extraordinary as if done by the spirits(guǐ fǔ shén gōng)

extraordinary as if done by the spirits

Uncanny is an idiom evolved from fable. The idiom comes from Chuang Tzu Da Sheng, which means it is made by ghosts and gods. It's not like a human being can achieve it. It can be used as subject and object in a sentence.

The origin of Idioms

Ziqing cut the wood to make it, and made it. People were shocked to see it. Marquis Lu asked Yan when he saw him and said, "what do you think of him?" They said to each other: what skills do you have? Although, there is a problem. For the sake of sawing, I have never dared to consume gas, but I will fast to meditate. After three days of fasting, I don't dare to celebrate and reward my knights and salaries; after five days of fasting, I don't dare to cherish my reputation; after seven days of fasting, I often forget that I have four bodies. At that time, there was no public court, and its skillful and specialized external bone disappeared. Then go into the mountains and watch the nature and shape. And then prejudice, and then add hand Yan; otherwise already. The reason why the utensils doubt God is that they are in harmony with heaven! (Chuang Tzu Da Sheng, Chuang Tzu, Warring States period)

Idiom story

There was a very skilled carpenter in the state of Lu, named Qing, who was also called Ziqing. He can make all kinds of exquisite wooden ware, which people admire. On one occasion, he carved a stone from wood (the pillars on both sides of the bracket for hanging musical instruments such as bells and chimes). It has beautiful appearance and fine pattern. People who see it praise it well, but they are very surprised. They don't believe it is made by hand, but it seems to be made by ghosts. When the king of the state of Lu saw the wooden one, he cried out and asked Ziqing, "did you use magic to make it?" Zi Qing said with a smile, "I'm a mortal. Where can I have any magic?" "How did you make it?" the monarch asked "When I was designing this bird, I was very focused and had no distractions," he said. At this time, even the shape of their limbs are forgotten. Then, go to the mountain forest to observe carefully and find the wood that is completely suitable for use. When processing, I just want to concentrate all my efforts on it to avoid subjective prejudice. After such dedication and meticulous carving, we can make a good one. " The monarch then understood why it was so wonderful as if it had been made by the hands of ghosts and gods.

The meaning of Idioms

Artistic creation originates from nature and is higher than nature. In the process of creation, we should be dedicated and put aside all interference, in order to make the works of art "as skillful as God". This fable is Zhuangzhou's use of Ziqing's words to promote the Taoist philosophy of conforming to nature. Later, people called Ziqing's skill of making bamboo "uncanny Craftsmanship". It is often used to describe exquisite technology.

Use of Idioms

< UL > < li > written usage < / Li > < / UL > ghost axe and magic craft: exquisite skills beyond the reach of human beings. "Uncanny workmanship" means that it seems to be done by ghosts rather than by human beings. It describes the delicacy of architecture and sculpture. In a sentence, it is often used as object, subject and attribute. According to Qu Dajun's song of visiting and studying Duanzhou and Zhugong in the Qing Dynasty, "there has been no more than a thousand years of mining at the bottom of the rock, and there are many pitfalls." "I don't think it's a ridiculous story, because there are many craftsmen in the world who are" skilled in nature "and" uncanny craftsmanship. " Ke Ling's sixty years of stage karma: "after trying to read several scripts adapted by Jianwu, all of them are ingenious and ingenious, showing the author's cultivation and talent." Yang Shuo's Yongding River Chronicle: "there are many miracles on the earth that are called miracles, and there are no traces that ancient people have touched with their hands." Xu Chi's crystal: "it's uncanny to cut the amino acids in each chain one by one." Zhou Shoujuan's Suzhou journey: "the most skillful place to make lanterns is in the Zhejiang River and lake. When I lived in Shanghai in the past years, I heard the name of Linghu lanterns and saw all kinds of Linghu lanterns. They are really marvelous."

Cognate idioms

Ghost axe, ghost power, ghost thunder axe, ghost axe

Analysis of Idioms

The two idioms "uncanny Craftsmanship" and "ingenious Craftsmanship" both describe exquisite craftsmanship, but there are some differences: first, "uncanny Craftsmanship" has a metaphorical meaning, which is beyond the reach of human beings; and "ingenious Craftsmanship" does not have this meaning, which is straightforward. 2、 "Uncanny Craftsmanship" has a nominal function and is often used as an object; "ingenious Craftsmanship" cannot be used in this way. 3、 As an attributive, "skillful" can modify people; "uncanny" can't.

Chinese PinYin : guǐ fǔ shén gōng