Chinese Fable

画饼充饥🔊

Huà Bǐng Chōng Jī
📚 Fables⏱ 3 min read🎧 Audio

This fable describes feeding on illusions instead of real solutions.

The Story 🔊

Sānguó shíqī Lú Yù shì Wèiguó de dàchén
三国时期Sānguó shíqī🔊,卢毓Lú Yù🔊是shì🔊魏国Wèiguó🔊的de🔊大臣dàchén🔊。
Yǒu rén tuījiàn réncái shí zhǐ píng míngqì bù kàn zhēn cái shí xué
有人Yǒu rén🔊推荐tuījiàn🔊人才réncái🔊时shí🔊,只凭zhǐ píng🔊名气míngqì🔊,不看bù kàn🔊真才实学zhēn cái shí xué🔊。
Lú Yù duì Wèi Míngdì shuō xuǎnbá réncái bù néng zhǐ kàn míngqì jiù xiàng huà bǐng chōng jī yíyàng
卢毓Lú Yù🔊对duì🔊魏明帝Wèi Míngdì🔊说shuō🔊:选拔xuǎnbá🔊人才réncái🔊不能bù néng🔊只看zhǐ kàn🔊名气míngqì🔊,就像jiù xiàng🔊画饼充饥huà bǐng chōng jī🔊一样yíyàng🔊。
Huà chūlái de bǐng zài hǎokàn yě bù néng dāng fàn chī
画出来的Huà chūlái de🔊饼bǐng🔊再好看zài hǎokàn🔊,也yě🔊不能bù néng🔊当饭吃dāng fàn chī🔊。
English Translation:
During the Three Kingdoms period, Lu Yu was a minister of Wei. When some people recommended talents based only on reputation without looking at real abilities, Lu Yu said to Emperor Ming of Wei: "Selecting talents based only on reputation is like drawing a cake to satisfy hunger. No matter how beautiful the drawn cake is, it cannot be eaten as a meal."

Key Vocabulary

画饼充饥
huà bǐng chōng jī
feed on illusions
饼
bǐng
cake/pancake
饥饿
jī'è
hunger
人才
réncái
talent
名气
míngqì
reputation
选拔
xuǎnbá
select

The Moral

Face reality! This idiom describes trying to solve problems with illusions instead of real solutions.

Cultural Insight

画饼充饥 comes from "Records of the Three Kingdoms" (三国志).