Kids’ Chinese Idiom: 指鹿为马 Deer Or Horse? (Intermediate)

Key Learning Points (Preview):
千里马 (qiānlǐmǎ): n. a swift horse

明明 (míngmíng): adv. obviously; undoubtedly

Zhège chéngyǔ gùshì de míngzi jiào zuò: zhǐlùwéimǎ.
这个     成语      故事    的 名字    叫    做：指鹿为马。

The name of this idiomatic story is “Deer or Horse?”
Zài Qíncháo, yǒu gè hěn déshì de jiānchén jiào Zhào Gāo.
在   秦朝，    有   个    很   得势 的   奸臣       叫      赵    高。

In Qin dynasty, there was a powerful and evil counselor named Zhao Gao.
Zhào Gāo xiǎng zàofǎn,
赵      高    想       造反，
dànshì yòu bù zhīdào qún chén zhōng yǒu duōshǎo rén huì zhīchí tā.
但是    又    不  知道     群 臣        中     有     多少      人   会   支持 他。

Zhao Gao wanted to rebel, but he didn‘t know how many people in the court would stand by his side.
Yúshì tā xiǎngle gè bànfǎ lái cèshì.
于是   他 想了    个 办法  来  测试。

So he worked out a way to test the people.
Tā zài qún chén miànqián sòngle yì  tóu lù gěi huángshàng,
他 在 群   臣       面前        送了   一 头  鹿 给     皇上，
bìng shuō zhè shì yì  pǐ qiānlǐmǎ.
并        说    这 是  一  匹 千里马。

He presented a deer as a tribute to the emperor in front of the court, and said that it was a swift horse.
Huángshàng bú xìn, shuō, “Zhè míngmíng shì lù a.”
皇上              不   信，说，“这     明明        是 鹿啊。”

The emperor not accepting his statement said, “This is obviously a deer.”
Ránhòu Zhào Gāo jièjī wèn gè wèi dàchén, “Zhè shì lù háishì mǎ?”
然后       赵     高    借机 问  各   位     大臣，“这  是  鹿  还是 马？”

Then, Zhao Gao took this opportunity to ask the court, “Is this a deer or a horse?”
Zài dàchén zhōng, búgǎn fǎnkàng Zhào Gāo de dōu zàntóng shuō shì mǎ,
在   大臣        中，    不敢   反抗          赵高     的   都     赞同     说     是   马，
gǎnyú fǎnduì Zhào Gāo de shuō shì lù.
敢于    反对         赵高    的    说 是  鹿。

In the court, those who didn‘t dare to go against Zhao Gao agreed with him and said that it was a horse, those who dared to go against Zhao Gao said that it was a deer.
Hòu lái, Zhào Gāo jìzhù le zhèxiē fǎnduì tā de rén bìng jiāyǐ pòhài, yǐ gǒnggù zì jǐ de shìlì.
后    来，   赵高      记住了 这些   反对   他的 人   并    加以 迫害，以 巩固  自己 的 势力。

Later, Zhao Gao remembered the counselors who didn‘t agree with him and persecuted them to solidify his power.
Zhè gè gùshì liúchuán zhì jīn,
这    个 故事 流传      至 今，
rénmen yòng zhège chéngyǔ lái xíngróng yí gè rén diāndǎo hēibái.
人们       用       这个      成语   来    形容     一 个 人   颠倒      黑白。

This story is still popular even today. People use this idiom to describe someone who calls white black.

千里马 (qiānlǐmǎ) n. a swift horse

“千” means “thousand,” “里” means “mile,” and “马” means “horse.” “千里马” refers to a horse that can run one thousand miles in a single day. A thousand miles was a long distance in the eyes of the ancients, so we can see that “千里马” is the best kind of horses.

Jíshǐ shì qiānlǐmǎ, yě bú rú xiànzài de qìchē kuài.
即使   是 千里马，也 不 如 现在 的 汽车   快。

Even though a horse can run a thousand miles in a day, it‘s still not as fast as cars in nowadays.
明明 (míngmíng) adv. obviously; undoubtedly

Zhè nǎlǐ shì shǒujī? Míngmíng shì gè wánjù.
这   哪里是   手机？明明          是 个     玩具。

How can this be a mobile phone? It‘s obviously a toy.

Chinese Idiom
Chinese for Kids