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) 欲 蓋 彌 彰
simp. (欲盖弥彰) 欲 盖 弥 彰

Etymology

冬，邾黑肱以濫來奔，賤而書名，重地故也。君子曰：「名之不可不慎也如是夫。有所有名，而不如其已。以地叛，雖賤必書地，以名其人，終為不義，弗可滅已。是故君子動則思禮，行則思義，不為利回，不為義疚。或求名而不得，或欲蓋而名章，懲不義也。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
冬，邾黑肱以滥来奔，贱而书名，重地故也。君子曰：「名之不可不慎也如是夫。有所有名，而不如其已。以地叛，虽贱必书地，以名其人，终为不义，弗可灭已。是故君子动则思礼，行则思义，不为利回，不为义疚。或求名而不得，或欲盖而名章，惩不义也。」 [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
    大家原本只是懷疑他而已，但他忙於辯解的樣子反而是欲蓋彌彰，不打自招。 [MSC, trad.]
    大家原本只是怀疑他而已，但他忙于辩解的样子反而是欲盖弥彰，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

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