東施效顰

Chinese

Dongshi effect; efficacy; imitate knit the brows
trad. (東施效顰/東施傚顰/東施效矉/東施傚矉) / /
simp. (东施效颦)

Etymology

Based on a story in "The Circling Sky", in Zhuangzi (《莊子·天運》). Xishi (西施), a famous beauty in Chinese history, often frowned because of her heart disease. An ugly woman of the same village, who was later known as Dongshi (東施), imitated Xishi to try to be as beautiful as her, but in turn made herself uglier and scared away the villagers.

西施富人閉門不知之所以夫子 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
西施𪾸𪾸富人闭门𪾸不知𪾸之所以夫子 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: Zhuangzi, circa 3rd – 2nd centuries BCE
Xīshī bìng xīn ér pín qí lǐ, qí lǐ zhī chǒu rén jiàn ér měi zhī, guī yì pěng xīn ér pín qí lǐ. Qí lǐ zhī fùrén jiàn zhī, jiān bìmén ér bù chū; pín rén jiàn zhī, qiè qī zǐ ér qù zhī zǒu. Bǐ zhī pín měi ér bùzhī pín zhīsuǒyǐ měi. Xī hū! Ér fūzǐ qí qióng zāi! [Pinyin]
When Xishi was having heart disease, she would knit her brows and frown on all in her neighbourhood. An ugly woman of the neighbourhood, seeing and admiring her beauty, went home, and also laying her hands on her heart proceeded to stare and frown on all around her. When the rich people of the village saw her, they shut fast their doors and would not go out; when the poor people saw her, they took their wives and children and ran away from her. The woman knew how to admire the frowning beauty, but she did not know how it was that she, though frowning, was beautiful. Alas! It is indeed all over with your Master!

Pronunciation


Idiom

東施效顰

  1. to imitate others only to make a fool of oneself; to attempt a crude or awkward imitation

Derived terms

  • 效顰效颦 (xiàopín)
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