Since ancient times, four-character idioms have been loved by literati and writers because of their catchiness and conciseness, and they have appeared in articles many times.
But did you know that many idioms in history have come from the mouths of famous people, or are excerpted from their famous quotes, or summarized by their deeds?
Today, Shijun shares 50 idioms for you, corresponding to 50 historical celebrities, you may not know all of them!
One Drum (Cao Di)
From "Zuo Chuan: Ten Years of Zhuang Gong": "Husband fights, courage also." One blow of strength, then decline, three and exhaustion. ”
Interpretation: Morale is boosted when the first drum is played. The metaphor is to get the energy up when the momentum is high, and get the job done in one go.
One word thousand gold (Lü Buwei)
From "Historical Records: The Biography of Lü Buweilie": "At the gate of Buxianyang City, a thousand gold is hung on it, and the guests of the princes and travelers of the Yan Dynasty have a person who can increase or lose a word to give a thousand gold. ”
Interpretation: increase and loss of the word, reward a thousand gold. The praise is subtle and cannot be changed.
The Teacher of One Word (Zheng Gu)
From Song Ji Yougong's "Tang Poetry Chronicle": "Zheng Gu changed the poem "Early Plum" by the monk Qi Ji: 'Several branches open' as 'one branch opens'. Bow down together, and people take the valley as a teacher. ”
Paraphrasing: A teacher who corrects a word. Some good poems are more perfect after being changed by others, and the person who changes the word is often called "the master of one word" or "the teacher of one word".
A Thousand Rice (Hanshin)
From "Historical Records: The Biography of the Marquis of Huaiyin": "The letter is fishing under the city, and the drifting mothers are drifting, and there is a mother who sees the letter and is hungry, and the food letter is drifting for dozens of days. Again: "Believe in the country, as you eat and drift from the mother, give a thousand gold." ”
Interpretation: A metaphor for generously repaying those who have been kind to oneself.
Comeback (Xie An)
From "Jin Shu Xie An Biography": "Seclusion in Huiji Dongshan, more than forty years old comeback as Huan Wen Sima, tired of moving Zhongshu, Situ and other important positions, the Jin family relied on turning the crisis into safety. ”
Interpretation: refers to the re-appointment of an important position. It is also a metaphor for losing ground and then gaining momentum again.
Picture poor dagger (Jing Ke)
From "Warring States Policy: Yan Ce III": "King Qin said: 'Get up, take the map held by Wuyang.'" 'Ke both take the picture and give it. Send a picture, the picture is poor and the dagger is seen. ”
Interpretation: A metaphor for the development of things at the end, and the truth or original meaning is revealed.
On paper (Zhao Kuo)
From the "Historical Records: Lian Po Lin Xiangru Biography" records: Zhao Kuo, the son of Zhao Hao, a famous general of Zhao during the Warring States Period, learned the art of war when he was young, and his father couldn't beat him when he talked about military affairs. Later, he succeeded Lian Po as a general of Zhao in the Battle of Changping. I only knew that it was done according to the military book, but I didn't know how to make changes, and as a result, I was defeated by the Qin army.
Paraphrasing: Talking about fighting a war on paper. Metaphors talk about theories and cannot solve practical problems. It is also a metaphor that empty talk cannot become reality.
Guilty of Jing Petition (Lian Po)
From "Historical Records: The Biography of Lian Po Lin Xiangru": "Lian Po heard it, and the flesh was bearable, because the guests apologized to Lin Xiangru. ”
Interpretation: Carry the wattle on your back and ask the other party for sin. It means confessing one's mistake and making amends.
Lying on the salary and tasting the gall (Gou Jian)
From "Historical Records: The Yue King Goujian Family": "The Yue King Gou Lu rebelled against the country, but he was bitter and anxious, put his courage in sitting, sat and lay on his back, and tasted his gall in his diet. ”
Interpretation: Sleep on firewood and grass, eat and sleep to taste bitter gall. Describe people who are hardworking and self-motivated, and work hard.
Unveiling the rod (Chen Sheng)
From Han Jiayi's "On the Passage of Qin": "Chopping wood is a soldier, and unveiling a pole is a flag." ”
Interpretation: Chop down the trunk of a tree as a weapon, raise a bamboo pole as a flag, and resist. Refers to a popular uprising.
Three visits to the thatched house (Liu Bei)
From the Three Kingdoms Shu Zhuge Liang's "Teacher Table": "The first emperor was not despicable to his ministers, he was humiliated by himself, and his ministers were in the grass house. ”
Interpretation: It was originally the story of Liu Bei's visit to Zhuge Liang in the late Han Dynasty. The metaphor is sincere and invites repeatedly.
Ruzi can be taught (Zhang Liang)
From "Historical Records: Liuhou Family": "The father went to the house, returned, and said: 'The son can be taught. ’”
Interpretation: Refers to young people who can be cultivated.
