無面目見江東父老

Chinese
not have face; look; appearance
 
to see; to meet; to appear
to see; to meet; to appear; to interview
 east of the river; the south bank of the Yangtze River between Wuhu and Nanjing; area south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze elder
trad. (無面目見江東父老) 無 面目 見 江東 父老
simp. (无面目见江东父老) 无 面目 见 江东 父老

Etymology

From Records of the Grand Historian:

項王笑曰：「天之亡我，我何渡為！且籍與江東子弟八千人渡江而西，今無一人還，縱江東父兄憐而王我，我何面目見之？縱彼不言，籍獨不愧於心乎？」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
项王笑曰：「天之亡我，我何渡为！且籍与江东子弟八千人渡江而西，今无一人还，纵江东父兄怜而王我，我何面目见之？纵彼不言，籍独不愧于心乎？」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE
Xiàng Wáng xiào yuē: “Tiān zhī wáng wǒ, wǒ hé dù wéi! Qiě Jí yǔ jiāngdōng zǐdì bā qiān rén dùjiāng ér xī, jīn wú yī rén hái, zòng jiāngdōng fùxiōng lián ér wànɡ wǒ, wǒ hé miànmù jiàn zhī? Zòng bǐ bù yán, Jí dú bù kuì yú xīn hū?” [Pinyin]
Xiang Yu laughed and said, "The Heaven wants to destroy me. What use is it for me to cross the Yangtze River! Besides, I crossed the river to the west with 8,000 of young brothers from the eastern bank, but now none of them can return. Even if the elders of the eastern bank pity me and support me as the king, what face do I have to face them? Even if they don't speak out, am I not ashamed deep in my heart?"

Pronunciation

  • Mandarin
    (Pinyin): wú miànmù jiàn Jiāngdōng fùlǎo
    (Zhuyin): ㄨˊ ㄇㄧㄢˋ ㄇㄨˋ ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄐㄧㄤ ㄉㄨㄥ ㄈㄨˋ ㄌㄠˇ
  • Cantonese (Jyutping): mou4 min6 muk6 gin3 gong1 dung1 fu6 lou5
  • Mandarin
    • (Standard Chinese)+
      • Hanyu Pinyin: wú miànmù jiàn Jiāngdōng fùlǎo
      • Zhuyin: ㄨˊ ㄇㄧㄢˋ ㄇㄨˋ ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄐㄧㄤ ㄉㄨㄥ ㄈㄨˋ ㄌㄠˇ
      • Tongyong Pinyin: wú miànmù jiàn Jiangdong fùlǎo
      • Wade–Giles: wu2 mien4-mu4 chien4 Chiang1-tung1 fu4-lao3
      • Yale: wú myàn-mù jyàn Jyāng-dūng fù-lǎu
      • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: wu miannmuh jiann Jiangdong fuhlao
      • Palladius: у мяньму цзянь Цзяндун фулао (u mjanʹmu czjanʹ Czjandun fulao)
      • Sinological IPA (key): /u³⁵ mi̯ɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ mu⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹ t͡ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ tʊŋ⁵⁵ fu⁵¹ lɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
  • Cantonese

Idiom

無面目見江東父老

  1. to be ashamed to face one's relatives and friends in one's hometown because of one's failures

Synonyms
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