蒼蠅

蒼蠅

1. (literal) housefly; fly (Classifier: 隻／只 m)

   那些牛甩動著尾巴驅趕蒼蠅。 [MSC, trad.]
   那些牛甩动著尾巴驱赶苍蝇。 [MSC, simp.]

   Nàxiē niú shuǎidòngzhe wěiba qūgǎn cāngying. [Pinyin]

   The cattle were swinging their tails to disperse the flies.

   • 匪雞則鳴，蒼蠅之聲。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     匪鸡则鸣，苍蝇之声。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Fěi jī zé míng, cāngyíng zhī shēng. [Pinyin]

     It was not the cock that was crowing;—
     It was the sound of the flies.

   • 蒼蠅，蒼蠅，吾嗟爾之為生！既無蜂蠆之毒尾，又無蚊虻之利嘴。幸不為人之畏，胡不為人之喜？ [Literary Chinese, trad.]
     苍蝇，苍蝇，吾嗟尔之为生！既无蜂虿之毒尾，又无蚊虻之利嘴。幸不为人之畏，胡不为人之喜？ [Literary Chinese, simp.]

     From: 1066, Ouyang Xiu (歐陽脩), Hatred of Flies (《憎蒼蠅賦》)

     Cāngying, cāngying, wú jiē ěr zhī wéi shēng! Jì wú fēng chài zhī dú wěi, yòu wú wén méng zhī lì zuǐ. Xìng bù wéi rén zhī wèi, hú bù wéi rén zhī xǐ? [Pinyin]

     Oh fly, oh fly, I lament your being! You have neither the poisonous tail of a bee or a scorpion nor the sharp mouth of a mosquito or gadfly. Luckily you are not a creature humans fear, but why can't you live the way humans like?

2. (Mainland China, figurative, neologism) low-ranking corrupt public employee

   Antonym: 老虎 (lǎohǔ)

   老虎蒼蠅一起打／老虎苍蝇一起打  ―  lǎohǔ cāngyíng yīqǐ dǎ  ―  fight against both high-ranking and low-ranking corrupt officials at the same time (literally, “beat both tigers and flies at the same time”)

• (housefly):