About Learning Chinese through Idioms and Stories: 中英成語歷史典故
Learning idioms and the history and culture behind them is crucial in understanding how east Asian communities view the world. This series aims to bridge the gap between pure form mandarin and modern English and Chinese.
[bàn tú ér fèi]
半 : half
途 : way, or path
而 : and, but, or thus
廢 : stop, give up, or destroy
Def:
比喻做事有始無終，不能堅持到底。
Describing one to quit or give up halfway, and unable to persist to the end.
8 Jun 2024
Re1: 指鹿為馬 (to blatantly lie in the face of truth)
指鹿為馬 (to blatantly lie in the face of truth)
[zhǐ lù wéi mǎ]
指 : to point to, or to refer to
鹿 : deer
為 : to be, as
馬 : horse
Def:
將鹿指稱是馬，以展現自己的威權。比喻人刻意顛倒是非。
Claiming that a deer is a horse, in order to display one’s own power by coercing obedience of others or to blatantly lie in the face of truth. Describing one to intentionally manipulate or to deliberately misrepresent the truth.
31 Jan 2024
0 - Lv.A: 東施效顰
[ dōng shī xiào pín ]
東施: 人名 ；a women that lives on the east side of the village
效 : 仿效 ；copying actions of others
顰 : 皺眉 ；furrowing one’s brows
Def: 比喻盲目胡亂地模仿他人，結果卻適得其反
Describing one to imitate the actions of others without understanding the reason or nature of just to get the opposite effect or to humiliate oneself
26 Jan 2024
0 - Lv.B: 百步穿楊 , 前功盡棄 - 戰國策 蘇厲謂周君 -
[ bǎi bù chuān yáng ] ; [ qián gōng jìn qì ]
百 hundred; 步 paces; 穿 penetrate; 楊 willow
前 previous; 功 achievement; 盡 completely; 棄 abandon
Annals of the Warring States, Su Li advises the Duke of Zhou.
Def: 形容射箭，射擊技藝高超
Describes one to have superb archery or shooting skills.
Def: 指以前辛苦獲得的成果，全部廢棄。
To have results and achievements obtained previously discarded for nothing, wasted.
22 Jan 2024
0 - Lv.C: 才疏學淺 - 漢書·谷永傳 -
[ cái shū xué qiǎn ]
Most commonly used as a self-deprecating remark, describing one to have little talent, uneducated, or possess little or limited knowledge. The tone projected is often one of trying to decline politely or to make concessions for a likely offensive opinion coming up in the conversation. In effect, it is quite similar to saying “Forgive my ignorance…” when used in conversation.
才：才能、能力 ; aptitude, capability
疏：不足、缺少 ; insufficient, lacking
學：學識、知識 ; knowledge, learning
淺：淺薄、膚淺 ; superficial, shallow
The original classical Chinese text can be found in the Book of Han 085 chapter biography of Gu Jung
Contact Learning Chinese through Idioms and Stories: 中英成語歷史典故
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