因地制宜
- Literal
- according to the land, arrange what suits it
- Figurative
- To tailor what you do to the actual conditions of each place, instead of applying the same formula everywhere.
Where does 因地制宜 come from?
The phrase comes from the 《吴越春秋》, from the passage where King Helü of Wu asks Wu Zixu how to make his state strong. Wu Zixu answers that the first steps are to raise walls, set up defenses, fill the granaries and stock the armories. Helü agrees, remarks that walls and storehouses are built to suit the lie of the land —因地制宜— and asks whether there is also some art of the heavens with which to overawe the neighboring states; Wu Zixu says there is, and lays out the new capital after surveying its soil and its waters. What has survived of the king's aside is today's meaning: the right measure is the one that fits the conditions of the place.
Source (出处): 《吴越春秋·阖闾内传》
How is 因地制宜 used? Two examples
- 各地情况不同，政策要因地制宜。
Conditions differ from place to place, so policies have to be tailored to each one.
- 这套方法不能照搬，得因地制宜地调整。
You can't just copy this method wholesale; you have to adjust it to local conditions.
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