(46) Only One Side is Willing 一厢情愿
Many years ago, a farmer happened to see the King's daughter in the capital. He lost his heart to her at once. After returning, he missed the princess day and night. Soon, he was ill.
His friends and relatives came to see him. When they knew the reason why the farmer was ill, they thought it was quite difficult to help the farmer, for the King would never consent to his daughter marrying a poor man.
But the sick man sighed sadly:" If I can't get the princess, I will be dead." His friends tried to persuade him, but in vain. So they had to play a trick. Some days later, they came to see the man again and told him they had asked the princess to marry him, but she rejected. In fact, they had never done it. But the foolish man believed. However, he did not give up his mind. He announced, "if I visit the princess in person, she will say yes." If he did so, you can guess the result.
Later, people use it to describe the man who only considers his own aspiration, ignoring the objective situation and others' opinions.
(47) What Is Said Carries Weight 一言为重
In ancient times, there was a prime minister named Shang Yang in the State of Qin. He was held in high regard by the King. In the year 359 BC, he prepared for a political reform to promote the economic development. But he was afraid that the people would not believe local authorities. He thought an idea.
One day, he had a 10-meter long pole erected at the south gate outside the capital. Then he told the crowd whoever took the pole to the north gate would be awarded 10 ounces of silver. Everyone was astonished, but nobody dared to have a try. After seeing that, Shang Yang raised his voice and said:
"Anyone who carries the pole to the north gate will get 50 ounces of silver." A brave man did it and was be given 50 ounces of silver. Others felt very regretful.
In this way, Shang Yang achieved his aim successfully. Soon the state of Qin became the strongest country.
Later, people use it to praise the man who keeps his promise.
(48) Everything is Ready Except the East Wind 万事具备,只欠东风
China has been divided into three kingdoms historically: Wei in the north, Shu in the southwest and Wu in the southeast.
Once Cao Cao from Wei led a 200,000 strong army down to the south to wipe out the kingdoms of Wu and Shu. Therefore, Wu and Shu united to defend his attack.
Cao ordered his men to link up the boats by iron chains to form a bridge for the Cao's passing from the north bank of Yangtze River to the south bank.
The General Commander of the allied army was Zhou Yu. He analyzed the situation carefully. Then he got a good idea. He decided to attack the enemy with fire. So he began to prepare for the coming battle. Suddenly he thought of the direction of wind. He needed the east wind to blow strongly in order to accomplish his scheme. However, the wind did not come for days. Thus Zhou Yu was worried about it. At that time, he got a note from Zhuge Liang, the military adviser of the State of Shu, which reads:
"To fight Cao Cao
Fire will help you win
Everything is ready
Except the east wind"
Quickly he turned to Zhuge Liang for help. Zhuge told him not to worry and there would be an east wind in a couple of days. Two days later, the east wind helped Zhou accomplish his scheme. At last, the allied army won the war.
Later, people use it to say "All is ready except what is crucial".
(49) Extreme Joy Begets Sorrow 乐极生悲
Chunyu Kun lived in the state of Qi during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC). He was wise, humorous and eloquent. He skillfully advised the king on many occasions and successfully went to many states as an envoy.
In the year 349 BC, the State of Chu dispatched a large force to attack Qi. The king of Qi sent Chunyu Kun to the state of Zhao to ask for help, with a lot of valuable gifts. The king of Zhao accpeted the gifts gladly and sent a hundred thousand troops to help Qi. The king of Chu withdrew his army that very night as soon as he got the news.
The king of Qi was released and pleased with Chunyu Kun. He set a banquet for celebration. During the meal, the king asked Chunyu Kun, "How much wine can you drink before you're drunk, Sir?" Knowing the king had a bad habit of drinking all night, Chunyu Kun decided to take this chance to admonish the king. So he replied, "I get drunk when I drink ten litres or hundred."
Puzzled, the king asked, "Since you are drunk after ten litres, how can you finish another ninty litres?"
Chunyu Kun then explained that he could drink different amounts of wine under different conditions. He said, "This occurs to me that when you drink to your limit, you get so drunk that you lose your sense; once joy reaches its height, then it's sorrow's turn. This is the rule for everything. Whatever you do, you are bound to end up in the opposite direction when you exceed the limits."
Realizing Chunyu Kun was advising him, the king answered, "You are right. I will take your advice."
