Draw a tiger but not a dog(huà hǔ bù chéng fǎn lèi gǒu)

Draw a tiger but not a dog

interpretation

You can't draw a tiger, but you look like a dog. It refers to unrealistic pursuit of too high a goal. If it is not achieved, it will make a joke. He also wrote "painting tiger like dog". Or "draw a tiger into a dog" or "draw a tiger like a dog".

Idiom information

[pronunciation] Hu à h à B à ch é NGF à NL è Ig à u à [explanation]. It refers to unrealistic pursuit of too high a goal. If it is not achieved, it will make a joke. [usage] complex sentence; predicate, attributive; metaphor for ambitious, high eyes and low hands, nothing can be achieved [synonym] painting a dragon is not a dog, carving a swan is not a duck, painting a tiger is not a dog, painting a tiger is not a dog, painting a tiger is a dog, painting a tiger is a dog, painting a tiger is a dog, painting a tiger is a dog, painting a tiger is a tiger is a Hu

The origin of Idioms

origin

At the beginning of Fan Ye's biography of Ma Yuan in the book of the later Han Dynasty in the Southern Dynasty, his elder brothers Yan and dun were both fond of ridicule, but they were more than swordsmen. Before the aid, he wrote a admonition: "I want you to hear people's mistakes, just like hearing the name of your parents. You can hear them with your ears, but you can't speak them with your mouth. It's a great evil for me to discuss people's merits and demerits. I'd rather die than hear about my descendants. You and Cao know how evil I am, so when you reply, Shi Jin will tie the knot and apply for the precepts of your parents, so that you and Cao will never forget. Long BOGAO is honest and honest, Zhou Shen is speechless, modest and thrifty, honest and powerful. My love is very important. I hope you and Cao will follow suit. Du Jiliang is a gallant man. He likes righteousness, worries about people, and enjoys people's happiness. He is clear and has nothing to lose. His father's death has brought him many guests. After several counties, I love him so much that I don't want you to be effective. As a result, he is still a person of imperial edict. The so-called "draw a tiger but not a dog" is the same. As far as Ji Liang is concerned, the county will always get off the train and gnash its teeth. The prefecture thinks that I am always cold hearted, so I don't want my children and grandchildren to follow suit. 」

Source translation

At first, Ma Yan and Ma Dun, the sons of brother Ma Yuan, liked to ridicule current affairs and had little contact with Xiake. Ma Yuan wrote a letter home to admonish him: "I think you should listen to other people's mistakes just like you listen to your parents' names. You can hear them with your ears, but you can't talk about them with your mouth. I like to talk about the length of people and ridicule current affairs. This is what I hate most. I would rather die than hear such behavior from my descendants. You know that I hate it very much. The reason why I want to talk about it again is that I want to state the admonition of my parents just like when a man and a woman are married, so that you will remember it. Long BOGAO is honest, considerate and prudent. He is modest, thrifty, honest and just. He has prestige. I love him very much and respect him. I hope you can learn from him. The hero Du Jiliang likes to show his loyalty, worry about others, and enjoy others. Good and bad people get along well. When his father died, people from several counties came to mourn. I love him and respect him, but I don't want you to learn from him. If you don't learn from long BOGAO, you are still a prudent and diligent person. You can't carve a swan like a duck. If you don't learn from Du Jiliang, you will degenerate into a frivolous child in the world. The so-called painting a tiger is not like painting a dog. Du Jiliang doesn't know. The generals in the county hate him as soon as they get out of the car. All the States and counties say that I'm always cold hearted for him, so I don't want my descendants to learn from him. "

Application examples

Chapter 88 of a journey to the west by Wu Chengen of Ming Dynasty: "it's easy to teach. It's just that you can't use our weapons because you don't have the strength. You're afraid that you can't learn them well. For example," drawing a tiger doesn't turn out to be like a dog. " In the second and fourth chapter of Nie Hai Hua: "I'm afraid that the admiral of the navy is as timid as a mouse, so that he can't draw a tiger, but like a dog." Pu Songling's strange stories from a lonely studio Rouge in the Qing Dynasty: "I have promised you my body. Why should I be so stingy? But I'm afraid that "drawing a tiger into a dog" will lead to slander. " Chapter 11 of the lamp on the wrong side of the road: "the great prime minister is very clever. He is a man who can draw tigers and cats at the first sight." Xiaoyi said with a smile, "Duanfu is not very clever. He is afraid to draw tiger like dogs." Liu Bannong's "reading the biography of flowers on the sea" said: "if you don't have the intelligence to dispatch it and the strength to carry it, you'll just draw a tiger like a dog."

Idiom story

In the early years of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Fubo General Ma Yuan was very strict with the education of his sons and nephews, hoping that they would become useful talents. He wrote a letter to admonish them, telling them to learn from long BOGAO, even if they don't succeed in learning, and carving a swan can't be like a duck. But they would rather not learn from Du Jiliang, not because he is not good, but because he is not good enough to be a light son in the world.

Chinese PinYin : huà hǔ bù chéng fǎn lèi gǒu