To disparage or offend something beautiful or excellent through an inappropriate comparison or disrespectful treatment.
将她的歌声与那位平庸的歌手相比，简直是唐突西施，因为她的演唱总是充满独特的魅力。
To compare her singing to that of the mediocre singer is truly an offense to beauty, as her performances are always full of unique charm.
Era:
Early Modern
Frequency:
Synonym:
Story:
In the early Eastern Jin Dynasty, Zhou Yi, a highly respected official serving as Shàngshū Púyè, was known for his profound humility.
People often spoke of him in the same breath as Le Guang, another distinguished official, both being praised for their exceptional talent and noble character. However, Zhou Yi, with characteristic modesty, once remarked, 'To compare me with him is to profane him; it is like painting Wu Yan (an infamously ugly woman) and impudently diminishing the beauty of Xishi (a legendary beauty).'
This historical anecdote gave rise to the idiom.
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