取而代之
- Literal
- to take it and stand in its place
- Figurative
- To take something's or someone's place and step into it. It works equally for things — one technology displacing another — and for jobs and people.
Where does 取而代之 come from?
Sima Qian tells it in the 《史记》, in the biography of Xiang Yu. Still a young man, Xiang Ji — the future Xiang Yu — went with his uncle Xiang Liang to watch the First Emperor's procession pass through Kuaiji. Taking in the spectacle, he said: “彼可取而代也” ("that man's place could be taken, and I could take it"). His uncle clapped a hand over his mouth at once: talk like that could cost the whole clan their lives. Years later Xiang Yu became Liu Bang's great rival for the empire. The form used today closes the line with 之 instead of the original 也.
Source (出处): 《史记·项羽本纪》
How is 取而代之 used? Two examples
- 纸质地图慢慢被手机导航取而代之了。
Paper maps have gradually been replaced by phone navigation.
- 他辞职以后，公司很快找了个人取而代之。
After he quit, the company quickly found someone to step into his place.
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