original text

Some Chu people sold their pearls to Zheng, Mulan's cabinet, decorated with cinnamon and pepper, pearls and jade, roses, feathers and jade. Zheng Guoren bought the jewelry box and returned the pearls. This can be said to be a best seller, but it is not a good pearl.

[Edit this paragraph] Translation

There was a businessman in the State of Chu who sold his pearls to people in the State of Zheng. (Jewelry) is packed in wooden boxes, which are made of magnolia trees, smoked with cinnamon peppers, decorated with (exquisite) pearl jade, decorated with beautiful jade and decorated with kingfisher feathers. Zheng's men bought the box, but returned the jewels to the merchant. This can be said to be good at selling boxes, but it cannot be said to be good at selling pearls. The Chu people stood there awkwardly with the returned pearls. He thought others would appreciate his pearls, but he didn't expect the exquisite outer packaging to exceed the value in the box, so that "a presumptuous guest usurps the host's role" made the Chu people laugh and cry.

Zheng people only pay attention to appearance and ignore essence, which makes him make improper choices. The "over-packaging" of the Chu people is also ridiculous.

[Edit this paragraph] Interpretation

Rafters: wooden cases; Pearl: Pearl. For: do, make series: link. Affix: embellishment; Sell: sell

Zheng: Ah. Mulan: A kind of fragrant wood with fine grain. Cabinet: box. Cinnamon pepper: They are all plants and can be used as spices.

Rose: beautiful jade: the feather of kingfisher.

[Edit this paragraph] Out of the office

Han Fei, Pre-Qin Dynasty, Han Fei's On Han Feizi's Left Foreign Storage

[Edit this paragraph] Usage

Linkage type; As predicate, object and attribute; Used in written language

[Edit this paragraph] Synonym

Put the cart before the horse, put the cart before the horse, negative salary.

There was a businessman in the State of Chu who sold his pearls to people in the State of Zheng. (pearls) are packed in wooden boxes of magnolia trees, smoked with cinnamon peppers, decorated with (exquisite) pearl jade, decorated with beautiful jade and decorated with kingfisher feathers. Zheng's people bought the box and returned it to the businessman. This can be said to be good at selling boxes, but it cannot be said to be good at selling pearls. Zheng people only pay attention to appearance and ignore essence, which makes him make improper choices. The "over-packaging" of the Chu people is also ridiculous.