欲蓋彌彰

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Chinese

desire; longing; appetite
desire; longing; appetite; wish
 
cover; lid; top
cover; lid; top; canopy; to build
 
full; to fill manifest
trad. (欲蓋彌彰)
simp. (欲盖弥彰)

Etymology

黑肱重地君子:「不可不慎如是有名不如不義是故君子不得不義。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
黑肱重地君子:「不可不慎如是有名不如不义是故君子不得不义。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: Commentary of Zuo, c. 4th century BCE
Dōng, Zhū Hēigōng yǐ Làn lái bēn, jiàn ér shū míng, zhòngdì gù yě. Jūnzǐ yuē: “Míng zhī bùkě bùshèn yě rúshì fū. Yǒu suǒ yǒumíng, ér bùrú qí yǐ. Yǐ dì pàn, suī jiàn bì shū dì, yǐ míng qí rén, zhōng wèi bùyì, fú kě miè yǐ. Shìgù jūnzǐ dòng zé sī lǐ, xíng zé sī yì, bù wèi lì huí, bù wèi yì jiù. Huò qiú míng ér bùdé, huò yù gài ér míng zhāng, chéng bùyì yě.”
In winter, Heihong of Zou state defected to the Lu state together with his Lan county (near present-day Tengzhou). Although he was lowly, his name was recorded (in the historical records) becuase lands are important (for a country). The Gentleman (i.e. the author) said, “As for fame, one cannot be incautious like this. If one has this kind of fame, this would not be as good as without fame. defected with his land, the name of the land must be recorded, so as the name of the defector. He will eventually be regarded as immoral and this will be never be blot out. Therefore, when a gentleman acts, he thinks of etiquettes and righteousness, and he never betrays (his conscience) for benefits or regrets for doing unrighteous things. Some people seek for fame but failed. Some people wanted to conceal but their names were eventually spread. This was to punish those immoral ones.”

Pronunciation


Idiom

欲蓋彌彰

  1. to attempt to cover up the truth but the truth becomes more apparent or further exposed
    大家原本只是懷疑而已忙於辯解樣子反而欲蓋彌彰不打自招 [MSC, trad.]
    大家原本只是怀疑而已忙于辩解样子反而欲盖弥彰不打自招 [MSC, simp.]
    Dàjiā yuánběn zhǐshì huáiyí tā éryǐ, dàn tā mángyú biànjiě de yàngzǐ fǎn'ér shì yùgàimízhāng, bùdǎzìzhāo.
    (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Synonyms

References