Embattled (Xiang Yu)
From "Historical Records: Xiang Yu Benji": "Under the wall of King Xiang's army, the soldiers were small and the food was exhausted, and the Han army and the princes were surrounded by several soldiers. At night, when he heard that the Han army was singing on all sides, King Xiang was shocked and said: "The Han army has already won Chuhu? ’”
Interpretation: A metaphor for being trapped in a situation of being surrounded by enemies on all sides and isolated.
Old and strong (horse aid)
From "The Book of the Later Han Dynasty: The Biography of Ma Yuan": "The husband is the ambition, the poor should be strong, and the old should be strong." ”
Interpretation: Although he is old, he is more ambitious and motivated.
Throwing pen from Rong (Ban Chao)
From "The Book of the Later Han Dynasty: The Biography of Ban Chao": "The eldest husband has no other ambitions, he should still follow Fu Jiezi, Zhang Qian made meritorious contributions to foreign lands, in order to win the title of marquis, and An Neng has been writing for a long time?"
Definition: Throw away the pen and go to the army. Refers to the literati in the army.
Tyrannical Creatures (Shang King)
From "Shangshu Wucheng": "Today, the king of Shang suffers from no way, violently destroys the heavens, and abuses the people. ”
Interpretation: Originally refers to the mutilation and extinction of all natural things. The latter refers to arbitrarily ruining things, and does not know how to cherish them.
Secretly crossing Chen Cang (Han Shin)
From the second fold of Yuan Anonymous's "Darkness Chencang": "With Fan Xuming repairing the plank road, I can darken the ancient road of Chencang." This Chu soldier doesn't know whether it is wise, and he must arrange troops to guard the plank road. I went to the ancient road of Chencang to intercept him, and I was caught off guard by killing him. ”
Interpretation: A metaphor uses an illusion to confuse the other person, but in fact has other intentions.
The Food of the Coming (Qianao)
From "The Book of Rites: Under the Tan Bow": "Yu Wei does not eat the food that comes, so that Si Ye!"
Definition: Refers to insulting almsgiving.
Angry Hair Rush Crown (Lin Xiangru)
From "Historical Records: Lian Po Lin Xiangru Biography": "It is like standing on the pillar because of the bib, and the crown is rushed to the crown in anger. ”
Definition: Refers to anger that hair stands on end and a hat is on. Describe extreme anger.
Hand Roll (Lu Meng)
From "The Biography of the Three Kingdoms, Wu Shu, and Lu Meng", the annotation of "The Biography of Jiangbiao": "Guangwu is the business of soldiers and horses, and he can't release the volume. ”
Interpretation: Books do not leave the hand. Described as diligent and studious.
Wei Ed. Three Uniques (Confucius)
From "Historical Records: The Family of Confucius": "Reading "Yi", Wei compiled three uniques. ”
Interpretation: The leather rope of the bamboo slip was broken three times. It is a metaphor for reading diligently.
Conformism (Mozi)
From Ming Huang Zongxi's "Preface to Qian Huishan Poems": "Such as Zhong Rongzhi's "Poems", distinguishing the body of Mingzong, it is not a matter of sticking to one family. ”
Interpretation: It refers to being conservative in thinking and refusing to change the old rules.
Terminally ill (Cai Huan Gong)
From "Zuo Chuan: Ten Years of Chenggong": "You can't do anything about it, above it, under the ointment, you can't attack it, you can't reach it, you can't do it, you can't do it." ”
Interpretation: Describes a very serious illness that cannot be treated. The metaphor is that things have reached the point where they cannot be saved.
One person attains the Tao, and the chicken dog ascends to heaven (Liu An)
From Han Wang Chong's "On Heng Daoxu": "Huainan Wang learns the Tao, recruits people with Taoism in the world, pours the respect of a country, and lowers the Taoist arts. Then the king attained the Tao, and his whole family ascended to heaven, and all the animals were immortal, and the dogs barked in the sky, and the chickens crowed in the clouds. ”
Interpretation: When a person attains the Tao face immortal, the whole family even chickens and dogs will ascend to heaven. It is a metaphor that when a person becomes an official, the people who have a relationship with him also follow suit.
Alpine Flowing Water (Yu Boya, Zhongzi Period)
From "Liezi Tang Wen": "Boya drum and qin, aiming to climb the mountain, Zhong Ziqi said: 'Good, E'e Xi is like Mount Tai. 'Aiming at flowing water, he said: 'Good, like a river.' ’”
Interpretation: A metaphor for a confidant or bosom friend. It is also a metaphor for the beauty of music.
