Give Up Halfway

HSK 4 · 258 characters · Chinese Idioms

Story behind the idiom: 半途而廢 - 'to give up halfway'

从前cóng qián，有个yǒu gè叫jiào乐羊子Yuè Yáng zǐ的de人rén捡到jiǎn dào一块yī kuài金子jīn zǐ。Once upon a time, a man named Leyangzi found a piece of gold.兴冲冲地xìng chōng chōng de拿回家ná huí jiā给gěi妻子qī zi看kàn。He excitedly brought it home to show his wife.没想到méi xiǎng dào妻子qī zi却què皱起zhòu qǐ眉头méi tóu。Unexpectedly, his wife frowned.妻子qī zi说shuō：“真正的zhēn zhèng de财富cái fù要yào靠kào自己zì jǐ努力nǔ lì，这种zhè zhǒng金子jīn zǐ不能bù néng拿ná。”His wife said, 'True wealth must come from one's own efforts; you cannot take such gold.'乐羊子Yuè Yáng zǐ听后tīng hòu羞愧不已xiū kuì bù yǐ，便biàn决定jué dìng离家lí jiā外出wài chū求学qiú xué。After hearing this, Leyangzi was deeply ashamed and decided to leave home to pursue his studies.

一年后yī nián hòu，他tā突然tū rán回到huí dào家中jiā zhōng。A year later, he suddenly returned home.妻子qī zi正在zhèng zài织布zhī bù，惊讶地jīng yà de问wèn：“怎么zěn me这么zhè me快kuài就jiù回来huí lai了le？”His wife was weaving cloth and, surprised, asked, 'Why have you come back so soon?'乐羊子Yuè Yáng zǐ说shuō他tā太tài想家xiǎng jiā了le。Leyangzi said he missed home too much.妻子qī zi听后tīng hòu，立刻lì kè举起jǔ qǐ剪刀jiǎn dāo，“咔嚓kā chā”一声yī shēng剪断了jiǎn duàn le织到zhī dào一半yī bàn的de布bù。Upon hearing this, his wife immediately lifted the scissors and, with a 'snip', cut the half-woven cloth.这zhè布bù剪断了jiǎn duàn le，前功尽弃qián gōng jìn qì。When the cloth was cut, all previous efforts were wasted.学习xué xí如果rú guǒ半途而废bàn tú ér fèi，不bù也yě一样yī yàng吗ma？If one abandons learning halfway, isn't it the same?

“半途而废bàn tú ér fèi”字面zì miàn意思yì si是shì“走到zǒu dào一半yī bàn就jiù停下来tíng xià lái不bù做zuò了le”。'Bàn tú ér fèi' literally means 'to stop halfway and not continue.'这个zhè ge成语chéng yǔ来源于lái yuán yú乐羊子Yuè Yáng zǐ妻子qī zi劝他quàn tā坚持jiān chí求学qiú xué的de故事gù shì，比喻bǐ yù做事zuò shì中途zhōng tú放弃fàng qì，缺乏quē fá毅力yì lì和hé恒心héng xīn。This idiom comes from the story of Leyangzi's wife urging him to persevere in his studies and figuratively describes giving up halfway, lacking determination and perseverance.现在xiàn zài我们wǒ men常用cháng yòng它tā来lái提醒tí xǐng自己zì jǐ：遇到yù dào困难kùn nan也yě要yào坚持jiān chí到底dào dǐ。Nowadays we often use it to remind ourselves that when we encounter difficulties, we must persist until the end.比如bǐ rú健身jiàn shēn计划jì huà就jiù不能bù néng半途而废bàn tú ér fèi，否则fǒu zé很hěn难nán看到kàn dào成果chéng guǒ。For example, you cannot abandon a fitness plan halfway; otherwise, it's hard to see results.