Language Corner: Getting a Driver’s License

Chinese Idioms

南轅北轍

Nányuánběizhé

Try to Go South by Heading North (Poles Apart)

從前有個人想到楚國去。他坐著馬車, 沿著一條通向北方的大道奔馳。他的朋友覺得很奇怪,問他:“楚國在南方,你怎么往北走呢?” “沒關(guān)系,” 這個人回答,“我的馬跑得很快?！彼呐笥颜f:“你的馬無論跑多快,你向北走總是到不了楚國的。” 這個人說:“我已經(jīng)準(zhǔn)備了足夠的旅費(fèi)。” 他的朋友說:“充足的旅費(fèi)也無濟(jì)于事。” 可是這個人還是固執(zhí)地說:“我有個很健壯能干的馬夫幫我。” 他的朋友說:”如果你堅(jiān)持向北走,雖然有能干強(qiáng)壯的馬夫,也是沒用的。” 這個人沒有聽他朋友的勸告, 所以始終沒有到達(dá)楚國。 “南轅北轍” 比喻一個人的行動和他的目的相反。

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