望梅止渴

Chinese

hope; expect; to visit
hope; expect; to visit; to gaze (into the distance); look towards; towards
 
 plum flower to quench one's thirst
trad. (望梅止渴) 望 梅 止渴
simp. #(望梅止渴) 望 梅 止渴
Literally: “to quench one's thirst by thinking of plums”.

Etymology

From the tale of Cao Cao deceiving his severely dehydrated troops with the promise of a forest of plums not far ahead:

魏武行役，失汲道，軍皆渴，乃令曰：「前有大梅林，饒子，甘酸，可以解渴。」士卒聞之，口皆出水，乘此得及前源。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
魏武行役，失汲道，军皆渴，乃令曰：「前有大梅林，饶子，甘酸，可以解渴。」士卒闻之，口皆出水，乘此得及前源。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]
From: Liu Yiqing (editor), A New Account of the Tales of the World, 5th century CE
Wèi Wǔ xíng yì, shī jí dào, jūn jiē kě, nǎi lìng yuē: “Qián yǒu dà méilín, ráo zǐ, gān suān, kěyǐ jiěkě.” Shìzú wén zhī, kǒu jiē chūshuǐ, chéng cǐ dé jí qián yuán. [Pinyin]
Emperor Wu of Wei [i.e. Cao Cao] was leading his army, but failed to find a path with water supply, [as a result,] the entire army suffered from thirst. He then issued an order, “Ahead is a big grove of plum trees, loaded with fruits. The sweet-sour juice is just right for quenching your thirst.” When the army heard this, they all drooled and then by seizing the opportunity reached the water source ahead.

Pronunciation

Idiom

望梅止渴

  1. to console oneself with illusions

See also

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