Chinese Idiom : Lan YU Chong Shu
In the HSK level 6 test, idioms and idiom stories are frequently used. It is often the key to score in listening, reading, and writing. Today we will learn an idiom story about An amateur Amateur musician posing as a professional. Chinese Idiom : Lan YU Chong Shu . This idiom is used as Mixing unqualified people or things into the qualified group.

The Story:Lan YU Chong Shu
During the Warring States Period, King Xuan of the State of Qi loved to listen to the YU (an ancient wind instrument), especially in the ensemble. In the palace, there was a band of fully 300 YU players. King Xuan of Qi often ordered this band to play for him.
A man named Nan Guo could not play the YU. But when he learned of King Xuan’s hobby, he volunteered his service and bragged about how well he could play. He asked for permission to play for the king with other players.
King Xuan was very glad to hear this and granted his request. Thereupon, in each performance he would mingle with others, put on an act, play at random, and swindled the same amount of remuneration as paid to others.
In this way, he drifted along till King Xuan of Qi died. After King Xuan of Qi died, King Min succeeded to the throne.
Under his father’s influence, King Min also loved to listen to the YU. The only difference was that he liked to listen to solos, not ensembles. King Min proclaimed that the players must perform one by one for him.

When Nan Guo heard of this, he was afraid. He knew he could not drift along any longer, so he sneaked away that very night.
滥竽充数 Làn Yú Chōng Shù
Fill the amount with defective products
古时候,齐国的国君齐宣王爱好音乐,尤其喜欢听吹竽,手下有300个善于吹竽的乐师。齐宣王喜欢热闹,爱摆排场,总想在人前显示做国君的威严,所以每次听吹竽的时候,总是叫这300个人在一起合奏给他听。
有个南郭先生听说了齐宣王的这个癖好,觉得有机可乘,是个赚钱的好机会,就跑到齐宣王那里去,吹嘘自己说:“大王啊,我是个有名的乐师,听过我吹竽的人没有不被感动的,就是鸟兽听了也会翩翩起舞,花草听了也会合着节拍颤动,我愿把我的绝技献给大王。”齐宣王听得高兴,不加考察,很痛快地收下了他,把他也编进那支300人的吹竽队中。
这以后,南郭先生就随那300人一块儿合奏给齐宣王听,和大家一样拿优厚的薪水和丰厚的赏赐,心里得意极了。
其实南郭先生撒了个弥天大谎,他压根儿就不会吹竽。每逢演奏的时候,南郭先生就捧着竽混在队伍中,人家摇晃身体他也摇晃身体,人家摆头他也摆头,脸上装出一副动情忘我的样子,看上去和别人一样吹奏得挺投入,还真瞧不出什么破绽来。南郭先生就这样靠着蒙骗混过了一天又一天,不劳而获地白拿薪水。
可是好景不长,过了几年,爱听竽合奏的齐宣王死了,他的儿子齐湣(mǐn)王继承了王位。齐湣王也爱听吹竽,可是他和齐宣王不一样,认为300人一块儿吹实在太吵,不如独奏来得悠扬逍遥。于是齐湣王发布了一道命令,要这300个人好好练习 ,作好准备,他将让它300人轮流来一个个地吹竽给他欣赏。乐师们知道命令后都积极练习 ,想一展身手,只有那个滥竽充数的南郭先生急得像热锅上的蚂蚁,惶惶不可终日。他想来想去,觉得这次再也混不过去了,只好连夜收拾行李逃走了。
像南郭先生这样不学无术靠蒙骗混饭吃的人,骗得了一时,骗不了一世。假的就是假的,最终逃不过实践的检验而被揭穿伪装。我们想要成功,唯一的办法就是勤奋学习 ,只有练就一身过硬的真本领,才能经受得住一切考验。
How to use this idiom
1 I bought some oranges, but when I went home, I found that there were many bad oranges in it.
我买了一些橘子,回家却发现里面有好多坏橘子滥竽充数。
2 I think the entries in this competition, except for a few of them who are really talented, have come to make up the numbers.
我看本次参赛作品,除少数是真才实学外,其他都是滥竽充数。
Chinese Idiom Lan YU Chong Shu
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