Blind Men Touching the Elephant

HSK 5 · 288 characters · Chinese Idioms

Story behind the idiom: 盲人摸象 - Blind Men Touching the Elephant

很久hěn jiǔ很久hěn jiǔ以前yǐ qián，有yǒu四sì个gè盲人máng rén很hěn想xiǎng知道zhī dào大象dà xiàng长zhǎng什么shén me样yàng。Long, long ago, there were four blind men who really wanted to know what an elephant looked like.可kě他们tā men看不见kàn bù jiàn，只能zhǐ néng用手yòng shǒu摸mō。But they couldn't see it and could only touch it with their hands.

第dì一yī个gè盲人máng rén摸到了mō dào le大象dà xiàng的de牙齿yá chǐ，就jiù说shuō：“我wǒ知道zhī dào了le！大象dà xiàng就像jiù xiàng一个yī ge大萝卜dà luó bo！”The first blind man felt the elephant's tusks and said, 'I know it! The elephant is like a big radish!'

第二个dì èr gè盲人máng rén抓住zhuā zhù大象dà xiàng的de耳朵ěr duo，大声dà shēng反驳fǎn bó：“不对bù duì不对bù duì，大象dà xiàng明明míng míng是shì一把yī bǎ大扇子dà shàn zi！”The second blind man grabbed the elephant's ear and loudly retorted, 'No, no, the elephant is clearly a big fan!'第三个dì sān gè盲人máng rén抱住bào zhù大象dà xiàng的de腿tuǐ直zhí摇头yáo tóu。The third blind man hugged the elephant's leg and shook his head.你们nǐ men都dōu错了cuò le，它tā根本gēn běn是shì一根yī gēn粗柱子cū zhù zi！'You're all wrong; it's simply a thick pillar!'第四个dì sì gè盲人máng rén扯着chě zhe大象dà xiàng的de尾巴wěi ba笑xiào。The fourth blind man tugged at the elephant's tail and laughed.大象dà xiàng哪nǎ有yǒu那么nà me粗cū？不过bù guò是shì一根yī gēn绳子shéng zi嘛ma！'An elephant isn't that thick; it's just a rope!'

四人sì rén吵得chǎo de面红耳赤miàn hóng ěr chì，都dōu咬定yǎo dìng自己zì jǐ摸到mō dào的de才cái是shì真的zhēn de大象dà xiàng。The four men argued until they were flushed red in the face, each insisting that what they felt was the true elephant.可kě实际上shí jì shàng——他们tā men全都quán dōu错了cuò le，因为yīn wèi没人méi rén看到kàn dào大象dà xiàng的de全貌quán mào。But in reality—they were all wrong because no one saw the elephant's full form.

后来hòu lái，人们rén men把bǎ这个zhè ge故事gù shì叫作jiào zuò“盲人摸象máng rén mō xiàng”，专笑zhuān xiào那些nà xiē只凭zhǐ píng片面piàn miàn就jiù下结论xià jié lùn的de人rén。Later, people called this story 'Blind Men and the Elephant,' mocking those who draw conclusions from fragments.如今rú jīn我们wǒ men用yòng它tā提醒tí xǐng自己zì jǐ：看事kàn shì要yào完整wán zhěng，方知fāng zhī真相zhēn xiàng。Now we use it to remind ourselves: one must see the whole picture to know the truth.

比如bǐ rú，一个yī ge外国人wài guó rén吃了口chī le kǒu四川sì chuān火锅huǒ guō就jiù喊hǎn：“中国菜zhōng guó cài全都quán dōu辣死人là sǐ rén！”For example, a foreigner who takes a bite of Sichuan hot pot might exclaim, 'All Chinese food is unbearably spicy!'

你nǐ便biàn能néng笑xiào他tā：“别bié‘盲人摸象máng rén mō xiàng’啦la！”You can then laugh at him and say, 'Stop the blind-man-touching-elephant act!'粤菜yuè cài清淡qīng dàn，淮扬菜Huái yáng cài鲜甜xiān tián——您nín才cái尝了cháng le多少duō shǎo呢ne？Cantonese cuisine is mild, Huaiyang cuisine is fresh and sweet—how much of it have you truly tasted?