滥竽充数

Làn Yú Chōng Shù

不会吹竽的人混在乐队里凑人数。比喻没有真本事的人冒充有本事。

Faking a seat in the flute band — pretending you have skill when you don't, just to fill a spot.

战zhàn国guó时shí候hòu,齐qí宣xuān王wáng喜xǐ欢huān听tīng吹chuī竽yú,而ér且qiě一yì听tīng就jiù要yào三sān百bǎi个gè人rén一yì起qǐ吹chuī,场chǎng面miàn特tè别bié大dà。

有yǒu一yí个gè叫jiào南nán郭guō先xiān生shēng的de人rén,根gēn本běn不bú会huì吹chuī竽yú,但dàn他tā很hěn想xiǎng拿ná到dào宫gōng里lǐ的de俸fèng禄lù。于yú是shì他tā混hùn进jìn了le乐lè队duì,每měi次cì演yǎn奏zòu时shí,他tā就jiù学xué着zhe别bié人rén的de样yàng子zi,鼓gǔ起qǐ腮sāi帮bāng子zi,装zhuāng作zuò认rèn真zhēn吹chuī竽yú。因yīn为wèi人rén太tài多duō,齐qí宣xuān王wáng听tīng不bù出chū来lái,他tā就jiù这zhè样yàng混hùn了le好hǎo多duō年nián。

后hòu来lái齐qí宣xuān王wáng去qù世shì了le,他tā的de儿ér子zi齐qí湣mǐn王wáng也yě喜xǐ欢huān听tīng竽yú,可kě是shì湣mǐn王wáng不bú爱ài听tīng合hé奏zòu,要yào乐lè师shī们men一yí个gè一yí个gè单dān独dú吹chuī。

南nán郭guō先xiān生shēng一yì听tīng这zhè个gè消xiāo息xī,吓xià得de不bù得dé了liǎo,赶gǎn紧jǐn收shōu拾shí东dōng西xī偷tōu偷tōu地de跑pǎo掉diào了le。

“滥làn竽yú充chōng数shù”这zhè个gè成chéng语yǔ,就jiù是shì用yòng来lái形xíng容róng那nà些xiē没méi有yǒu真zhēn本běn领lǐng、靠kào混hùn在zài人rén群qún中zhōng冒mào充chōng的de人rén。

During the Warring States period, King Xuan of Qi loved to hear the yu, a bamboo flute, played in huge ensembles — he insisted on three hundred players at once.

A man called Mister Nanguo could not play the yu at all, but he longed for a royal salary. So he slipped into the band. Whenever the ensemble performed, he puffed out his cheeks and mimed along with the others. Because the group was so large, the king couldn't tell, and Mister Nanguo kept his place for years.

Then King Xuan died, and his son King Min took the throne. King Min also loved the yu, but he preferred to hear each musician play alone, one after another.

When Mister Nanguo heard the news, he was terrified. He gathered his things and slipped quietly away.

“Faking it among real flute players” is now used for anyone without true skill who hides in a crowd to pretend they belong.