孤陋寡闻
- Literal
- solitary and narrow, hearing little
- Figurative
- To be poorly informed and unaware of what goes on beyond one's own circle; most often said modestly of oneself, though it can also be a criticism.
Where does 孤陋寡闻 come from?
It comes from the Book of Rites, from the chapter "Record of Learning," which is devoted to teaching. It warns that someone who studies alone, without companions to test what they learn against, ends up narrow-minded and poorly informed. The text tells no anecdote; it sets out a principle of education, the value of learning in company, and the idiom grew out of that line. Today it is mostly used to apologize modestly for not knowing something, much like "forgive my ignorance," and sometimes to criticize someone shut away in their own little world.
Source (出处): 《礼记·学记》
How is 孤陋寡闻 used? Two examples
- 恕我孤陋寡闻，这个牌子我还真没听说过。
Forgive my ignorance, but I've honestly never heard of that brand.
- 做研究老待在自己的小圈子里，很容易变得孤陋寡闻。
If you keep to your own small circle when doing research, it's easy to end up out of touch.
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