螳臂當車
Chinese
| praying mantis | arm | to act as; represent; equal to act as; represent; equal; should; fitting; suitable; adequate; proper; replace; to be; to hold a position; manage; withstand; when; during; ought; match equally; same; obstruct; just at (a time or place); on the spot; right; just at |
vehicle on land; car; machine vehicle on land; car; machine; to shape with a lathe | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| trad. (螳臂當車) | 螳 | 臂 | 當 | 車 | |
| simp. (螳臂当车) | 螳 | 臂 | 当 | 车 | |
| alternative forms | 螳臂擋車／螳臂挡车 | ||||
| Literally: “a mantis blocking a vehicle with its arms”. | |||||
Etymology
From Zhuangzi:
- 汝不知夫螳蜋乎？怒其臂以當車轍，不知其不勝任也，是其才之美者也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
- From: Zhuangzi, circa 3rd – 2nd centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
- Rǔ bùzhī fú tángláng hū? Nù qí bì yǐ dāng chēzhé, bùzhī qí bù shēngrèn yě, shì qí cái zhī měi zhě yě. [Pinyin]
- Do you not know the praying mantis? It angrily stretches out its arms, to block the car tracks, unconscious of its inability for such a task, but showing how much it thinks of its own powers.
汝不知夫螳蜋乎？怒其臂以当车辙，不知其不胜任也，是其才之美者也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
Pronunciation
Idiom
螳臂當車
- (figurative) to overrate oneself and attempt something impossible
- 飘扬，共和国的旗帜 (in Chinese), 1989
- 稍有常識的人都會看出，如果我們的鐵騎繼續前進，這個螳臂當車的歹徒，難道能夠阻擋得了嗎？ [MSC, trad.]
- Shāo yǒu chángshí de rén dōuhuì kànchū, rúguǒ wǒmen de tiěqí jìxù qiánjìn, zhège tángbìdāngchē de dǎitú, nándào nénggòu zǔdǎng de liǎo ma? [Pinyin]
- Everyone with some common sense can see that if our tanks continued to move forward, how can this ruffian with no knowledge in his ability resist?
稍有常识的人都会看出，如果我们的铁骑继续前进，这个螳臂当车的歹徒，难道能够阻挡得了吗？ [MSC, simp.]
- 飘扬，共和国的旗帜 (in Chinese), 1989
Descendants
- → Japanese: 蟷螂の斧
See also
- (Vietnamese) châu chấu đá xe (literally “a grasshopper kicking a cart”)
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