黄粱一梦
- Literal
- yellow millet, one dream
- Figurative
- A dream of wealth, fame or success that turns out to be pure illusion; also the sense that what seemed so important was fleeting.
Where does 黄粱一梦 come from?
It comes from 《枕中记》, a tale by Shen Jiji of the Tang dynasty. At an inn on the road to Handan, a young scholar named Lu complains to the old Taoist Lü about his undistinguished life. The old man lends him a pillow and, while the innkeeper sets millet to cook, Lu falls asleep and dreams an entire life: he marries well, rises to high office, falls into disgrace, returns to power and dies old and laden with honors. When he wakes, the millet is not yet done, and Lu understands how empty fame and wealth are. Today it is said of ambitions or hopes that prove to be pure illusion.
Source (出处): 沈既济《枕中记》
How is 黄粱一梦 used? Two examples
- 创业时他幻想三年上市，结果公司一年就倒闭了，一切成了黄粱一梦。
When he started the company he dreamed of going public within three years; it went bust in one, and the whole thing turned out to be a pipe dream.
- 回头看那些年追求的名和利，不过是黄粱一梦。
Looking back, the fame and fortune I chased all those years were nothing more than a fleeting dream.
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