From then on, the king of Qi gave up his bad habit of drinking and playing all night.
(50) The horse which does harm to the herd-A black sheep 害群之马
It was about four thousand years ago. Huangdi (Yellow Emperor) - the first legendary ruler in China went to the countryside to visit an old friend with his entourage. They met a boy keeping watch over a herd of horses on their way.
Huangdi asked the boy, "Do you know the way to my friend's village far away from here?"
The boy said yes.
Then the emperor asked, "Do you know my friend?"
The answer was yes again.
Huangdi thought the boy was broad-minded. So he asked him, "Do you know how to rule a country?"
The boy said, "There is little difference between ruling a country and watching over a herd of horses. You simply have to drive the wild horses out of the herd."
The emperor left, brooding over the boy's words.
The idiom is taken from what the boy said and is used to describe anyone who has a bad influence on his peers.
(51) So long as you have put a great deal of effort, you can grind an iron rod into a needle-Perseverance spells success 只要功夫深,铁棒磨成针
This legend is about Li Bai, a great poet in Tang Dynasty.
Li Bai was naughty and disliked study when he was a child. One day he saw an old woman grinding an iron rod on a big stone when he was playing by a river. Driven by curiosity, Li Bai came up and asked,
"What are you doing, granny?"
"Grinding an iron rod," said the old women without stopping grinding.
"Then what for?" he asked again.
"To make a sewing needle," was the answer.
"What?!" little Li Bai was puzzled, "you want to grind so big a rod into a needle? It will take many years."
"This doesn't matter. As long as I persevere in doing so, there is nothing you cannot achieve in the world. Certainly I can make a needle from the rod."
Deeply moved by what the old woman said, Li Bai took effort to study since then and finally became one of the greatest poets in China.
(52) The plum tree sacrifices itself for the peach tree - Sacrifice oneself for another person 李代桃僵
This idiom comes from an old folk song. The last two stanzas go like this.
One family has five brothers, all serving a minister as attendants. Every five days, they go back home for a reunion, decorating their horses and garments with shining gold. They vie with each other for ostentation and extravagance, attracting crowds of onlookers along the road.
Now there is a peach tree by a well, and a plum tree next to it. When worms come to gnaw at the root of the peach tree, the plum tree invites them to gnaw at its own root. Finally, the plum dies, ossified.
Even trees know how to sacrifice for other trees, why can't brothers do the same?
(53) Utopia 世外桃源
During Dong Jin Dynasty (317 - 420), there was an old fisherman in Wu Ling district. One day, he went fishing on a fishing boat. The boat was floating along a stream. The fisherman, unconsciously, lost his way. Suddenly, a beautiful forest of peach trees, with flowers in full bloom, caught his eyes. Curiously, he went on boating to look for the end of the forest. At the end of it stood a mountain with a small cave on the foot. After the fisherman walked through the cave, a whole new world actually displayed in front of him.
People there were leading a peaceful and happy life: they got along with each other harmoniously and did not argue,dispute. The old were having rest quietly and the young playing. It was not like the outer world, it was a world free of turbulence. On seeing the fisherman, people asked him not to tell what he saw there to others.
However, the fisherman told the villagers his experience after returning home. They did not believe him at all and they followed him to see whether it was true. But they cannot find the place anymore.
The idiom is used to describe a secluded and peaceful utopia.
(54) Sheep will easily get lost when there are too many forked roads 误入歧途
One neighbor of Yang Zi, a famous scholar, lost a sheep. He asked all his relatives and friends and Yang Zi's servant for help.
Yang Zi asked, "Why do you send so many people out just for one lost sheep?"
His neighbor said, "Because there are a lot of branch road."
After a while, all the people came back. "Have you found the sheep?" Yang Zi asked.
"No," they answered, "Each road has branch roads and each branch has its forked roads. We just do not know which road to follow. So we give up."
On hearing this, Yang Zi became silent. His student did not understand what the teacher was thinking about. He passed the question to Xin Du Zi, a friend of Yang Zi. Xin Du Zi replied,
"Your tutor is worrying about your study. What have happened reminds him of the difficulty of learning and researching. He thinks that if you fail to find the right orientation and method of study, you can accomplish nothing, just like those people trying to find the lost sheep."
The idiom is used to show that when confronted with so many choices and complicated things, one who seeks truth is likely to get loss or go astray without a correct method.
