an old hand is a good guide(lǎo mǎ shí tú)

an old hand is a good guide

Lao Ma knows the way, a Chinese idiom, Pinyin is l ǎ om ǎ sh í t ú, which means Lao Ma knows the way, and it means experienced people are familiar with things. From Han Feizi, Shuo Lin Shang.

The origin of Idioms

In Han Feizi, shuolingshang: "Guan Zhong and Xi Peng cut down solitary bamboos from Duke Huan and went back from spring to winter. Guan Zhong said, "the wisdom of an old horse can be used." I let the old horse go. Then he got the way. "

Idiom usage

The old horse knows the way, but the poor ape chooses the deep branch. ——Liang Dang Xuan Ji by Huang Jingren in Qing Dynasty. < / Li > < li > after reading his ancestors, Yu laoma learned his way and wrote a Book of his deeds for a word. ——Qian Qianyi's preface to Gao Nianzu's huaiyutang poems in Qing Dynasty

The extension of Idioms

Duke Huan, Guan Zhong, Xipeng and others attacked Guzhu state (the descendants of Shennong's family according to Chinese tradition). They went back in spring and winter and lost their way on their way back, so they led the way and finally found their way back. Then he used the metaphor of "old horse knows the way, old horse knows, old horse knows, old horse knows the road, old horse knows the road, old man knows the road, old man knows the road, old man knows the road" to describe the experienced man who knows right and wrong. Experienced people are familiar with the situation and can guide others.

Related words

[old horse knows his way] Mao Pang's poem "send to Cao Shijun:" please don't doubt with Shaogong. Old horse knows his way for a long time. In Qian Qianyi's preface to Gao Nianzu's poems in huaiyutang, he said: "I read my father's poems, and I learned the way. I wrote his lines for a word. Huang Jingren's poem "two days after the beginning of autumn" says: "an old horse knows his way, but a poor ape casts a tree and chooses a deep branch." [Lao Ma knows] one of two poems by Du Fu: "Lao Ma knows that the eagle is starving." Qian Qianyi's three poems in Fei County Road (3): "Ma laokong knows that Cuan (Cuan n) gets off the train and works in vain for his salary." [old horse knows the road] the third poem of Lu You's east window repaying Xing: "old horse knows the road, blunt cone is better than bag." He also wrote the poem "the heart is like an old horse, although he knows the way, the body is like a frog, not an official." [horse knows the road] Huang Jingren's four miscellaneous feelings (2): "the horse is really tired of the road because he knows the road, and the cicada still has a sound when it swallows." [laozhitu] one of Zhao Yi's "zhicunjianti's clumsy works, Oubei poetry Ciyun Fengda": "laoshizhi, Tu Shu, Zaojian, poverty can chisel the wall to borrow Yu Ming." Lin Zexu's poem "sending Yun to return to the East" says: "the road is still full of obstacles, and all of them are from Zunzhu to Hongfei."

Reveal the truth

If you don't know something, you need to learn from experienced people. No matter what the other person's status, don't regard it as a shame to learn from others. Learn and absorb the wisdom of sages. < / Li > < li > use your brain to do things, and be good at discovering the rules of things around you.

