螳臂当车
- Literal
- a mantis raising its forelegs to stop a chariot
- Figurative
- To take on an unstoppable force with hopelessly inadequate means; to overrate oneself and court certain defeat out of sheer recklessness.
Where does 螳臂当车 come from?
The best-known version is recorded in Han Ying's Hanshi waizhuan. Duke Zhuang of Qi went out hunting, and on the road a praying mantis raised its forelegs as if to strike the wheel of his carriage. The duke asked what creature it was, and his charioteer answered that it was a mantis: an insect that only knows how to advance and never to retreat, that takes no measure of its own strength and rears up against any foe. Rather than mock it, the duke admired its boldness, declared that were it a man it would be a hero of the age, and had the carriage swerve to avoid it. Over time the image lost that note of admiration and came to denote anyone who, blind to the gulf in strength, arrogantly hurls himself against what he can never overcome.
Source (出处): 《韩诗外传》
How is 螳臂当车 used? Two examples
- 他一个人想跟整个公司对抗，简直是螳臂当车。
For him to take on the entire company single-handed is simply a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
- 面对这么强大的对手，我们这点力量无异于螳臂当车。
Against such a powerful opponent, our meager strength is no different from a mantis trying to halt a chariot.
In Wanyu, all 400 chengyu have audio on every sentence, and you can save them to your decks and review them with spaced repetition. Free.
