濫竽充數
See also: 滥竽充数
Chinese
editfilling a position without having the necessary qualifications | to add unqualified members to a group of experts; to pad the numbers; to make up the number | ||
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trad. (濫竽充數) | 濫竽 | 充數 | |
simp. (滥竽充数) | 滥竽 | 充数 | |
Literally: “to pretend to play the yu in order to make up the numbers”. |
Etymology
editBased on a story in Han Feizi:
- 齊宣王使人吹竽必三百人。
- From: Han Feizi, circa 2nd century BCE
- Qí Xuānwáng shǐ rén chuī yú bì sān bǎi rén.
Nánguō chǔshì qǐng wèi wáng chuī yú, Xuānwáng yuè zhī, lǐnshí yǐ shù bǎi rén.
Xuānwáng sǐ, Mǐnwáng lì, hào yīyī tīng zhī, chǔshì táo. [Pinyin] - Whenever King Xuan of Qi had men play the yu [a mouth organ], there had to be 300 men playing simultaneously.
A reclusive scholar, by the name of Nanguo [lit. southern wall of a city], who was unable to play the instrument, asked if he could join the ensemble and play the yu for the king. King Xuan was delighted by this, and dispensed enough food rations for several hundred musicians.
Then, King Xuan died, and King Min took the throne. He preferred to listen to the yu players one-by-one, so the reclusive scholar fled. (Wiktionary translation)
南郭處士請為王吹竽,宣王說之,廩食以數百人。
宣王死,湣王立,好一一聽之,處士逃。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
齐宣王使人吹竽必三百人。
南郭处士请为王吹竽,宣王说之,廪食以数百人。
宣王死,湣王立,好一一听之,处士逃。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
Pronunciation
edit- Mandarin
- Cantonese (Jyutping): laam6 jyu4 cung1 sou3 / laam5 jyu4 cung1 sou3 / laam5 jyu1 cung1 sou3
- Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Hanyu Pinyin:
- Zhuyin: ㄌㄢˋ ㄩˊ ㄔㄨㄥ ㄕㄨˋ
- Tongyong Pinyin: lànyúchongshù
- Wade–Giles: lan4-yü2-chʻung1-shu4
- Yale: làn-yú-chūng-shù
- Gwoyeu Romatzyh: lannyuchongshuh
- Palladius: ланьюйчуншу (lanʹjujčunšu)
- Sinological IPA (key): /län⁵¹ y³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰʊŋ⁵⁵ ʂu⁵¹/
- (Standard Chinese, erhua-ed)+
- Hanyu Pinyin:
- Zhuyin: ㄌㄢˋ ㄩˊ ㄔㄨㄥ ㄕㄨˋㄦ
- Tongyong Pinyin: lànyúchongshùr
- Wade–Giles: lan4-yü2-chʻung1-shu4-ʼrh
- Yale: làn-yú-chūng-shùr
- Gwoyeu Romatzyh: lannyuchongshull
- Palladius: ланьюйчуншур (lanʹjujčunšur)
- Sinological IPA (key): /län⁵¹ y³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰʊŋ⁵⁵ ʂuɻʷ⁵¹/
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
- Jyutping: laam6 jyu4 cung1 sou3 / laam5 jyu4 cung1 sou3 / laam5 jyu1 cung1 sou3
- Yale: laahm yùh chūng sou / láahm yùh chūng sou / láahm yū chūng sou
- Cantonese Pinyin: laam6 jy4 tsung1 sou3 / laam5 jy4 tsung1 sou3 / laam5 jy1 tsung1 sou3
- Guangdong Romanization: lam6 yu4 cung1 sou3 / lam5 yu4 cung1 sou3 / lam5 yu1 cung1 sou3
- Sinological IPA (key): /laːm²² jyː²¹ t͡sʰʊŋ⁵⁵ sou̯³³/, /laːm¹³ jyː²¹ t͡sʰʊŋ⁵⁵ sou̯³³/, /laːm¹³ jyː⁵⁵ t͡sʰʊŋ⁵⁵ sou̯³³/
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
Idiom
edit濫竽充數
- (figurative, derogatory or humble) to fill a position without having the necessary qualifications; to be a token member of a group; to masquerade as having an ability; to sell seconds at best-quality prices
Categories:
- Literary Chinese terms with quotations
- Chinese lemmas
- Mandarin lemmas
- Cantonese lemmas
- Chinese idioms
- Mandarin idioms
- Cantonese idioms
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- Mandarin chengyu
- Cantonese chengyu
- Chinese terms with IPA pronunciation
- Chinese terms spelled with 濫
- Chinese terms spelled with 竽
- Chinese terms spelled with 充
- Chinese terms spelled with 數
- Chinese derogatory terms
- Chinese humble terms