Chinese language vocabulary 汉语词汇 叶公好龙——Professed Love of What One Really Fears

chūnqiū chǔɡuó yè zhūliánɡ zìchēnɡ yèɡōnɡ

春秋楚国叶诸梁，自称"叶公"。

 

jùshuō zhèwèi yèɡōnɡ àilónɡ chénɡpǐ 

据说，这位叶公爱龙成癖，

 

jiālǐde liánɡ zhù mén chuānɡshànɡ dōudiāozhe lónɡ qiánɡshànɡ yěhuàzhe lónɡ

家里的梁、柱、门、窗上都雕着龙，墙上也画着龙。

 

jiùzhèyɑnɡ yèɡōnɡ àihàolónɡ de mínɡchēnɡ bèi rénmén chuányánɡ kāile

就这样，叶公爱好龙的名声，被人们传扬开了。

 

tiānshànɡde zhēnlónɡ tīnɡshuō rénjiān yǒuzhème yíwèi yèɡōnɡ duìtā rúcǐ xǐài

天上的真龙，听说人间有这么一位叶公，对它如此喜爱，

 

hěnshòu ɡǎndònɡ juédìnɡ qù yèɡōnɡjiā duìtā biǎoshì xièyì

很受感动，决定去叶公家对他表示谢意。

 

rénmén yěxǔhuìxiǎnɡ yèɡōnɡ kànjiàn zhēnlónɡ shí huìyǒu duōɡāoxìnɡ

人们也许会想叶公看见真龙时会有多高兴。

 

shíjìshànɡ dānɡyèɡōnɡ kànjiàn nàtiáolónɡ shí

实际上，当叶公看见那条龙时，

 

dùnshí xiàdé húnfēipòsàn ɡǎnjǐn táozǒu

顿时吓得魂飞魄散，赶紧逃走。

 

cónɡcǐ rénmén mínɡbɑile yèɡōnɡ àihàode qíshí bìnɡbúshì zhēnlónɡ

从此人们明白了叶公爱好的其实并不是真龙，

 

érshì sìlónɡfēilónɡ de dìnɡxī éryǐ

而是似龙非龙的东西而已。

 

In the spring and autumn period (770-476bc), there lived in chu a person named ye zhuliang, who addressed himself as "lord ye". It’s said that this lord ye was very fond of dragons. The walls had dragons painted on them. The beams, pillars, doors and the windows were all carved with them. As a result, his love for dragons was spread out. When the real dragon in heaven heard of this lord deeply moved. He decided to visit lord ye to thank him. You might think lord ye was very happy to see a real dragon. But, actually, at very the sight of the creature, he was scared out of his wits and ran away as fast as he could. From then on, people knew that lord ye only loved pictures or carvings which look like dragons, not the real thing.