Used to describe a person whose eyes are shaded by something trivial so that all things farther or more important are shut out.
Once upon a time, there was a poor man who read form a book that the tree leaves behind which a mantis hid while trying to catch a cicada could conceal a person from mortal eyes, So he made up his mind to find such leaves. He swept up a heap of leaves from under a tree and carried them home. Then he tested their worth one by one. Holding one of them in front of his eyes, he repeatedly asked his wife. "Can you see me any more?" "Yes, I can" was her invariable answer. Tired of being unendingly bothered with the same stupid question, one day she tried to deceive him by saying, "No, I can't see you any longer."
Overjoyed, the poor man went to the market place with that "magic" leaf and helped himself to what he could lay his hands on. He was caught in the act. At the court, he told the magistrate his story. "But aren't you afraid of being discovered by others?" asked the magistrate. "No." the poor man confessed. "because once I cover my eyes with such a magic leaf, I won't be able to see anything before me."
The magistrate burst into laughter and ordered his release.
- trivial
【形】
ささいな、取るに足りない、瑣末｛さまつ｝な◆【語源】ラテン語tri(three) + via(road)・Look at the important issues, not the trivial ones. ( ささいな問題ではなく、重要な問題を見なさい。)
普通｛ふつう｝の、平凡｛へいぼん｝な - mantis
【名】
《昆虫》カマキリ - cicada
【名】
《虫》セミ◆【複】cicadas - conceal
【他動】
〔物・情報・事実などを〕隠す、隠匿｛いんとく｝する、秘密｛ひみつ｝にする・Don't try to conceal anything. Confess! ( 包み隠さず白状しろ！) - invariable
【名】
不変｛ふへん｝のもの
《数学》定数｛ていすう｝【形】
変わらない、変えられない
《数学》不変｛ふへん｝の、一定｛いってい｝の、定数｛ていすう｝の - confess
【自動】
〔自己｛じこ｝に不利益｛ふりえき｝な事実｛じじつ｝を〕認める・Even if Bob did confess, I do not believe that he killed that woman. - 【他動】〔過ち・罪などを〕告白｛こくはく｝［白状｛はくじょう｝・自供｛じきょう｝］する・He didn't confess his crime even after he was found guilty. (彼は有罪の評決が下った後でさえ、犯行を自白しなかった。)
(the soures from the internet and the book "The Best Chinese Idioms")
沒有留言:
張貼留言