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南郭处士
南郭处士
南郭处士
南郭处士
南郭处士
南郭处士
南郭处士
南郭处士

nán南guō郭chǔ处shì士

Someone who lacks true talent but pretends to be an expert and gets by, often by being part of a group; a charlatan or an impostor who fills a vacancy without qualification.

我们团队需要的是真正有能力的人,而不是像南郭处士那样滥竽充数的人。
Our team needs genuinely capable people, not those who merely fill a vacancy like the Nan Guo scholar.

Era:

Ancient

Frequency:

Synonym:

南郭先生

Story:

During the Warring States period, King Xuan of Qi was very fond of listening to the sheng (a wind instrument) played in chorus. Nan Guo, a lazy and gluttonous scholar, managed to sneak into the orchestra. He pretended to be an expert, swaying his head and looking knowledgeable, even though he knew nothing about playing.

Not long after, the old king died, and the new king preferred to listen to sheng solos. Nan Guo felt uneasy and guilty. Fearing that his deception would be exposed, he fled the palace overnight.

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