老馬識途

See also: 老马识途

Chinese

old; aged; venerable
old; aged; venerable; outdated; experienced; (affectionate prefix)
 
 horse; surname
to record; write a footnote; to know
to record; write a footnote; to know; knowledge
 
 way; route; road
trad. (老馬識途) 老 馬 識 途
simp. (老马识途) 老 马 识 途
Literally: “an old horse knows the way”.

Etymology

From a story in Han Feizi, Chapter 22 (《韓非子·說林上》):

管仲、隰朋從於桓公而伐孤竹，春往冬反，迷惑失道，管仲曰：「老馬之智可用也。」乃放老馬而隨之，遂得道。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
管仲、隰朋从于桓公而伐孤竹，春往冬反，迷惑失道，管仲曰：「老马之智可用也。」乃放老马而随之，遂得道。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]
From: Han Feizi, circa 2nd century BCE, translated based on W. K. Liao's version
Guǎn Zhòng, Xí Péng cóng yú Huán gōng ér fá Gūzhú, chūn wǎng dōng fǎn, míhuò shī dào, Guǎn Zhòng yuē: “Lǎo mǎ zhī zhì kě yòng yě.” Nǎi fàng lǎo mǎ ér suí zhī, suì dé dào. [Pinyin]
Guan Zhong and Xi Peng (隰朋) accompanied Duke Huan in the expedition against Guzhu. When spring was gone and winter came again, they went astray and lost the way. Thereupon Guan Zhong said: "The wisdom of old horses is trustworthy." So they let old horses go of themselves and followed them from behind, till they found the way.

Pronunciation

Idiom

老馬識途

  1. an experienced worker knows what to do; an old hand knows the ropes

Descendants

  • → Vietnamese: ngựa quen đường cũ (calque)
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