Idiom story

Although the Central Plains countries gradually recognized the status of Qi as the leader of the alliance, some minority tribes living in remote areas ignored it. One day, Qi Huan just discussed with Guan Zhong. Someone came to report that a minority named R ó ng in the north had invaded the state of Yan and robbed grain, livestock and property. The state of Yan sent for help. Duke Huan of Qi asked Guan Zhong for his advice. Guan Zhong said: "Shanrong often harasses the Central Plains, which is a worry for the stability of the Central Plains and must be conquered." After hearing Guan Zhong's words, Duke Huan of Qi personally led the army to rescue Yan. When the Marquis of Qi arrived in the state of Yan, he realized that Shanrong had already run away with the stolen population and property. Guan Zhong said: "although Shanrong has run away, he will come to harass him in the future. We might as well go after them to the end, completely destroy them and achieve long-term stability in the north. " After hearing Guan Zhong's advice, Duke Huan of Qi pursued Shanrong northward. Yanzhuang, the monarch of Yan state, said to Duke Huan of Qi, "there is a country without end nearby (today's Yutian County, Hebei Province), which has always been in contact with us. They also have a grudge against Shanrong. Can you ask them to show us the way and attack Shanrong together?" Duke Huan of Qi immediately sent people to wuzhongguo with gifts for help. The endless nation also sent an army to fight. The leader of Shanrong was miluer. He heard that the Three Kingdoms of Qi, Yan and Wuzhong fought together. Knowing that they could not fight, he fled north with some of his cronies and gold and silver. The people and soldiers of Shanrong who had no time to run surrendered. In order to make Shanrong really convinced, Duke Huan of Qi ordered that Shanrong's soldiers and people should not be harmed. Shanrong was lenient and grateful to Duke Huan of Qi. Duke Huan of Qi asked them, "where is your leader?" They said, "I must have gone to Guzhu country to borrow troops." Duke Huan of Qi decided to follow and pursue, capture Milu, and invade Guzhu country, so as to eliminate the hidden danger of northern turmoil. Besides, Milu fled to Guzhu country and asked for help from the king. Dalihe sent General Huang Hua and his troops to meet Qi army. Unexpectedly, Huang Hua was defeated by Qi army as soon as he came out. Huang Hua fled back and said to Dalihe, "the Marquis of the Qi Dynasty came here to capture namilu, which has nothing to do with our country. I think it's better to kill Milu and make peace with the Marquis of Qi to save ourselves. ". Another minister offered advice and said, "there is a place in the North called 'Hanhai', also known as' Migu '. There are boundless deserts and it's hard to tell the way. If the Qi army can be led into the "Mi Valley", without one soldier, the whole army of the Marquis of Qi can be annihilated. " Huang Hua was moved when she heard this. So he went to kill Milu, cut off his head, and offered Milu's head to the Marquis of Qi. He said that Dalihe had led his army to flee, and he was willing to obey the Marquis of Qi, lead the way for the Marquis of Qi, and pursue Dalihe. When the Marquis of Qi saw that Huang Hua offered the head of Milu, he believed it and led a large group of people to follow Huang Hua northward. Huang Hua led the way ahead, followed by the Marquis of Qi Dynasty. When you enter the desert, you can't find your way after only a few turns. The vast expanse of yellow sand is like a quiet sea. It can't distinguish East, West, north, South, front and back. Duke Huan of Qi wanted to ask Huang Hua what was the matter, but where was his shadow? Only then did I know that I had been cheated by Huang Hua. By this time, the sun had set, and the night was enveloping the earth. It was dark all around. The northwest wind was blowing hard, and the soldiers were shivering with cold. it's hard to wait until dawn to find that the people and horses are scattered. Duke Huan of Qi ordered us to find a way out quickly, but the troops turned around and couldn't get out of the valley. At this time, Guan Zhong suddenly remembered that most of the old horses knew the way back, and said to Duke Huan of Qi, "old horses know the way. Many of the horses in the endless country came from Shanrong. It's better to choose some old horses in the endless country and let them go ahead. Maybe they can find their way out." Although Duke Huan of Qi was suspicious, he agreed to have a try. So Guan Zhong picked some old horses and let them go ahead, with a large group of people and horses following. Several old horses walked in a leisurely way. As expected, they walked out of the valley and returned to the original road. They all admired Guan Zhong for his resourcefulness. Since then, "old horse knows his way" has become a popular idiom. Marching in the mountains, there is no water to drink. Xi Peng said: "ants live in the south of the mountain in winter, and in the north of the mountain in summer. There is water in the soil of ants every inch deep." We dug up the nest and found water.

The real reason

Horse's face is very long, nose is also big, olfactory nerve cells are also many, this constitutes a more developed than other animals "olfactory radar". This olfactory radar can not only identify the feed and water quality, but also identify the direction and find the road by itself. Horse's ear wing is very big, the ear muscle is developed, the rotation is quite flexible, the position is high, the hearing is very developed. Through the sensitive sense organs such as hearing and smell, the horse can form a firm memory of smell, sound and route, so the horse can know the way.

Chinese PinYin : lǎo mǎ shí tú