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.

zhànguóshíhòuxuānwánghuāntīngchuīérqiětīngjiùyàosānbǎirénchuīchǎngmiànbié

yǒujiàonánguōxiānshēngderéngēnběnhuìchuīdànhěnxiǎngdàogōngdefèngshìhùnjìnleduìměiyǎnzòushíjiùxuézhebiéréndeyàngzisāibāngzizhuāngzuòrènzhēnchuīyīnwèiréntàiduōxuānwángtīngchūláijiùzhèyànghùnlehǎoduōnián

hòuláixuānwángshìledeérzimǐnwánghuāntīngshìmǐnwángàitīngzòuyàoshīmendānchuī

nánguōxiānshēngtīngzhèxiāoxiàdeliǎogǎnjǐnshōushídōng西tōutōudepǎodiàole

lànchōngshùzhèchéngjiùshìyòngláixíngróngxiēméiyǒuzhēnběnlǐngkàohùnzàirénqúnzhōngmàochōngderén

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.