To offer an explanation or interpretation without truly understanding the matter; to presume to be an expert or interpreter on a subject one is ignorant about, often leading to misguided opinions.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Synonym:
Story:
During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, when Xie An was young, he couldn't comprehend Gongsun Long's 'Discourse on White Horses' from the Warring States period.
He sought advice from Ruan Yu, a high-ranking official. Ruan Yu then wrote an essay explaining the 'Discourse on White Horses' and gave it to Xie An.
However, Xie An found Ruan Yu's explanation even more difficult to understand, so he went back to consult him again. Ruan Yu sighed, admitting that he was 'forcibly acting as an interpreter' (强做解人), implying he himself didn't fully grasp the meaning and was merely trying to explain it.