{"id":7759,"date":"2019-10-02T02:12:38","date_gmt":"2019-10-02T02:12:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/chinesemoment.com\/chinese-reading\/the-story-behind-the-idiom\/"},"modified":"2019-10-02T02:12:38","modified_gmt":"2019-10-02T02:12:38","slug":"the-story-behind-the-idiom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chinesemoment.com\/mm\/the-story-behind-the-idiom\/","title":{"rendered":"The Story Behind the Idiom"},"content":{"rendered":"
As you’re probably aware, most Chinese idioms are 4-character co<\/em>nstructs that make little sense unless you know the story behind them. this one, \u5357\u8f95\u5317\u8f99, means “to do something that acts against your own best interests”. The story behind this idiom talks a<\/em>bout the follies of a man traveling the wrong direction on his way to the Kingdom of Chu, who refuses against all wisdom and advice to go the right way.
Character Breakdown
\u5357 – nán – South
\u8f95 – yuán – Shafts on a cart between which a draft animal is harnessed
\u5317 – b\u011bi – North
\u8f99 – zhé – Rut, wheel tracks
Interesting Vocabulary
\u76d8\u7f20 – pán chan – Traveling money
\u9a8f\u9a6c – jùn m\u01ce – Steed
\u4e0d\u95ee\u9752\u7ea2\u7682\u767d – bù wèn q\u012bng hóng zào bái – Doesn’t distinguish between right and wrong, or between obvious differences
\u6ee1\u4e0d\u5728\u4e4e – m\u01cen bù zài hu – Unconcernedly
\u963b\u6b62 – z\u01d4 zh\u01d0 – Prevent
\u9192\u609f – x\u01d0ng wù – Come to realize
\u529d\u963b – quàn z\u01d4 – Dissuade
\u65e0\u5948 – wú nài – For lack of a better option
\u529d\u544a – quàn gào – Urge, exhort
\u4e00\u610f\u5b64\u884c – y\u012b yì gù xíng – Obstinately stick to, dogmatic<\/p>\n

\u4ece\u524d\u6709\u4e00\u4e2a\u4eba\uff0c\u4ece\u9b4f\u56fd\u5230\u695a\u56fd\u53bb\u3002\u4ed6\u5e26\u4e0a\u5f88\u591a\u7684\u76d8\u7f20\uff0c\u96c7\u4e86\u4e0a\u597d\u7684\u8f66\uff0c\u9a7e\u4e0a\u9a8f\u9a6c\uff0c\u8bf7\u4e86\u9a7e\u8f66\u6280\u672f\u7cbe\u6e5b\u7684\u8f66\u592b\uff0c\u5c31\u4e0a\u8def\u4e86\u3002\u695a\u56fd\u5728\u9b4f\u56fd\u7684\u5357\u9762\uff0c\u53ef\u8fd9\u4e2a\u4eba\u4e0d\u95ee\u9752\u7ea2\u7682\u767d\u8ba9\u9a7e\u8f66\u4eba\u8d76\u7740\u9a6c\u8f66\u4e00\u76f4\u5411\u5317\u8d70\u53bb\u3002
\u8def\u4e0a\u6709\u4eba\u95ee\u4ed6\u7684\u8f66\u662f\u8981\u5f80\u54ea\u513f\u53bb\uff0c\u4ed6\u5927\u58f0\u56de\u7b54\u8bf4: “\u53bb\u695a\u56fd\uff01”\u8def\u4eba\u544a\u8bc9\u4ed6\u8bf4: “\u5230\u695a\u56fd\u53bb\u5e94\u5f80\u5357\u65b9\u8d70\uff0c\u4f60\u8fd9\u662f\u5728\u5f80\u5317\u8d70\uff0c\u65b9\u5411\u4e0d\u5bf9\u3002\u90a3\u4eba\u6ee1\u4e0d\u5728\u4e4e\u5730\u8bf4:”\u6ca1\u5173\u7cfb\uff0c\u6211\u7684\u9a6c\u5feb\u7740\u5462!” \u8def\u4eba\u66ff\u4ed6\u7740\u6025\uff0c\u62c9\u4f4f\u4ed6\u7684\u9a6c\uff0c\u963b\u6b62\u4ed6\u8bf4, “\u65b9\u5411\u9519\u4e86\uff0c\u4f60\u7684\u9a6c\u518d\u5feb\uff0c\u4e5f\u5230\u4e0d\u4e86\u695a\u56fd\u5440!” \u90a3\u4eba\u4f9d\u7136\u6beb\u4e0d\u9192\u609f\u5730\u8bf4: “\u4e0d\u8981\u7d27\uff0c\u6211\u5e26\u7684\u8def\u8d39\u591a\u7740\u5462!” \u8def\u4eba\u6781\u529b\u529d\u963b\u4ed6\u8bf4:“\u867d\u8bf4\u4f60\u8def\u8d39\u591a\uff0c\u53ef\u662f\u4f60\u8d70\u7684\u4e0d\u662f\u90a3\u4e2a\u65b9\u5411\uff0c\u4f60\u8def\u8d39\u591a\u4e5f\u53ea\u80fd\u767d\u82b1\u5440!” \u90a3\u4e2a\u4e00\u5fc3\u53ea\u60f3\u7740\u8981\u5230\u695a\u56fd\u53bb\u7684\u4eba\u6709\u4e9b\u4e0d\u8010\u70e6\u5730\u8bf4: “\u8fd9\u6709\u4ec0\u4e48\u96be\u7684\uff0c\u6211\u7684\u8f66\u592b\u8d76\u8f66\u7684\u672c\u9886\u9ad8\u7740\u5462!” \u8def\u4eba\u65e0\u5948\uff0c\u53ea\u597d\u677e\u5f00\u4e86\u62c9\u4f4f\u8f66\u628a\u5b50\u7684\u624b\uff0c\u773c\u7741\u7741\u770b\u7740\u90a3\u4e2a\u76f2\u76ee\u4e0a\u8def\u7684\u9b4f\u4eba\u8d70\u4e86\u3002
