Language Corner: Getting a Driver’s License

Chinese Idioms

南辕北辙

Nányuánběizhé

Try to Go South by Heading North (Poles Apart)

从前有个人想到楚国去。他坐着马车, 沿着一条通向北方的大道奔驰。他的朋友觉得很奇怪,问他:“楚国在南方,你怎么往北走呢?” “没关系,” 这个人回答,“我的马跑得很快。”他的朋友说:“你的马无论跑多快,你向北走总是到不了楚国的。” 这个人说:“我已经准备了足够的旅费。” 他的朋友说:“充足的旅费也无济于事。” 可是这个人还是固执地说:“我有个很健壮能干的马夫帮我。” 他的朋友说:”如果你坚持向北走,虽然有能干强壮的马夫,也是没用的。” 这个人没有听他朋友的劝告, 所以始终没有到达楚国。 “南辕北辙” 比喻一个人的行动和他的目的相反。

Cóngqián yǒugerén xiǎngdào Chǔguó qù. Tā zuòzhe mǎchē, yánzhe yìtiáo tōngxiàng běifāngde dàdào bēnchí. Tāde péngyou juéde hěn qíguài, wèntā: “Chǔguó zài nánfāng, nǐ zěnme wǎngběi zǒu ne?” “Méiguānxi,” zhègerén huídá, “wǒde mǎ pǎode hěnkuài.” Tāde péngyou shuō: “Nǐde mǎ wúlùn pǎo duōkuài, nǐ xiàng běi zǒu zǒngshì dàobùliǎo Chǔguó de.” Zhègerén shuō: “Wǒ yǐjīng zhǔnbèi le zúgòude lǚfèi.” Tāde péngyou shuō: “Chōngzúde lǚfèi yě wújìyúshì.” Kěshì zhègerén háishi gùzhíde shuō: “Wǒ yǒuge hěn jiànzhuàng nénggàn de mǎfū bāngwǒ.” Tāde péngyou shuō: “Rúguǒ nǐ jiānchí xiàng běi zǒu, suīrán yǒu nénggàn qiángzhuàngde mǎfū, yěshì méiyòngde.” Zhègerén méiyǒu tīng tā péngyou de quàngào, suǒyǐ shǐzhōng méiyǒu dàodá Chǔguó. “Nányuánběizhé” bǐyù yígerén de xíngdòng hé tāde mùdì xiāngfǎn.

There once was a man who wanted to travel to the State of Chu. As he was about to set off in a chariot on a road heading north his friend, puzzled, asked him: “Chu is in the south. Why are you heading north?” “Never mind,” the man replied. “My horse is swift.” His friend said: “It doesn’t matter how fast it is, you’ll never reach Chu by going north.” The man said: “I have plenty of travel expenses.” His friend said: “Sufficient travel expenses won’t help you either.” The man obstinately replied: “I have a strong and capable groom at my service.” His friend said: “No groom, however capable and strong, can be of any use to you if you insist on going northward.” The man did not listen to his friend, so never reached Chu. The idiom is a figure of speech to show how acting in a certain way defeats one’s purpose.

Source: China Today