名落孙山

Míng Luò Sūn Shān

考试考中的最后一名叫孙山，落在孙山后面就表示没考上。比喻考试或比赛没有被录取。

One's name falls behind Sun Shan — a polite way of saying “failed the exam.”

宋sòng朝cháo有yǒu个gè读dú书shū人rén，名míng叫jiào孙sūn山shān。他tā为wéi人rén聪cōng明míng，又yòu爱ài说shuō笑xiào话huà。有yǒu一yī年nián，他tā和hé同tóng乡xiāng的de一yí个gè年nián轻qīng人rén一yì起qǐ去qù京jīng城chéng参cān加jiā考kǎo试shì。

放fàng榜bǎng的de时shí候hòu，孙sūn山shān的de名míng字zì写xiě在zài最zuì后hòu一yī名míng，也yě就jiù是shì说shuō，他tā刚gāng好hǎo考kǎo上shàng了le。那nà个ge和hé他tā一yì起qǐ去qù的de年nián轻qīng人rén，名míng字zì没méi有yǒu出chū现xiàn在zài榜bǎng上shàng，没méi考kǎo中zhòng。

孙sūn山shān先xiān回huí到dào家jiā乡xiāng。那nà个ge年nián轻qīng人rén的de父fù亲qīn急jí着zhe来lái问wèn：“我wǒ儿ér子zi考kǎo中zhòng了le吗ma？”孙sūn山shān不bù好hǎo直zhí接jiē说shuō“没méi有yǒu”，就jiù笑xiào着zhe答dá道dào：“榜bǎng上shàng最zuì后hòu一yī名míng是shì孙sūn山shān，令lìng郎láng的de名míng字zì，落luò在zài孙sūn山shān后hòu面miàn。”

大dà家jiā听tīng了le都dōu笑xiào了le，也yě都dōu懂dǒng了le。从cóng此cǐ，“名míng落luò孙sūn山shān”就jiù成chéng了le“没méi考kǎo上shàng”的de委wěi婉wǎn说shuō法fǎ。

In the Song dynasty there was a scholar named Sun Shan. He was clever and fond of a good joke. One year, he traveled to the capital to take the imperial exam along with a young man from his hometown.

When the results were posted, Sun Shan's name appeared last on the list — meaning he had barely passed. The young man's name was not on the list at all.

Sun Shan returned home first. The young man's anxious father came running: “Did my son pass?” Sun Shan didn't want to say “no” outright, so with a smile he answered, “The last name on the list is Sun Shan. Your son's name falls behind Sun Shan's.”

Everyone laughed — and everyone understood. From then on, “his name fell behind Sun Shan's” became a gentle way of saying someone had failed the exam.