\u90a3\u4e2a\u9b4f\u56fd\u4eba\uff0c\u4e0d\u542c\u522b\u4eba\u7684\u6307\u70b9\u529d\u544a\uff0c\u4ed7\u7740\u81ea\u5df1\u7684\u9a6c\u5feb\u3001\u94b1\u591a\u3001\u8f66\u592b\u597d\u7b49\u4f18\u8d8a\u6761\u4ef6\uff0c\u671d\u7740\u76f8\u53cd\u65b9\u5411\u4e00\u610f\u5b64\u884c\u3002\u90a3\u4e48\uff0c\u4ed6\u6761\u4ef6\u8d8a\u597d\uff0c\u4ed6\u5c31\u53ea\u4f1a\u79bb\u8981\u53bb\u7684\u5730\u65b9\u8d8a\u8fdc\uff0c\u56e0\u4e3a\u4ed6\u7684\u5927\u65b9\u5411\u9519\u4e86\u3002
\u8fd9\u4e2a\u6545\u4e8b\u544a\u8bc9\u6211\u4eec\uff0c\u65e0\u8bba\u505a\u4ec0\u4e48\u4e8b\uff0c\u90fd\u8981\u9996\u5148\u770b\u51c6\u65b9\u5411\uff0c\u624d\u80fd\u53d1\u5145\u5206\u6325\u81ea\u5df1\u7684\u6709\u5229\u6761\u4ef6\uff1b\u5982\u679c\u65b9\u5411\u9519\u4e86\uff0c\u90a3\u4e48\u6709\u5229\u6761\u4ef6\u53ea\u4f1a\u8d77\u5230\u76f8\u53cd\u7684\u4f5c\u7528\u3002<\/p>\n

Long ago, there was a man traveling from the Kingdom of Wei to the Kingdom of Chu. He took a lot of traveling mo<\/em>ney with him, hired a good carriage, harnessed it to a strong steed, hired an exquisitely skilled driver, and then began his journey. The Kingdom of Chu was to the south of the Kingdom of Wei, but this man couldn’t tell the difference when the driver rode away towards the north.
On the road, a passing traveler asked wher they were going. The man loudly answered, “We’re going to the Kindom of Chu!”. The traveler told him, “If you’re going to Chu, you should go south. You’re going north, it’s the wrong direction.” The man unco<\/em>ncernedly replied, “No problem! My horse is very fast.” Worried for him, the traveler pulled at the horse, and warned, “You’re going the wrong way. Even if your horse was even faster than it is, you still won’t reach the Kingdom of Chu!” Still not seeing the truth, the man said, “Don’t worry, I’ve brought a lot of mo<\/em>ney with me.” Making a co<\/em>ncerted effort to dissuade him, the traveler said, “Though you may have a lot of money, you’re still going the wrong direction, and your mo<\/em>ney will be spent in vain.” Thinking of nothing other than getting to the Kingdom of Chu, the man impatiently said, “It’s not a problem, my driver is extremely skilled!” Out of options, the traveler let go of the carriage and watched helplessly as the aimless man from Wu rode away.
The man from Wu didn’t listen to anyone’s exhortations, relying on his fast horse, his money, his driver’s skill and many other favorable conditions, and obstinately co<\/em>ntinued to go in the opposite direction. Doing this, he could o<\/em>nly co<\/em>ntinue to get further and further away from his goal, because his overall direction was wrong.
This story tells us, no matter what the situation is, we’d better first be sure we’re going the right way, and o<\/em>nly then can we fully employ our other advantages, otherwise those advantages will just cause us pain [lit: have the opposite effect].
<\/div>\n