(55) A Roc's flight of ten thousand li-A bright future 鹏程万里
In the Chinese classic "Chuangtze", there is a legend like this:
Once upon a time, a gigantic fish named Kun lived in the northern sea. No one knew how large it actually was. This fish could change itself into the enormous bird called Peng (roc), measuring thousands of kilometers in length. When the bird was spreading its wings, it looked like huge clouds in the sky. It could, in one stretch, fly from the northern sea to the southern sea on the other side of the globe and soaring up to 90,000 li (45,000 kilometers) in the heaven.
The bird can surely fly over a long distance without stop. Now people use this idiom to with others have a long career or a bright future.
(56) Mr. Jiang has used up his literary talent - At one's wit's end 江郎才尽
During the period of Southern and Northern Dynasties (420-589), there was a man of letters named Jiang Yan, whose father died young. Little Jiang Yan was strenuous and diligent, capable of writing beautiful poems and essays at his early age. He, who was thought highly of by those men of letters of that time, was called Mr. Jiang.
However, the great fame and high position prevent him from go on making progress. His articles and poems written later were not a match to his earlier ones. People said that he was at his wit's end.
(57) Draw a pancake to allay hunger - Feed on illusions 画饼充饥
Lu Yu was a learned man of integrity in the period of Three Kingdoms (220-280), serving as a senior official.
Once the emperor was selecting talents for a post, officials recommended a lot of famous people. The emperor of Wei said, "I would like to let Lu Yu select the right person instead of those well-known but incapable ones. Fame is just like a pancake drawn on the wall. You cannot eat it."
Lu Yu suggested the emperor to combine examination with selection. From then on, officials were appointed according to their real ability. Lu Yu's method for selection was widely praised.
The idiom came from what the emperor said. At first, it indicated enjoying an empty fame". Later, people use it to describe satisfying oneself by imagining things or consoling oneself with false hopes.
(58) Look at someone with a new eye-Treat someone with increased respect 刮目相看
Lv Meng was a general of Wu during the Three Kingdoms Period (220-180). He was born in such a poor family that he did not get any chance to go to the school when he was a child. However, there was still less time for reading when he served in the army after he grew up.
Once the king of Wu summoned Lv Meng and said to him, "Since you are now a general in power, you had better read some books to widen your horizon."
Lv Meng answered, "I am so busy with military affairs that I am afraid I have little time to read."
The King said, "Are you busier than I am? Even I often find time to read books on the art of war and gain much benefit from them. To read more about the experience left by our ancestors will make you progress."
Lv Meng then did according what the king said. He concentrated himself on reading history and military writings. On day, Military Governor Lu Su visited Lv Meng and was surprised to find that Lv Meng had become very knowledgeable. Lu Su, who held Lv Meng in contempt earlier, said, "I did not expect that you would know so much besides fighting! You are not the one you used to be!"
Lv Meng replied, "You should look at a person with a new eye even only after a three days' separation."
The idiom is from Lv Meng's remarks. We use it when we are astonished by others' fabulous progress or improvement, and we should have increased respect for him or her.
(59) Look for a noble steed according to its picture 按图索骥
Bo Le was a famous horse-judging master. He wrote a book titled Xiang Ma Jing (classics of how to judge a horse) to tell people the way of recognizing good horses. It writes, "A good horse is with wide forehead, bulging eyes and round hoofs."
One day, the son of Bo Le went out to look for a good horse according to the description in the book. After a while, he came back, bringing with him a toad.
He told his father, "I have found a horse similar to your picture but its eyes are not bulging enough and hoofs not round." Bo Le did not know whether to laugh or to cry at this.
He kidded his son, "This horse is good at jumping instead of being ridden. What you've done is to look for a horse according to the picture."
From what Bo Le said we draw the idiom, depicting those who work mechanically or try to locate something by following up a clue.
(60) To have an image of bamboo in one's mind 胸有成竹
Wen Yu-ke, a painter of Song Dynasty, was fond of bamboo very much. He planted many groves of bamboo around his house, and he watched them every day to catch their different styles in different seasons.
Therefore, the bamboo he painted always looked true to life.
Su Shi once praised he was good at painting bamboo, because he had already formed images of bamboo in his mind before he actually started painting.
Later "Cheng Zhu Zai Xiong" is often used to describe someone who has already had an overall thinking before he decides to do something. |
