名落孙山
- Literal
- one's name falls behind Sun Shan
- Figurative
- To fail an exam or not make the cut; to miss the list of those who passed.
Where does 名落孙山 come from?
In the Song dynasty there was a witty, quick-tongued man named Sun Shan who sat the imperial examinations alongside the son of a fellow villager. Sun Shan passed, but his name stood dead last on the published list; the villager's son did not pass at all. When they returned home, the father asked whether his son had succeeded, and Sun Shan replied with two lines of verse: 'The last name on the roll is Sun Shan, and your honorable son ranks beyond even Sun Shan.' In this graceful way he conveyed that the boy had failed.
Source (出处): 《过庭录》
How is 名落孙山 used? Two examples
- 他这次高考名落孙山，但并没有灰心，准备明年再考。
He failed the college entrance exam this time, but he didn't lose heart and is preparing to sit it again next year.
- 面试竞争激烈，没想到我居然名落孙山。
The competition in the interview was fierce; I never expected to end up not making the cut.
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