手不释卷
- Literal
- the hand never lets go of the scroll (book)
- Figurative
- To read tirelessly, to be so devoted to study that one never puts a book down; to apply oneself diligently and constantly to learning.
Where does 手不释卷 come from?
During the Three Kingdoms period, Lü Meng, a general of the state of Wu, was a brave soldier but had little learning. His ruler Sun Quan urged him to study, and Lü Meng applied himself so earnestly that he came to surpass many scholars. To stress the value of constant study, Sun Quan cited Emperor Guang Wu of the Han, who even on military campaigns “never let a book out of his hands”. Later, when the strategist Lu Su talked with Lü Meng, he was so amazed at his learning that he said Lü Meng was no longer “the same old Lü Meng of before”.
Source (出处): 《三国志·吴志·吕蒙传》
How is 手不释卷 used? Two examples
- 他从小就爱看书，几十年来手不释卷。
He has loved reading since childhood; for decades he has never put a book down.
- 考试快到了，她每天手不释卷，认真复习。
The exam is almost here; every day she keeps her nose in her books and revises diligently.
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