显而易见
- Literal
- manifest and easy to see
- Figurative
- Plain to see and beyond argument: a conclusion that imposes itself without needing to be spelled out; it usually turns up in the course of a line of reasoning.
Where does 显而易见 come from?
It does not come from a particular story: it is a classical-flavored formula built around 而, the literary Chinese connective, joining 显 ("manifest") to 易见 ("easy to see"). The two halves say nearly the same thing, and that redundancy is what gives the phrase its emphasis. It has moved from written registers into everyday speech: you'll hear it in a report and in conversation alike. Keep it apart from 一目了然, which is said of something laid out so well that you take it in at a glance —a chart, a floor plan, a summary— whereas 显而易见 is said of what you conclude, and often opens the sentence that caps an argument.
How is 显而易见 used? Two examples
- 这两种方案的差别显而易见，不用多解释。
The difference between the two proposals is obvious; no need to explain further.
- 显而易见，他根本没做准备，连题目都念错了。
It's plain to see he hadn't prepared at all; he even misread the question.
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