take instant advantage of an opportunity that comes only once in a long while(jiàn tù gù quǎn)

take instant advantage of an opportunity that comes only once in a long while

Chinese idiom, Pinyin is Ji à NT à g à Qu à n, meaning to see the rabbit, and then call the hound to chase. It's a little late, but it's still time to think of a way. It comes from the fourth chapter of Chu CE in the Warring States period.

Analysis of Idioms

When you are lost, you will know how to go back; when you are lost, you will know how to go back; when you are lost, you will know how to go back

The origin of Idioms

It is not too late to look after the dog when seeing the rabbit; it is not too late to mend the sheep when they are dead

Idiom usage

It's not too late for me to talk about it now. It's better to talk about it now. Liang Qichao's policy towards Russia in Qing Dynasty

Idioms and allusions

During the Warring States period, King Xiang of Chu was obscene and obstinate. He drove Zhuang Xin out of Chu. Five months later, the state of Qin seized the opportunity to invade and soon occupied the capital of Chu. King Xiang of Chu regretted it and sent someone to Zhao state to ask Zhuang Xin to return. Zhuang Xin said, "it's not too late to look after dogs when you see rabbits; it's not too late to mend sheep when they die." He encouraged King Xiang of Chu to make great efforts to govern and to make a fresh start.

original text

Zhuang Xin called King Xiang of Chu and said, "the king left the Marquis of Zhou and right the Marquis of Xia. He followed the emperor of Yanling to the emperor of Shouling. He devoted himself to licentiousness and extravagance, regardless of the state affairs, so he was in danger." King Xiang said, "Sir, are you always rebellious? Do you think the state of Chu is auspicious?" Zhuang Xin said: "I sincerely see the inevitability, but I dare not think that the country is auspicious. If the king died and the four sons survived, the state of Chu would surely die. I'd like to invite you to come back to Zhao and stay here to see it. " Zhuang Xin went to Zhao and stayed in May. Qin Guoju moved Yan, Ying, Wu, Shangcai and Chen, and Xiangwang covered Chengyang. So he made people angry and recruited Zhuang Xin to Zhao. Zhuang Xin said, "no". Zhuang Xinzhi and Xiang Wang said, "I can't use my husband's words. As for this, what can I do for it?" Zhuang Xin said to him, "when I heard the despicable words, I said," it's not too late to look after dogs when I see rabbits; it's not too late to mend sheep when they die. ". The officials heard that Tang and Wu were prosperous in the past, and Jie and Zhou were defeated in the world. Although the state of Chu is small today, it is still thousands of Li Long and short. Is it a hundred Li? Is "Wang Du" not seen in dragonflies? With six feet and four wings, they fly between heaven and earth, peck at mosquitoes and fly flies, and drink nectar. They think they have no trouble and have no fight with people. I don't know if I'm a boy of five feet. I'll add the glue to the four feet, and then I'll eat the ants. Dragonflies are also small. Because of this reason, yellow finches peck at white grains, perch on luxuriant trees, drum their wings and fight with others. I don't know my husband's son and grandson. He takes a bullet on his left and takes a pill on his right. He adds it to his ten Ren and uses his neck as a move. During the day, you can swim in lush trees, and at night, you can tune in sour water. "It's because Huang Hu's husband is so small. Swim in the river and sea, submerge in the marsh, peck the fish and roll the carp, bite the fish and stand up, and strive for the six he, while Ling Qingfeng, fluttering high, thinks that there is no danger, and there is no dispute with people. If you don't know how to shoot your husband, you'll repair his Lu and cure him. It will be more than 100 Ren. And then, he made a small payment and gave a letter of exchange. Therefore, you can swim in rivers in the daytime and tune in Dingding in the evening. "The husband is yellow, and he is small. The reason for the affairs of marquis Cai shenghou is because of the fact. He traveled to Gaopi in the south, Wushan in the north, drank from Ru stream, ate fish from Xiangbo, held his concubine on the left and his wife on the right, and galloped among Gaocai without taking the country as his business. I don't know if master FA Fang was appointed by King Xuan, but he had already seen Zhu Si. "the affairs of CAI Sheng and Hou are small, and the affairs of kings are based on this. Zuozhou Marquis, youxiahou Marquis, niancong Yanling marquis is Shouling Marquis, rice seal Lu millet, and carry Fang Fu's gold, gallop in the clouds and dreams, and do not take the world as a matter, I do not know that the husband Hou Fang was ordered by the king of Qin, fill in the city fortress, and the investment has been outside the Strider fortress. " When the king of Xiang heard it, his color changed and his body shuddered. So he took Zhiyu as the emperor of Yangling and the place of Huaibei.

