AssummerapproachesinChina,theannualfrustrationagainstincessantmosquitoesandotherbugsnowoutinforceisjustbeginning.ButinancientChineseliteratureandpoems,insectsplayedallmannerofroles,formslanderousmosquitoestoslyfliestoself-destructivemoths.Manysayingsandstoriesinvolvinginsectsbecamefour-characterchengyu(成语,chéngyǔ),somestillinusetodaytodescribe,forexample,veteranartistsandinexperiencedworkers.Herearesomeusefulchengyuinvolvinginsects,andthestoriesbehindthem:
[Photo/Unsplash]
落笔成蝇luòbǐchéngyíngTurnaninkblotintoafly
Whilethird-centuryartistCaoBuxing(曹不兴,cáobùxīng)wasdecoratingasilkscreen(屏风,píngfēng)inthepalaceofSunQuan(孙权,sūnquán),ruleroftheWukingdom,heaccidentallydroppedhisbrush,leavinganinkblotonthewhitesilk.Aftersomequickthinking,Caoturnedthisblotch(污点,wūdiǎn)intoafly(苍蝇,cāngying)tocoverthemistake.Whenthekingcametocheckthework,Cao's"insect"wassorealistic,Suntriedtoshooitawayofthescreen(权疑其真，以手弹之quányíqízhēn,yǐshǒutánzhī).Thisidiomthuscametobeusedasacomplimentforexcellentartists(形容绘画技术十分高超,xíngrónghuìhuàjìshùshífēngāochāo).
来源：TheWorldofChinese编辑：万月英
来源：TheWorldofChinese
