美中不足
- Literal
- within beauty, something falls short
- Figurative
- The one small flaw in something otherwise excellent; used to qualify praise, much like "a fly in the ointment."
Where does 美中不足 come from?
It does not come from a specific anecdote: its parts explain it. 美中 means "within the good, in the midst of the beautiful," and 不足 "falls short, is not enough." The phrase already appears in the first chapter of 《红楼梦》, Cao Xueqin's Qing-dynasty novel, joined to the idea that good things come with setbacks: the world has its joys, but each carries its flaw. Today it is the usual way to point out the catch in something you like on the whole: you praise it first and then add the "but" with 美中不足的是…. It is common in comments on trips, products or events.
Source (出处): 曹雪芹《红楼梦》
How is 美中不足 used? Two examples
- 这次旅行玩得很开心，就是天天下雨，有点美中不足。
We had a great time on the trip; the only thing was that it rained every day, which took a bit of the shine off.
- 这次展会办得很成功，美中不足的是来的客户比预期少。
The trade show was a real success; the one letdown was that fewer clients came than expected.
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