Idioms are easier to remember when you know the allusions. ...
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 is a good thing, but not a good thing.
translate
A Chu man sold his pearls to A Zheng people, made a box out of Mulan, smoked it with cinnamon, decorated it with beads and precious stones, decorated it with beautiful jade, and connected it with kingfisher feathers. But people from Zheng bought his box and returned his pearls. This can be said to be good at selling boxes, not pearls.
suggestion
He is from the State of Chu and has a beautiful pearl, which he intends to sell. In order to get a good price, he tried his best to package the pearls. He felt that with noble packaging, the "identity" of pearls naturally rose. The Chu people discovered the valuable Mulan, and invited skilled craftsmen to make a box (that is, a bamboo raft) for the pearl, and smoked the box with cinnamon spice. Then, with the feathers of kingfisher, many beautiful patterns were carved on the outside of the box and inlaid with beautiful metal lace. It looks shiny. It's really a delicate and beautiful handicraft. In this way, the Chu people carefully put pearls into boxes and took them to the market to sell. Soon after arriving at the market, many people gathered around to admire the Chu people's boxes. A Zheng people hold the box in their hands and can't put it down for a long time. Finally, he paid a high price for the Chu people's box. Zheng paid the money and came back with a box. But I came back a few days later. The Chu people thought that Zheng people regretted returning the goods. Before the Chu people could finish thinking, Zheng people had come to the Chu people. Zheng handed the pearl to the Chu people and said, "Sir, all I bought was a box. You left a pearl in the box and I returned it. " So the Zheng people gave the pearl to the Chu people and went back. 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.
Revelation:
You must prioritize everything, and you can't put the cart before the horse. Don't pay too much attention to appearance and ignore the essence of things.
Wish the landlord academic progress ~ ∩ _ ∩