叶公好龙

Yè Gōng Hào Lóng

叶公说自己喜欢龙,真龙来了却吓得逃走。比喻口头上爱好某事物,其实并不是真的喜欢。

Lord Ye loves dragons — claiming to love something until the real thing shows up and sends you running.

从cóng前qián,楚chǔ国guó有yǒu一yī位wèi叶yè公gōng,特tè别bié喜xǐ欢huān龙lóng。他tā家jiā里lǐ的de柱zhù子zi上shàng、梁liáng上shàng、墙qiáng上shàng、碗wǎn上shàng,都dōu画huà着zhe龙lóng;衣yī服fú上shàng也yě绣xiù着zhe龙lóng。别bié人rén都dōu说shuō:“叶yè公gōng真zhēn是shì个gè爱ài龙lóng的de人rén啊a!”

天tiān上shàng真zhēn的de有yǒu一yī条tiáo龙lóng,听tīng说shuō叶yè公gōng这zhè么me爱ài自zì己jǐ,很hěn是shì感gǎn动dòng,就jiù腾téng云yún驾jià雾wù,来lái到dào叶yè公gōng家jiā拜bài访fǎng。龙lóng把bǎ大dà大dà的de头tóu伸shēn进jìn窗chuāng户hù,把bǎ长cháng长cháng的de尾wěi巴ba摆bǎi在zài厅tīng堂táng里lǐ。

叶yè公gōng一yī回huí头tóu,看kàn见jiàn真zhēn龙lóng,脸liǎn都dōu吓xià白bái了le,转zhuǎn身shēn撒sā腿tuǐ就jiù跑pǎo,连lián鞋xié子zi都dōu跑pǎo掉diào了le一yī只zhī。龙lóng愣lèng在zài那nà里lǐ,这zhè才cái明míng白bái:叶yè公gōng爱ài的de根gēn本běn不bù是shì真zhēn正zhèng的de龙lóng,只zhǐ是shì墙qiáng上shàng画huà的de龙lóng。

后hòu来lái人rén们men就jiù用yòng“叶yè公gōng好hào龙lóng”,比bǐ喻yù一yí个gè人rén嘴zuǐ上shàng说shuō喜xǐ欢huān,心xīn里lǐ其qí实shí不bù是shì真zhēn喜xǐ欢huān。

Long ago, in the state of Chu, there lived a lord called Lord Ye. He was famous for loving dragons. Dragons were painted on his pillars, carved on his beams, stitched on his robes, and decorated his bowls. Everyone said, “Lord Ye truly loves dragons!”

A real dragon in the heavens heard about him and was so moved that it flew down on the clouds to pay him a visit. It poked its great head through a window, and its long tail curled into the hall.

Lord Ye turned around, saw the real dragon, went pale — and ran. He ran so fast he lost one of his shoes. The dragon just stood there, puzzled, and realized: Lord Ye didn't love dragons at all. He only loved the pictures of them.

From this comes the saying “Lord Ye loves dragons,” used for anyone who claims to love something in words but doesn't really love it in their heart.