东汉末年，刘备攻打曹操兵败以后就投奔与荆州的刘表，刘备为了访求人才以成大业，就请荆州的名士司马徽请柬，司马徽说：“此地有伏龙，凤雏二人，得一可安天下”。后来刘备得知伏龙就是诸葛亮，诸葛亮姓“诸葛”名“亮”字“孔明”，原籍山东琅琊，诸葛亮隐居在湖北襄阳城西20公里的隆中，人称“卧龙先生”他住在卧龙岗旁边的茅屋里，他精研史书，是一个杰出的人才，刘备前后三次冒着大雪去隆中拜访诸葛亮，前两次诸葛亮都不见，第三次诸葛亮才与刘备相见，并在茅屋里与刘备讨论天下大势。刘备对诸葛亮的才学和见解佩服得五体投地，并愿意拜诸葛亮为师，一再请求诸葛亮出山相助他恢复汉室江山，诸葛亮被刘备三顾茅庐诚意所打动，答应了刘备的请求，从此诸葛亮当了刘备的军师。

     小朋友们，三顾茅庐就是出自这个故事，三顾茅庐，“顾”是指拜访，“茅庐”指草屋，意思是刘备三次到诸葛亮的茅屋去请他出山。比喻真诚地邀请别人，向别人求教，也作“三请诸葛”、“草庐三顾”、“茅庐三顾”。

      三顾茅庐英译：call on someone repeatedly to enlist his help, etc.

三顾茅庐英文版
Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage

        After they had become sworn brothers at Taoyuan, Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei made concerted efforts to restore the Han Dynasty. But they felt that it would be impossible to do it without the help of a smart adviser. The Liu-Guan-Zhang alliance later won one battle after another thanks to the advice of Xu Shu. But before long, Xu had to surrender to the opposing camp of Cao Cao in order to save the life of his mother who was abducted by the Cao troops. Before he left, Xu Shu recommended Zhuge Liang to the brothers.

       Accompanied by Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, Liu Bei went to Wolonggang in Longzhong in the hope of inviting Zhuge Liang to be their military adviser. But Zhuge's servant said: "The Mentor left in the morning."Liu Bei asked the servant to forward to Zhuge Liang his message that the brothers had come to visit him. After that, Liu rode his horse away, returning home sullenly. A few days later when he learned that Zhuge Liang was at home, Liu Bei went for another visit along with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. The servant said: "The Mentor is reading books at his thatched cottage." Liu requested to see him. When they learned that the one reading books at the thatched cottage was not Zhuge Liang himself but his brother Zhuge Jun, the Liu-Guan-Zhang brothers left a letter to express their admiration and then braved heavy snows to return home.

       Not long after they returned to their barracks at Xinye, Liu Bei wanted to visit Zhuge Liang's thatched cottage once more. But Guan Yu dissuaded Liu from going by saying that perhaps Zhuge Liang was not as smart as expected and that he was simply dodging the visiting brothers for that. Zhang Fei said: "You don't need to go. I'll tie him up and force him to come and see you instead." Liu Bei lost no time in telling his brothers the story of King Wen bent on visiting one of his subjects called Jiang Ziya. Liu, Guan and Zhang, therefore, paid a third visit to Wolonggang. They had no sooner arrived than the servant said: "The Mentor is sleeping." Liu Bei waited until Zhuge Liang was awake and dressed . Finally, he consented to see the brothers. Liu Bei paid three visits to the thatched cottage without complaint. He finally succeeded in inviting Zhuge Liang to be his military adviser and to help the brothers in their cause.