Chinese language vocabulary 汉语词汇 解铃还须系铃人Jiě líng hái xū xì líng rén

Nántáng shí, Nánjīng Qīngliángsì yǒu yī wèi jiào Fǎ Dēng de chánshī. Tā xìnggé háofàng, píngshí bú tài zūnshǒu fójiāo de jièguī, yě bù guānxīn sì lǐ de shìqíng. Sì lǐ de héshàng dōu kàn bù qǐ tā, zhī yǒu zhǔchí Fǎ Yǎn chánshī hěn qìzhòng tā.
南唐时，南京清凉寺有一位叫法灯的禅师。他性格豪放，平时不太遵守佛教的戒规，也不关心寺里的事情。寺里的和尚都看不起他，只有主持法眼禅师很器重他。

During the Southern Tang Dynasty, there lived a Zen Master named Fa Deng in the Qingliang Temple of Nanjing. He was uninhibited and often refused to respect the tenants of Buddhism, or take care of the temple. Most of the monks at the temple scorned him, only the Zen master in charge of the temple, Fa Yan, thought highly of Fa Deng.

Yǒu yí cì, Fǎ Yǎn chánshī jiǎng fójīng shí wèn dào:” shuí néng gòu bǎ xì zài lǎohǔ bó zǐ shàng de jīnlíng jiě xià lái?” Héshàng men sīkǎo le hěn cháng shíjiān, shuí yě huí dá bù chū lái. Zhè shíhòu, Fǎ Dēng zhèng hǎo jīngguò, Fǎ Yǎn chánshī jiù wèn le tā tóngyàng de wèntí.
有一次，法眼禅师讲佛经时问道：“谁能够把系在老虎脖子上的金铃解下来？”和尚们思考了很长时间，谁也回答不出来。这时候，法灯正好经过，法眼禅师就问了他同样的问题。

One day, Fa Yan, while explaining the Buddhist scriptures, asked, “Who can untie the bell on a tiger’s neck?” The monks thought for a long time, but on one could come up with an answer. At that moment, Fa Deng walked by, and Fa Yan asked him the same question.

Fǎ Dēng bùjiǎ sīsuǒ dd huídá shuō:” zhī yǒu nà gè bǎ jīnlíng xì dào lǎohǔ bózǐ shàng de rén, cái néng gòu bǎ jīnlíng jiě xiàlái.” Fǎ Yǎn chánshī duì tā dé dá’àn hěn mǎnyì, rèn wéi tā néng gòu lǐngwù fójiāo de jiāoyì, hái dāng zhe dàjiā de miàn biǎoyáng le tā.
法灯不假思索地回答说：“只有那个把金铃系到老虎脖子上的人，才能够把金铃解下来。”法眼禅师对他得答案很满意，认为他能够领悟佛教的教义，还当着大家的面表扬了他。

He answered without hesitation, saying, “only the man who tied the bell can untie it.” Fa Yan was satisfied with his answer. He believed Fa Deng possessed the ability to understand Buddhist doctrine and praised him in front of the others.

Words：
禅师chánshī： a Zen master（n.）
豪放háofàng： bold and unconstrained, uninhibited（a.）
佛教fójiào： Buddhism（n.）
戒规jièguī： Buddhist monastic discipline（n.）
器重qìzhòng： to regard highly（v.）
佛经fójīng： the Buddhist scripture（n.）
不假思索bù jiǎ sīsuō：without thinking
领悟lǐngwù： to come to comprehend（v.）
教义jiàoyì： religious doctrine（n.）
Meanings：

“解铃还须系铃人”原义是系在老虎脖子上的铃铛，还需要系上去的人解下来。比喻是谁引起的麻烦，仍然由那个人去解决。

The literal meaning of “解铃还须系铃人” is that the bell on a tiger’s neck must be untied by the person who tied it. metaphorically it means that only the person who starts a problem can end it.

Sentences：

1.Zhèngrú yí jù zhōng guó gǔ huà shuō de: jiělíng hái xū xìlíngrén. Rénlèi yǐn qǐ de huánjìng èhuà wèntí, hái xūyào rén lèi jiějué.
正如一句中国古话说的：解铃还须系铃人。人类引起的环境恶化问题，还需要人类解决。

As an Ancient Chinese saying goes, “It is better for the doer to undo what he has done.” The environmental deterioration caused by humans can only be solved by them.

2. Tā tīng le nǐ de huà cái biàn chéng zhèyàng, xiǎng ràng tā huīfù zhèngcháng, jiě líng hái xū xì líng rén , zhī yǒu nǐ qù shuìfú tā.
他听了你的话才变成这样，想让他恢复正常，解铃还须系铃人，只有你去说服他。

He changed because of your suggestions. If you want him to return to normal, you must persuade him to do so by yourself.