Honey Belly Sword (Li Linfu)
From Song Sima Guang's "Zizhi Tongjian: The First Year of Tang Xuanzong Tianbao": "Especially jealous of literary scholars, or yang and goodness, and love to be willing to speak and fall into the yin." It is said that Li Linfu 'has honey in his mouth and a sword in his belly'. ”
Interpretation: Sweet on the lips, ruthless in the heart. Describe the duplicitous and cunning insidious, mostly referring to the femme fatale.
The Wind Whispers (Fu Jian)
From Tang Fang Xuanling's "Book of Jin: The Biography of Xie Xuan": "When I heard the rumors, I thought that the king had arrived. ”
Definition: Describes panic, or self-alarm.
Taishan Beidou (Han Yu)
From "New Tang Dynasty Book: Han Yu Praise": "Since the healing has not been, his words and deeds are great, and scholars look up to him like Mount Tai and the Big Dipper." ”
Interpretation: A metaphor for a person who is of high morals, prestige, or outstanding achievements and is admired by all.
Broken Cauldron (Xiang Yu)
From "Historical Records: Xiang Yu Benji": "Xiang Yu Naixi led troops across the river, all of them were sunk, broke the cauldron, burned the house, and held three days' rations to show that the soldiers would die, and none of them returned their hearts." ”
Interpretation: A metaphor for the determination to do whatever it takes to the end.
East Window Incident (Qin Hui)
From the second fold of Yuan Kong Wenqing's "East Window Incident": "I am the god of the earth, turned into a dumb walker, and in the Lingyin Temple, leaked the prisoner of the east window of the Qin Taishi." ”
Interpretation: The figurative conspiracy has been revealed.
Cheng Men Lixue (Cheng Yi, Yang Shi)
From "History of the Song Dynasty: The Biography of Yang Shi": "When I saw Cheng Yi in Luo, he was forty years old. One day, when I see the Yi, I sit with my eyes and sit quietly, and I stand with Youxing. When you feel the snow, the snow outside the door is a foot deep. ”
Interpretation: Students are respectful and teachable. The metaphor of the teacher.
Commonplace (Yoo Woo-seok)
From Tang Mengdi's "Ability Poems and Emotions" contains Liu Yuxi's poems: "It is commonplace to be accustomed to idle things, and it is cut off from the history of Jiangnan thorns." ”
Definition: Refers to something that is common and not surprising.
Dream Pen Shenghua (Li Bai)
From the Five Dynasties Wang Renyu's "Kaiyuan Tianbao Legacy: Dream Pen Flowers": "When Li Taibai was young, the pen used in his dream gave birth to flowers, and he was famous all over the world before tomorrow. ”
Interpretation: The ability to write metaphors has improved greatly. Also described the article as excellently written.
Power through the back of the paper (Yan Zhenqing)
From Tang Yan Zhenqing's "Zhang Changshi's Twelve Meanings of Brushwork": "When it is used with a front, it often wants to make it pass through the back of the paper, and this success is extremely successful." ”
Interpretation: Describe the calligraphy is strong and powerful, and the pen is almost to the back of the paper. It also describes the poems as profound and concise.
Bamboo in the chest (text and can)
From Song Su Shi's "Wen and the Bamboo Records of the Painted Yundang Valley": "Therefore, to paint bamboo, you must first become a bamboo in your chest." ”
Interpretation: The whole picture of the bamboo in front of the painting bamboo has been in the chest. The metaphor is to make up your mind before you do something.
Shirtless (Xu Chu)
From the fifty-ninth chapter of Ming Luo Guanzhong's "Romance of the Three Kingdoms": "Xu Chu got up, flew back into the formation, took off his armor, was covered with tendons, lifted a knife naked, turned over on the horse, and came to a decisive battle with Ma Chao." ”
Interpretation: Shirtless. The metaphor is to go on the field in person, to carry out the activity undisguisedly.
Horse Leather Shroud (Horse Aid)
From "The Book of the Later Han Dynasty: The Biography of Ma Yuan": "If a man wants to die in the border field, he will be buried in horse leather and his ears will be buried, how can he lie in bed and be evil in the hands of his sons and daughters?"
Interpretation: Wrap a corpse in a horse's skin. Refers to heroic sacrifice on the battlefield.
Yellow robe (Zhao Kuangyin)
From "History of the Song Dynasty: Taizu Benji": "The schools showed their blades in the court and said: 'All armies have no master, and I wish Captain Ce Tai as the Son of Heaven.'" 'Before it was right, there was a yellow coat and the body of the ancestor, and everyone was shouting long live. ”
Interpretation: Five generations later, Zhao Kuangyin mutinied in Chenqiao, and his subordinate generals put on a yellow robe for him and established him as the Son of Heaven. The post-metaphor coup d'état was successful.
Luoyang paper expensive (Zuo Si)
From "Jin Shu Zuo Si Biography": "So the noble families competed to write it, and Luoyang was expensive for it. ”
Interpretation: Figurative writings are valuable and widely circulated.