translation

Zhuang Xin said to the king of Chu Xiang, "the king has Zhou Hou on the left and Xia Hou on the right, and Yan Ling Jun and Shou Ling Jun follow him behind the car. He blindly leads an unrestrained life and ignores state affairs, which will make Yingdu very dangerous." King Xiang of Chu said, "are you old and confused? Or do you think that the state of Chu will encounter misfortune? " Zhuang Xin said: "of course, I see the inevitable consequences of things, and I don't have to think that the country is in danger. If the king dotes on these four people all the time, and does not restrain them a little, then the state of Chu will surely perish. Please allow me to take refuge in the state of Zhao, where I can observe the changes of the state of Chu Zhuang Xin left Chu state and went to Zhao state. He only lived there for five months. Qin State attacked Yan, Ying, Wu, Shangcai and Chen. King Xiang of Chu was also in exile and hid in Chengyang. At this time, King Xiang sent his knights to Zhao to invite Zhuang Xin. Zhuang Xin said, "yes." After Zhuang Xin arrived at Chengyang, King Xiang of Chu said to him, "I didn't listen to my husband at the beginning, but now things have come to this point. What can I do about it?" Zhuang Xin replied, "I know a saying:" it's not too late to send out hounds to chase after rabbits, and it's not too late to repair after sheep are lost. " I heard that in the past, King Tang of Shang Dynasty and King Wu of Zhou Dynasty relied on a hundred Li land to make the world prosperous, while King Jie of Xia Dynasty and King Zhou of Yin Dynasty, though they owned the world, eventually died. Although the land of Chu is small and narrow, if we cut the long and make up for the short, there will be thousands of Li, not only 100 li? Haven't you ever seen a dragonfly? With six feet and four wings, he flies between heaven and earth. He lowers his head to peck at mosquitoes. He raises his head to drink sweet dew. He thinks he is carefree and has no dispute with others. Don't you know that a child of several years old, is mixing sugar on the screen, will stick it in the air, its end will be eaten by ants. The dragonfly may be a small thing, but so is the Yellow finch. He leaned down to peck, stood up to perch in the dense trees, and fluttered his wings to soar. He thought there was no disaster, and he didn't argue with others, but he didn't know that the prince and grandson, with a catapult in his left hand and a pellet in his right hand, was about to shoot at the neck of the Yellow finch 70 feet high. During the day, the Yellow finch was still playing in the dense trees. At night, it became a delicacy on the table and suddenly fell into the mouth of the prince. The yellow bird's business may be a small thing, in fact, the Yellow swan is also so. Huang Hu roams in the river and sea, stays beside the swamp, lowers his head to swallow Monopterus albus and carp, raises his head to eat water caltrop and aquatic plants, vibrates his wings and flies above the breeze. He thinks that there will be no disaster, and he has nothing to contend with others. However, they did not know that the archer was ready for the arrow and bow, and would shoot it at an altitude of 700 feet. It will take the arrow, dragging the tiny arrow rope, fall down from the wind, and fall to the ground. Huang Hu is still swimming in the lake during the day, and becomes a stew in the pot at night. The matter of Huang Hu may be a small matter. In fact, the same is true of CAI Linghou. He once traveled to Gaopi in the south, to the top of Wushan in the north, drank water from Ru stream and ate fish from Xiangjiang River; with his beautiful young concubine in his left hand and his beautiful beloved concubine in his right hand, he galloped with these people in Gaocai City, regardless of national affairs. But I don't know that Zifa is accepting the attack order of King Xuan. He is going to be a prisoner. the matter of CAI Linghou is just a small matter. In fact, the same is true of you. On the left side of the king is the state Marquis, and on the right side is the summer marquis. Yanling and Shouling always gallop in Yunmeng area with the king's vehicle, and they don't care about the affairs of the country at all. However, the king did not expect that Wei Ran, the Marquis of Wei, had already been ordered by the king of Qin to fill the army in the south of Strider fortress, but the Marquis of Zhou abandoned the king in the north of Strider fortress. " After hearing Zhuang Xin's words, King Xiang of Chu was shocked and trembled. At this time, he gave the title to Zhuang Xin and named him emperor of Yangling. Soon, Zhuang Xin helped the king of Chu recover the land of Huaibei.

The meaning of Idioms

The idiom "seeing the rabbit and looking after the dog" is based on "it's not too late to look after the dog while seeing the rabbit." It's not too late to save something if it's delayed or wrong. However, later generations often use the idiom "it's not too late to mend a sheep when it's gone" to express the meaning of learning lessons from mistakes and failures and making timely remedies.

Comic book

① During the Warring States period, King Xiang of Chu was a fatuous monarch. His father, King Huai of Chu, was cheated by the state of Qin and died in the state of Qin. However, after he ascended the throne, he only had fun all day and was not alert to the state of Qin, which was like a country of tigers and wolves. (2) the doctor Zhuang Xin couldn't look over and said to King Xiang of Chu, "when you are in the palace, you have Zhou Hou on the left and Xia Hou on the right. When you go out, you have Yanling Jun and Shouling Jun with you. You and these four people are extravagant and extravagant, regardless of state affairs. I think the state of Chu is in danger. " The king of Chu Xiang was very angry and said, "you old fool, you are talking nonsense." (3) Zhuang Xin said, "I do foresee that if you don't believe it, the state of Chu will surely perish. Please allow me to hide in the state of Zhao to see how things will develop in the future." (4) after living in the state of Zhao for five months, the state of Qin launched an aggression against the state of Chu and soon occupied a large area of territory. Soon, even Ying, the capital of the state, was occupied. (5) king Xiang of Chu went into exile to Chengyang (now Xixian County, Henan Province), and regretted not listening to Zhuang Xin's words, which led to today's disaster. So they sent people to the state of Zhao to invite Zhuang Xin back. After Zhuang Xin came back, King Xiang of Chu asked him modestly, "I didn't listen to my husband's words, so I came to such a state. What do you think I should do now?" (6) Zhuang Xin replied, "it's not too late to look after the dog when you see the rabbit; it's not too late to mend the sheep when they die. Although the territory of the state of Chu is smaller than before, it still has a radius of thousands of miles. As long as you are far away from the treacherous officials and close to the virtuous officials, you will become strong and powerful. "

Chinese PinYin : jiàn tù gù quǎn