班门弄斧

Bān Mén Nòng Fǔ

在鲁班门前摆弄斧子。比喻在专家面前卖弄自己的本事。

Showing off your axe at Lu Ban's door — trying to impress an expert with a skill they already mastered long ago.

古gǔ时shí候hòu有yǒu一yí位wèi非fēi常cháng有yǒu名míng的de木mù匠jiàng,叫jiào鲁lǔ班bān。他tā手shǒu艺yì高gāo超chāo,天tiān下xià的de木mù匠jiàng都dōu敬jìng佩pèi他tā,把bǎ他tā当dàng成chéng祖zǔ师shī爷yé。

很hěn久jiǔ以yǐ后hòu,有yǒu一yí个gè年nián轻qīng的de木mù匠jiàng,做zuò活huó做zuò得de还hái可kě以yǐ,就jiù常cháng常cháng在zài别bié人rén面miàn前qián夸kuā自zì己jǐ的de本běn事shì。

有yǒu一yí次cì,他tā路lù过guò鲁lǔ班bān的de家jiā门mén口kǒu,看kàn见jiàn门mén前qián有yǒu一yì棵kē大dà树shù,就jiù拿ná出chū斧fǔ子zi,当dāng着zhe鲁lǔ班bān家jiā人rén的de面miàn一yì通tōng乱luàn砍kǎn,还hái说shuō:“看kàn我wǒ这zhè斧fǔ头tóu,耍shuǎ得dé多duō漂piāo亮liàng!”

旁páng边biān的de人rén看kàn了le,忍rěn不bú住zhù笑xiào起qǐ来lái:“这zhè里lǐ可kě是shì鲁lǔ班bān的de家jiā门mén口kǒu,你nǐ在zài这zhè里lǐ耍shuǎ斧fǔ子zi,不bú是shì自zì不bú量liàng力lì吗ma?”这zhè位wèi年nián轻qīng木mù匠jiàng听tīng完wán,脸liǎn一yí下xià子zi红hóng了le。

后hòu来lái人rén们men就jiù用yòng“班bān门mén弄nòng斧fǔ”来lái提tí醒xǐng大dà家jiā:在zài真zhēn正zhèng的de高gāo手shǒu面miàn前qián,最zuì好hǎo多duō学xué一yì学xué,不bú要yào太tài急jí着zhe卖mài弄nòng自zì己jǐ。

Long ago there lived a master carpenter named Lu Ban. His skill was so famous that carpenters everywhere honored him as their ancestral teacher.

Many years later, a young carpenter with only average skill liked to boast about his own work.

One day he happened to pass Lu Ban's old house. Seeing a great tree in front of the door, he pulled out his axe and started chopping away showily, right in front of Lu Ban's family. “Look at how well I swing this axe!” he bragged.

The people watching burst out laughing. “This is Lu Ban's own doorway! Swinging an axe here — aren't you reaching beyond your own ability?” The young man's face turned bright red.

Ever since, “swinging an axe at Lu Ban's door” reminds us: before a true master, it's wiser to learn than to show off.