Last Stand (Han Shin)
From "Historical Records: The Biography of the Marquis of Huaiyin": "Faith is to make ten thousand people go first, go out, and turn their backs to Chen." Zhao Jun saw it and laughed. ”
Interpretation: Indicates that there is no way back. It is a metaphor for fighting to the death with the enemy.
Smelling the Rooster and Dancing (Zu Ti)
From "The Book of Jin: The Biography of Zu Ti": "In the middle of the night, when I heard the rooster crowing, I felt that I said: 'This is not an evil sound. 'Because of the dance. ”
Interpretation: When you hear a rooster crow, you get up and dance your sword. After the metaphor, those who are aspiring to serve the country rise up in time.
Fledgling (Zhuge Liang)
From the thirty-ninth chapter of Ming Luo Guanzhong's "Romance of the Three Kingdoms": "Zhisu broke Cao Gong's courage, and he was the first to make a fugley." ”
Interpretation: The original parable is newly revealed. Now it's a metaphor for just leaving home or school to work. Lack of experience.
Returning to Zhao (Lin Xiangru)
From "Historical Records: Lian Po Lin Xiangru Biography": "The city enters Zhao and Bi stays in Qin; ”
Interpretation: This refers to Lin Xiangru sending He's Bi back to Zhao from Qin intact. The latter metaphor returns the original to the person in good condition.
Retreat (Jin Wen Gong Heavy Ear)
From "Zuo Chuan: The Twenty-third Year of the Duke of Xu": "Jin and Chu ruled the army, met in the Central Plains, and they opened up the king. ”
Interpretation: Take the initiative to retreat ninety miles. It is a metaphor for giving in and avoiding conflict.
Happy (Liu Chan)
From "Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms, Shu Shu, Later Lord Biography" Pei Songzhi's note quotes "Han Jin Spring and Autumn Period": "Ask Zen and say: 'Do you think about Shu?' Zen said: 'I am happy here, but I don't think about Shu. ’”
Interpretation: The metaphor is having fun in a new environment and no longer wanting to go back to the original environment.
Referring to the deer as a horse (Zhao Gao)
From "Historical Records of Qin Shi Huang Benji": "Zhao Gao wanted to be chaotic, and he was afraid that the ministers would not listen, so he set up an inspection first, and held a deer to the second, saying: 'Ma also. The second laughed and said, "The prime minister is mistaken for evil, and the deer is called a horse." 'Ask left and right, left and right or silent, or say Ma Yi Shun Zhao Gao. ”
Interpretation: Pointing to a deer, saying that it is a horse. The metaphor deliberately reverses black and white to confuse right and wrong.
The finishing touch (Zhang Sengqiu)
From Tang Zhang Yanyuan's "Famous Paintings of the Past Dynasties: Zhang Seng Xuan": "The four white dragons of Jinling Anle Temple do not point their eyes, and every cloud: 'The eyes are flying.'" People think it is delusional, but please point it out. Suddenly, the thunder and lightning broke the wall, the two dragons rode the clouds to the sky, and the two dragons did not see the eyes. ”
Interpretation: The original description of the Liang Dynasty painter Zhang Shengqian painted wonderfully. When writing an article or a speech, use a few sentences at key points to point out the essence and make the content vivid and powerful.
Into the wood three points (Wang Xizhi)
From Tang Zhang Huaijun's "Book Break: Wang Xizhi": "Wang Xi's book is a blessing edition, and the workers cut it, and the pen is divided into three points. ”
Interpretation: According to legend, Wang Xizhi wrote on the wooden board, and when the woodworking carved, he found that the handwriting penetrated into the wooden board three minutes deep. Describe calligraphy as very powerful. Now the problem of multi-metaphorical analysis is very profound.
Avoiding Illness and Avoiding Doctors (Cai Huan Gong)
From Song Zhou Dunyi's "Zhou Zitongshu Guo": "Today's people have had, they don't like people's rules, such as protecting diseases and avoiding doctors, and would rather destroy their bodies than have no understanding." ”
Interpretation: Concealing illness and not wanting to heal. The metaphor is afraid of criticism and hiding one's own shortcomings and mistakes.
Do your best (Zhuge Liang)
From the Three Kingdoms, Shu and Zhuge Liang's "Later Teacher's Table": "The minister bows and does his best, and he dies." ”
Interpretation: It refers to diligence and dedication.
In daily life, we must often use these four-character idioms, right? They are concise and can clearly convey the meaning they want to express, so they have endured for a long time and have been passed down for thousands of years.
What other four-character idioms do you know derived from celebrities? Welcome to discuss and share with you in the comment area!
(Material source: WeChat public account Classical Literature and Poetry)