Coming as a Bombshell
Said of an obscure person who surprises the world with some spectacular achievement little expected by other.
King Weiwang of Qi of the Warring States Period(戰國)(475~221 B.C) had been on the throne for three years, but he had never attended to state affairs. Seeing that the power and prestige of their country were steadily declining, his ministers were worried.
A man by the name of Chunyu Kun(淳于髡) learned that King Weiwang was fond of solving riddles. So one day he said to him, "Your subject has been puzzled by a riddle. May I beg Your majesty to solve it?" "Go ahead," consented the King, whereupon Chunyu said, "There is a big bird that has been staying in a courtyard of the imperial palace for three years. But not once has it tried its wings or sung. May Your Majesty enlighten your subject by telling him why?"
Fully aware that Chunyu was indirectly referring to him, King Weiwang replied, smiling, "The bird has not used its wings for three years because it wants them to grow stornger. It has not sung for three years because it wants first to size up the situation around. It may not have tried at flying, but once it does, it will storm the sky. It may not have sung, but once it does, it will amaze the world."
Shortly afterwards, King Weiwang began to take the reins of bovernment into his own hands. The national affairs of Qi soon improved markedly.
A man by the name of Chunyu Kun(淳于髡) learned that King Weiwang was fond of solving riddles. So one day he said to him, "Your subject has been puzzled by a riddle. May I beg Your majesty to solve it?" "Go ahead," consented the King, whereupon Chunyu said, "There is a big bird that has been staying in a courtyard of the imperial palace for three years. But not once has it tried its wings or sung. May Your Majesty enlighten your subject by telling him why?"
Fully aware that Chunyu was indirectly referring to him, King Weiwang replied, smiling, "The bird has not used its wings for three years because it wants them to grow stornger. It has not sung for three years because it wants first to size up the situation around. It may not have tried at flying, but once it does, it will storm the sky. It may not have sung, but once it does, it will amaze the world."
Shortly afterwards, King Weiwang began to take the reins of bovernment into his own hands. The national affairs of Qi soon improved markedly.
- obscure
【形】
（薄）暗い、よく見えない
ぼんやりした、はっきりとしない、不明りょう｛ふめいりょう｝な、あいまいな、不透明｛ふとうめい｝な・The origin of the Japanese language remains obscure. (日本語のルーツははっきりしていない。)・This sentence is obscure [ambiguous]. ( この文章の意味はあいまいだ。 )
〔物事が〕目立たない
〔人が〕無名｛むめい｝の・She prefers obscure writers to famous ones because she's a translator.(彼女は翻訳家なので、有名な作家より無名の作家を好む。 )
〔場所が〕人目｛ひとめ｝に付かない、辺ぴな - prestige
【名】
名声｛めいせい｝、威信｛いしん｝、信望｛しんぼう｝、威光｛いこう｝ - riddle
【1名】
なぞなぞ、判じ物
謎、難問｛なんもん｝、難題｛なんだい｝、難解｛なんかい｝な事物｛じぶつ｝
不可解｛ふかかい｝な事物｛じぶつ｝［人］、不可思議｛ふかしぎ｝な人
【1自動】
謎をかける、謎を出す
謎めいたことを言う、分かりにくい言い方をする
【1他動】
～の謎を解く、～に（謎）を解いてやる、（秘密｛ひみつ｝を）解いてやる
～を謎めかす、不可解｛ふかかい｝にする、（人）を惑わす - size up
【句自動】
〔基準｛きじゅん｝などに〕達する・The film did not size up to Hollywood standards. (その映画はハリウッドの基準に達していなかった。 )
大きくなる・This ring is 5 but can size up to 6 1/2 at no charge.(この指輪は9号ですが13号まで無料で大きくできます。)
【句他動】
～のサイズ［寸法｛すんぽう｝］を測る
〔状況｛じょうきょう｝などを〕判断｛はんだん｝する、品定めする、評価｛ひょうか｝する・The commander sized up the situation and commanded his army to move forward.(司令官は状況を判断すると自軍に対して前進するよう命じた。 )
～のサイズを大きくする、～の容量｛ようりょう｝を増加｛ぞうか｝させる・I sized up the original capture file by increasing the print size. (プリント・サイズを大きくすることで元のキャプチャ・ファイルの容量を増加させた。) - rein
【名】
手綱｛たづな｝、拘束｛こうそく｝、統制｛とうせい｝、統御力｛とうぎょ りょく｝、支配権｛しはいけん｝、指揮権｛しきけん｝
