Yu was very happy. But he refused to continue when he just has some superficial understanding of the Art of War. Years later, Liu Bang and Xiang Yu competed for the domination of the country. Liu Bang outwitted his rivals, on the contrary, Xiang Yu struggled with brute force. In the end, Xiang Yu was defeated by Liu Bang. Why? Wisdom is the key.

文言文翻译技巧分析：

1、留：即保留古今意义相同的词，如古代的人名、地名、物名、官名、国号、年号、度量衡单位等。如上文“兵法”：the Art of War。

2、删，即删掉无须译出的文言虚词。如上文中的“乃智穷也”中的“也”是语气助词，可不译。如《礼记·中庸》中的“博学之、审问之、慎思之、明辨之、笃行之”中的“之”即为语气助词，可不翻，Learn extensively, inquire carefully, think deeply, differentiate clearly, and practice faithfully.文言文中常见的语气助词有“耳、矣、以、焉、之、乎、者、也、夫”

3、补，即补出省略句中的省略成分，如上文“学剑，又不成”，翻译时补上主语“he或Xiang Yu”；另外一种情况是变单音词为双音词，如《桃花源记》中“率妻子邑人来此绝境”，其中，“妻子”一词是妻子和儿女的意思，翻译时候就需要将二者都翻译出来。

4、换，即替换，用现代词汇替换古代词汇。如把“吾、余、予”等换成“我”，把“尔、汝”等换成“你”。

5、调，即调整，把古汉语倒装句调整为现代汉语句式。如上文中的“一人敌”即为“敌一人”；“学万人敌”即为“学可敌万人”，翻译成现代汉语时要调整过来，译为：swordsmanship can only be against one enemy。再如《人琴俱亡》中“何以都不闻消息”，“何以”是“以何”的倒装，意思是“为什么”。

6、变。即变通，指的是在忠实于原文的基础上灵活翻译，如上文中的“乃智穷也”，翻译为“Wisdom is the key”,而没有翻译为“run out of wisdom”.

其他可供参考学习的文言文及对应翻译：

嗟夫！予尝求古仁人之心，或异二者之为，何哉？不以物喜，不以己悲；居庙堂之高则忧其民；处江湖之远则忧其君。是进亦忧，退亦忧。然则何时而乐耶？其必曰“先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐”乎。噫！微斯人，吾谁与归？时六年九月十五日。

翻译（版本一）：

I have tried to study ancient statesmen’s minds, which might differ from those of the above-mentioned people in that they were unaffected by the state of landscape or vicissitude of life. When serving in court they worry about the people; when among the common people they worry about the monarch. If asked ‘when will you be free of all those worries?’, they would surely answer, ‘One should be the first in his country to worry about state affairs, and the last to enjoy oneself.’ Ah, they are the only congenial companions I may wish to have!

翻译（版本二）：

Sighing of sorrow! I have looked for the minds of the ancient people with lofty ideas. They were perhaps not alike both states as above mentioned. Why? They don't joy for substance and don't feel sad for themselves. When situated at the high post in the imperial court, they worried about people and when located at the corners far away the capital, they worried about the Emperor. Therefore, advance would cause them worrying and retreat would also cause them worrying. In that case, if I asked, "When they joy?" They had to say: "Worry should be before, and joy must be after those of the people." Alas! If there were not such spirited people, whom would I go together with ?