百步穿楊
Chinese
| hundred | a step; a pace; walk a step; a pace; walk; march; stages in a process |
to bore through; pierce; perforate to bore through; pierce; perforate; penetrate; pass through; to dress; to wear; to put on; to thread |
surname; poplar | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| trad. (百步穿楊) | 百 | 步 | 穿 | 楊 | |
| simp. (百步穿杨) | 百 | 步 | 穿 | 杨 | |
| Literally: “to shoot an arrow through a willow leaf at a hundred paces; to split a willow wand at a hundred paces”. | |||||
Etymology
From the story of the archer 養由基 (Yang Youji) as recorded in Zhan Guo Ce. The original version used 柳 (liǔ) (see 百發百中/百发百中 (bǎifābǎizhòng)), whereas in later version it became 楊/杨 (yáng):
- 養由基,楚之善射者也,去楊葉百步,百發百中。楊葉之大,加百中焉,可謂善射矣。然其所止,百步之內耳,比於臣乘,未知操弓持矢也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
- From: 162 BCE, 枚乘,《上書諫吳王》, translated by Stephen Owen
- Yǎng Yóujī, Chǔ zhī shàn shè zhě yě, qù yángyè bǎi bù, bǎifābǎizhòng. Yángyè zhī dà, jiā bǎizhòng yān, kěwèi shàn shè yǐ. Rán qí suǒ zhǐ, bǎibù zhīnèi ěr, bǐ yú chén Shèng/Chéng, wèi zhī cāo gōng chí shǐ yě. [Pinyin]
- Yang You-ji was the expert archer of Chu. He went a hundred paces from a willow leaf, in a hundred shots hit it a hundred times. Considering the size of a willow leaf, to hit it a hundred times can be considered expert archery indeed. Nevertheless, the point where he stopped was still but a hundred paces. Compared to your retainer Sheng [or Cheng, uncertain], he didn't know even how to hold a bow and arrows!
养由基,楚之善射者也,去杨叶百步,百发百中。杨叶之大,加百中焉,可谓善射矣。然其所止,百步之内耳,比于臣乘,未知操弓持矢也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
Pronunciation
- Mandarin
- (Pinyin): bǎibùchuānyáng
- (Zhuyin): ㄅㄞˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄔㄨㄢ ㄧㄤˊ
- Cantonese (Jyutping): baak3 bou6 cyun1 joeng4
- Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Hanyu Pinyin: bǎibùchuānyáng
- Zhuyin: ㄅㄞˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄔㄨㄢ ㄧㄤˊ
- Tongyong Pinyin: bǎibùchuanyáng
- Wade–Giles: pai3-pu4-chʻuan1-yang2
- Yale: bǎi-bù-chwān-yáng
- Gwoyeu Romatzyh: baebuhchuanyang
- Palladius: байбучуаньян (bajbučuanʹjan)
- Sinological IPA (key): /paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰu̯än⁵⁵ jɑŋ³⁵/
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
- Jyutping: baak3 bou6 cyun1 joeng4
- Yale: baak bouh chyūn yèuhng
- Cantonese Pinyin: baak8 bou6 tsyn1 joeng4
- Guangdong Romanization: bag3 bou6 qun1 yêng4
- Sinological IPA (key): /paːk̚³ pou̯²² t͡sʰyːn⁵⁵ jœːŋ²¹/
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
Idiom
百步穿楊