三心二意

Sān Xīn Èr Yì

心思不专一，一会儿想这个，一会儿想那个。形容做事不专心。

Of two minds and three hearts — to be indecisive, distracted, unable to focus.

古gǔ时shí候hòu有yǒu一yī位wèi下xià棋qí高gāo手shǒu，名míng叫jiào弈yì秋qiū。他tā的de棋qí下xià得de最zuì好hǎo，很hěn多duō人rén都dōu来lái向xiàng他tā学xué习xí。

有yǒu一yī次cì，弈yì秋qiū同tóng时shí教jiào两liǎng个gè学xué生shēng下xià棋qí。一yí个gè学xué生shēng专zhuān心xīn听tīng讲jiǎng，眼yǎn睛jīng一yì直zhí看kàn着zhe老lǎo师shī；另lìng一yí个gè学xué生shēng虽suī然rán也yě坐zuò在zài那nà里lǐ，心xīn里lǐ却què想xiǎng着zhe天tiān上shàng飞fēi过guò的de大dà雁yàn，想xiǎng着zhe怎zěn么me用yòng弓gōng箭jiàn把bǎ它tā射shè下xià来lái。

结jié果guǒ，两liǎng个gè人rén一yì起qǐ学xué，一yì起qǐ练liàn，可kě第dì二èr个gè学xué生shēng总zǒng是shì学xué不bù好hǎo。不bù是shì他tā笨bèn，而ér是shì因yīn为wèi他tā三sān心xīn二èr意yì，心xīn没méi有yǒu放fàng在zài棋qí上shàng。

从cóng此cǐ，人rén们men就jiù用yòng“三sān心xīn二èr意yì”来lái形xíng容róng做zuò事shì不bù专zhuān心xīn、心xīn里lǐ想xiǎng着zhe别bié的de事shì的de样yàng子zi。

Long ago there was a master chess player named Yi Qiu. He played so well that many people came to study with him.

One day, Yi Qiu taught two students at the same time. One listened carefully, keeping his eyes on the teacher. The other sat there too, but his mind was on the wild geese flying overhead — he was thinking about how to shoot one down with his bow.

They studied side by side, practiced side by side, yet the second student never improved. It wasn't that he was slow — it was that his mind was split in two, never fully on the game.

Ever since, people have used “three hearts, two minds” to describe someone whose attention is divided instead of focused on what they're doing.