Learn Chinese Words: 拔苗助长 (bá miáo zhù zhǎng)

Tuesday, November 7, 2023

With the development of society and intensified competition, many people are eager for success and hope to achieve significant results in a short period of time. However, this kind of thinking often leads people into the realm of "bá miáo zhù zhǎng", attempting to achieve their goals through unrealistic methods, finally resulting in failure.

Meaning

Try to help the shoots grow by pulling them upward
拔苗助长    
 bá miáo zhù zhǎng
“拔”的意思是拔起bá
"bá"means pull up
“苗”的意思是禾苗miáo 
"miáo" means seedlings of grain crops
“助”的意思是帮助zhù 
"zhù" means to help
“长”的意思是成长zhǎng
"zhǎng" means to grow

Story of 拔苗助长 (bá miáo zhù zhǎng)

In the Chinese classic "Mencius, Gongsun Chou", there is a farmer in Song who cultivates his crops in the fields and thinks that the rice plants are growing too slowly. He pulls them up one by one until he is exhausted and returns home, saying to his wife and son, "Today I helped the rice plants grow." When his son goes to the fields, he sees that all the rice plants are dead.

Revelation

Metaphorically, violating the natural laws of things and seeking quick success. With the development of society and intensified competition, many people are eager for success and hope to achieve significant results in a short period of time. However, this kind of thinking often leads people into the realm of "bá miáo zhù zhǎng", attempting to achieve their goals through unrealistic methods, finally resulting in failure.

Sentences

  1. "You're applying so much fertilizer all at once. Be careful not to overdo it and end up harming the plant.
    一下子给花施这么多肥，小心拔苗助长，适得其反。
     yī xià zi gěi huā shī zhè me duō féi ， xiǎo xīn bá miáo zhù zhǎng ， shì dé qí fǎn.
  2. During holidays is an artificial way of growth, which is like pulling the plants too early.节假日也不让孩子休息，一味让他们学习，这是一种拔苗助长的行为。
    jié jià rì yě bù ràng hái zi xiū xī ， yī wèi ràng tā men xué xí ， zhè shì yī zhǒng bá miáo zhù zhǎng de xíng wéi.
  3. The child is only four years old， If you let him drive, it's no doubt to stir up trouble.
    孩子才四岁，让他们开车，这无疑是拔苗助长。
     hái zi cái sì suì ， ràng tā men kāi chē ， zhè wú yí shì bá miáo zhù zhǎng.

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