覆醬瓿

From the Book of Han:

時有好事者載酒肴從游學，而鉅鹿侯芭常從雄居，受其《太玄》、《法言》焉。劉歆亦嘗觀之，謂雄曰：「空自苦！今學者有祿利，然尚不能明《易》，又如《玄》何？吾恐後人用覆醬瓿也。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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时有好事者载酒肴从游学，而钜鹿侯芭常从雄居，受其《太玄》、《法言》焉。刘歆亦尝观之，谓雄曰：「空自苦！今学者有禄利，然尚不能明《易》，又如《玄》何？吾恐后人用覆酱瓿也。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Book of Han, circa 1^st century CE

Shí yǒu hǎoshìzhě zǎi jiǔyáo cóng yóuxué, ér Jùlù Hóu Bā cháng cóng Xióng jū, shòu qí “Tàixuán”, “Fǎyán” yān. Liú Xīn yì cháng guān zhī, wèi Xióng yuē: “Kōng zì kǔ! Jīn xuézhě yǒu lù lì, rán shàng bùnéng míng “Yì”, yòu rú “Xuán” hé? Wú kǒng hòurén yòng fùjiàngbù yě.”

Back then there were busybodies coming with wine and food to study under him. Hou Ba from Julu often lived with Yang Xiong as a disciple. Yang Xiong taught him about Taixuan and Fayan (Yang Xiong's books). Liu Xin saw this and said: "You are just torturing yourself! Scholars nowadays have wealth and emoluments, yet they don't even understand I Ching, let alone Taixuan! I'm afraid they are gonna be used to cover earthen jars for fermenting sauce by posterity."

覆醬瓿

1. (literary) used to describe a worthless book or work

   • 賴生所作，無論文字鄙陋，和習錯出，加以考證疏漏，議論乖僻，真可以覆醬瓿。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     赖生所作，无论文字鄙陋，和习错出，加以考证疏漏，议论乖僻，真可以覆酱瓿。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Fukushiyu (復子庾, a Japanese kanbun in 西崦先生餘稿) by Hoashi Banri (帆足萬里)

     Lài shēng suǒzuò, wúlùn wénzì bǐlòu, héxí cuòchū, jiāyǐ kǎozhèng shūlòu, yìlùn guāipì, zhēn kě yǐ fùjiàngbù.

     Rai San'yō's work (Nihon Gaishi) is of course crude in writing and full of washū (improper Japanese elements in Literary Chinese text), but insofar as the research is also sloppily done and the discussion biased. It really should be used to cover a fermentation pot.

• 覆酒甕／覆酒瓮 (fù jiǔwèng)