终南捷径 — “A shortcut to success or high office”
终南捷径 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a shortcut to success or high office”. Often implying an opportunistic or less honorable path to achieve one's ambitions. Literally, “Zhongnan Mountain Shortcut”.
终南捷径 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 终zhōng
- 南nán
- 捷jié
- 径jìng
终南捷径 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 终南捷径
Origin and Story of 终南捷径
During the Tang Dynasty, there was a man named Sima Chengzhen. He lived for decades on Mount Zhongnan, not far from the capital city of Chang'an. His pseudonym was 'White Cloud,' symbolizing his noble and detached character.
When Emperor Xuanzong of Tang learned of him, he invited Sima Chengzhen to serve as an official, but Sima Chengzhen declined. The emperor then ordered a residence built for him, asking him to transcribe and proofread the book 'Laozi' there. After completing this task, Sima Chengzhen went to Chang'an to meet Emperor Xuanzong.
In Chang'an, Sima Chengzhen encountered Lu Cangyong, who had also once lived in seclusion on Mount Zhongnan but was now an official. In his younger years, Lu Cangyong, unable to secure an official position, deliberately went into seclusion on Mount Zhongnan. He believed that by living as a recluse on the mountain, he could attract the emperor's attention, and thus quickly achieved his goal of becoming an official.
When the two met, they exchanged a few pleasantries. Afterward, Lu Cangyong pointed to Mount Zhongnan to the south and jokingly said, 'Indeed, there is boundless joy here!' Sima Chengzhen, genuinely uninterested in officialdom, was fundamentally different from Lu Cangyong. So, Sima Chengzhen satirically remarked, 'You are right. In my opinion, it's not just enjoyable; it's practically a 'shortcut' to officialdom!'
Idioms Related to 终南捷径
More idioms starting with 终
- zhōng终qí其tiān天nián年live out one's natural lifespan
- zhōng终yǎng养tiān天nián年live out one's natural lifespan
- zhōng终tiān天zhī之sī思lifelong regret or sorrow
- zhōng终tiān天zhī之hèn恨lifelong regret
- zhōng终tiān天zhī之mù慕lifelong yearning and remembrance
- zhōng终tiān天zhī之qī戚lifelong sorrow or regret
- zhōng终tiān天bào抱hèn恨harbor lifelong regret
- zhōng终shǐ始bù不yú渝constant from beginning to end
- zhōng终shǐ始rú如yī一consistent from beginning to end
- zhōng终shǐ始fú弗yú渝unchanging from beginning to end
- zhōng终shǐ始ruò若yī一consistent from beginning to end
- zhōng终chéng成pào泡yǐng影all efforts come to nothing
Questions about 终南捷径
- What does 终南捷径 mean?
- 终南捷径 (zhōng nán jié jìng) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a shortcut to success or high office”.
- How do you pronounce 终南捷径?
- 终南捷径 is pronounced zhōng nán jié jìng in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 终南捷径 literally mean?
- Literally, 终南捷径 means “Zhongnan Mountain Shortcut”. It is used to mean “a shortcut to success or high office”.
- Where does 终南捷径 come from?
- 终南捷径 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 终南捷径?
- 指求名利的最近便是门路。也比喻达到目的的便捷途径。