Chinese Idiom：买椟还珠（mǎi dú huán zhū）

A man from the state of Chu (chǔ guó 楚国) wanted to sell a precious pearl in the state of Zheng (zhèng guó 郑国) . He made a casket for the pearl out of the wood from a magnolia tree, which he fumigated with spices. He studded the casket with pearls and jade, ornamented it with red gems and decorated it with kingfisher feathers. A man of the state of Zheng bought the casket and gave him back the pearl.

Too luxuriant decoration usually supersedes what really counts. This man from Chu certainly knew how to sell a casket but he was no good at selling his pearl. And the man of Zheng didn't know which is really valuable.


有一个楚国人想要在郑国出售一颗珍贵的珍珠。他用木兰为珍珠作了个匣子，用香料把匣子熏香，还用珠，玉，红宝石来加以装饰，并插上了翠鸟的羽毛。一个郑国人买走了这个匣子，却把珍珠还给了他。

过于华丽的装饰往往会喧宾夺主。那个楚国人知道如何卖掉匣子，却不擅长出售珍珠。至于买匣子的郑国人，他根本不懂什么才是真正有价值的。

买椟还珠 (mǎi dú huán zhū)
【翻译】Getting the casket and returning the pearl.
【释义】椟：木匣；珠：珍珠。买下木匣，退还了珍珠。比喻没有眼力，取舍不当。
【例句】现在很多的商家都把产品包装得非常精美，不少消费者因为被包装吸引而买了产品，真是
            买椟还珠啊！
【近义词】舍本逐末、本末倒置、反裘负薪
【反义词】去粗取精、取精用宏