鹤立鸡群

Hè Lì Jī Qún

一只鹤站在鸡群里,特别突出。比喻一个人的才能或仪表,远远超过周围的人。

A crane standing among chickens — one person clearly outshines the crowd.

晋jìn朝cháo的de时shí候hòu,有yǒu一yī个gè年nián轻qīng人rén,叫jiào嵇jī绍shào,他tā是shì著zhù名míng学xué者zhě嵇jī康kāng的de儿ér子zi。嵇jī绍shào长zhǎng得de又yòu高gāo又yòu挺tǐng,仪yí表biǎo出chū众zhòng,走zǒu到dào哪nǎ里lǐ都dōu让ràng人rén忍rěn不bù住zhù多duō看kàn几jǐ眼yǎn。

有yǒu一yī次cì,都dōu城chéng里lǐ发fā生shēng了le战zhàn乱luàn,嵇jī绍shào跟gēn着zhe皇huáng帝dì一yī起qǐ出chū巡xún。那nà一yī天tiān,人rén群qún十shí分fēn拥yōng挤jǐ,大dà臣chén、兵bīng士shì、百bǎi姓xìng都dōu混hùn在zài一yī起qǐ,闹nào哄hǒng哄hǒng的de。

嵇jī绍shào站zhàn在zài人rén群qún中zhōng,身shēn材cái高gāo大dà,神shén情qíng从cóng容róng,一yī眼yǎn就jiù能néng看kàn到dào他tā。一yī位wèi朋péng友yǒu回huí去qù后hòu告gào诉sù大dà家jiā:“我wǒ在zài人rén群qún中zhōng看kàn到dào嵇jī绍shào,他tā就jiù像xiàng一yì只zhī仙xiān鹤hè,站zhàn在zài一yī群qún鸡jī中zhōng间jiān,那nà样yàng显xiǎn眼yǎn!”

朝cháo中zhōng一yī位wèi叫jiào王wáng戎róng的de大dà官guān听tīng了le,点diǎn头tóu称chēng赞zàn:“说shuō得de对duì,嵇jī绍shào确què实shí像xiàng一yì只zhī鹤hè,站zhàn在zài鸡jī群qún当dāng中zhōng。”从cóng此cǐ,这zhè句jù话huà就jiù传chuán开kāi了le。

后hòu来lái人rén们men用yòng“鹤hè立lì鸡jī群qún”,称chēng赞zàn那nà些xiē才cái能néng、品pǐn格gé或huò样yàng子zi远yuǎn远yuǎn超chāo过guò周zhōu围wéi人rén的de人rén。

In the Jin dynasty there was a young man named Ji Shao, the son of the famous scholar Ji Kang. Ji Shao was tall and upright, with a noble bearing — wherever he went, people could not help turning their heads to look.

Once there was unrest in the capital, and Ji Shao accompanied the emperor on a journey. That day the crowds were very thick, with officials, soldiers, and townsfolk all mixed together in a noisy bustle.

Standing among them, Ji Shao was tall and calm, and easy to spot at a glance. A friend returned and told everyone, “I saw Ji Shao in the crowd. He looked like a crane standing in a flock of chickens — that striking!”

A high court official named Wang Rong heard this and nodded, “Well said. Ji Shao truly is like a crane among chickens.” The phrase spread quickly after that.

Today “a crane among chickens” praises anyone whose talent, character, or bearing clearly stands out above the people around them.