畫餅充飢
Chinese
| draw; picture; painting | round flat cake; cookie; cake round flat cake; cookie; cake; pastry |
to allay one's hunger; to satisfy one's hunger | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| trad. (畫餅充飢/畫餅充饑) | 畫 | 餅 | 充飢/充饑 | |
| simp. (画饼充饥) | 画 | 饼 | 充饥 | |
| Literally: “to draw a flatbread to allay one's hunger”. | ||||
Etymology
Quoted from Cao Rui, from the Records of the Three Kingdoms:
- 時舉中書郎，詔曰：「得其人與否，在盧生耳。選舉莫取有名，名如畫地作餅，不可啖也。」 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
- From: Chen Shou, Records of the Three Kingdoms, circa 3rd century CE
- Shí jǔ zhōngshūláng, zhào yuē: “Dé qí rén yǔ fǒu, zài Lúshēng ěr. Xuǎnjǔ mò qǔ yǒumíng, míng rú huàdì zuò bǐng, bùkě dàn yě.” [Pinyin]
- At that time the Emperor of Wei was hiring the Central Secretary. He issued an edict to Lu Yu: “Whether we can hire the person depends on you. Please do not pick those who only have fame [but without talent]. Fame is just like a flatbread drawn on the ground, you cannot eat it.”
时举中书郎，诏曰：「得其人与否，在卢生耳。选举莫取有名，名如画地作饼，不可啖也。」 [Literary Chinese, simp.]
Pronunciation
Idiom
畫餅充飢
- (figurative) to feed on illusions; (of something attractive-looking) to be of no actual use; like a pie in the sky
See also
- 望梅止渴 (wàngméizhǐkě)
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