The Shield and the Spear

HSK 4 · 273 characters · Chinese Idioms

Story behind the idiom: 自相矛盾 - self-contradictory spear and shield

很久hěn jiǔ以前yǐ qián，在zài中国zhōng guó有yǒu一位yī wèi卖mài武器wǔ qì的de商人shāng rén。A long time ago, in China, there was a merchant who sold weapons.有一天yǒu yī tiān，他tā在zài市场shì chǎng里lǐ卖mài东西dōng xi。One day, he was selling things in the market.

他tā拿起ná qǐ一面yī miàn大dà盾牌dùn pái，大声dà shēng对duì大家dà jiā说shuō：「大家dà jiā快kuài来lái看kàn！我的wǒ de盾牌dùn pái是shì世界上shì jiè shàng最zuì坚固jiān gù的de，什么shén me东西dōng xi都dōu刺cì不bù穿chuān它tā！」He picked up a large shield and loudly said to everyone: "Everyone, come quickly and see! My shield is the strongest in the world; nothing can pierce it!"

接着jiē zhe，他tā又yòu举起jǔ qǐ一支yī zhī长矛cháng máo，得意dé yì地de说shuō：「大家dà jiā再zài来lái看kàn！我的wǒ de长矛cháng máo是shì世界上shì jiè shàng最zuì锋利fēng lì的de，不管bù guǎn什么shén me东西dōng xi它tā都dōu能néng刺cì穿chuān！」Then, he proudly raised a spear and said: "Everyone, look again! My spear is the sharpest in the world; it can pierce anything!"

人群rén qún中zhōng有yǒu人rén觉得jué de奇怪qí guài，就jiù问wèn他tā：「如果rú guǒ你nǐ用yòng你nǐ最zuì锋利fēng lì的de长矛cháng máo去qù刺cì你nǐ最zuì坚固jiān gù的de盾牌dùn pái，会huì发生fā shēng什么shén me事shì呢ne？」Someone in the crowd found it strange and asked him: "If you use your sharpest spear to pierce your strongest shield, what would happen?"

这位zhè wèi商人shāng rén听tīng了le以后yǐ hòu，不bù知道zhī dào怎么zěn me回答huí dá，因为yīn wèi他的tā de两liǎng句jù话huà不bù可能kě néng同时tóng shí成立chéng lì。After hearing this, the merchant didn't know how to respond, because his two statements could not both be true at the same time.

他tā尴尬gān gà得de说shuō不bù出chū话huà来lái。He became speechless with embarrassment.

今天jīn tiān，人们rén men用yòng成语chéng yǔ「自相矛盾zì xiāng máo dùn」来lái形容xíng róng一个yī ge人rén说shuō的de话huà或huò做zuò的de事shì前后qián hòu矛盾máo dùn，自己zì jǐ跟gēn自己zì jǐ冲突chōng tū。Today, people use the idiom "self-contradictory spear and shield" to describe someone whose words or actions are inconsistent, conflicting with themselves.

例如lì rú，小美xiǎo měi常cháng跟gēn朋友péng you说shuō：「我wǒ最近zuì jìn要yào好好hǎo hǎo省钱shěng qián。」可是kě shì她tā却què一直yī zhí买mǎi很hěn贵guì的de衣服yī fu和hé包包bāo bāo。For example, Xiaomei often says to her friends: "I recently want to save money." But she keeps buying expensive clothes and bags.这zhè就是jiù shì「自相矛盾zì xiāng máo dùn」，因为yīn wèi她tā说shuō的de和hé做zuò的de完全wán quán不bù一样yī yàng。This is "self-contradictory spear and shield," because what she says and what she does are completely different.