一去不返 yī qù bù fǎn gone forever

Explanation

指离去之后不再回来，比喻事情成为过去无法重现。

Refers to leaving and never returning, used as a metaphor for something that has become a thing of the past that cannot be repeated.

Origin Story

从前，有一个年轻的书生，名叫李白，他怀揣着满腔的抱负，告别家乡，前往长安寻求功名。他一路跋山涉水，经历了无数的艰难险阻，最终抵达了繁华的长安城。然而，在长安的仕途之路却异常坎坷，他屡屡受挫，理想与现实的差距让他心灰意冷。最终，他决定离开长安，再次踏上旅程，这次，他选择了一条远离尘嚣的山间小路，向西而去。临走前，他写下一首诗，表达了他对家乡的思念和对理想的执着，诗中写道：“故乡渺远，一去不返，唯余思念，长存心间。”从此，李白便隐居山林，过着与世无争的生活。他的故事成为了后世人们心中，一去不返的典型例子，告诫着人们要珍惜当下，把握机会。

cóngqián, yǒu yīgè niánqīng de shūshēng, míng jiào lǐ bái, tā huáicuái zhe mǎnqiāng de bàofù, gàobié jiāxiāng, qiángwǎng cháng'ān xúnqiú gōngmíng. tā yīlù báshān shèshuǐ, jīnglì le wúshù de jiānnán xiǎnzǔ, zhōngyú dǐdá le fán huá de cháng'ān chéng. rán'ér, zài cháng'ān de shìtú zhīlù què yìcháng kǎnkě, tā lǚ lǚ shòu cuò, lǐxiǎng yǔ xiànshí de chā jù ràng tā xīnhuī yìlěng. zhōngyù, tā juédìng líkāi cháng'ān, zàicì tà shàng lǚchéng, zhè cì, tā xuǎnzé le yī tiáo yuǎnlí chénxiāo de shānjiān xiǎolù, xiàng xī ér qù. lín zǒu qián, tā xiě xià yī shǒu shī, biǎodá le tā duì jiāxiāng de sīniàn hé duì lǐxiǎng de zhízhuó, shī zhōng xiě dào: “gùxiāng miǎoyuǎn, yī qù bù fǎn, wéi yú sīniàn, chángcún xīn jiān.” cóngcǐ, lǐ bái biàn yǐnjū shānlín, guòzhe yǔ shì wú zhēng de shēnghuó. tā de gùshì chéngwéi le hòushì rénmen xīn zhōng, yī qù bù fǎn de diǎnxíng lìzi, gàojiè zhe rénmen yào zhēnxī dāngxià, bǎwò jīhuì.

Once upon a time, there was a young scholar named Li Bai, who, full of ambition, bid farewell to his hometown and journeyed to Chang'an in search of fame and fortune. He traveled over mountains and rivers, overcoming countless hardships, finally reaching the bustling city of Chang'an. However, his path to success in Chang'an was extraordinarily arduous. He repeatedly suffered setbacks, and the gap between his ideals and reality left him disheartened. In the end, he decided to leave Chang'an and embark on another journey, this time choosing a secluded mountain path to the west. Before leaving, he wrote a poem expressing his longing for his hometown and his perseverance in his ideals. The poem read: "Homeland far away, never to return, only longing remains in my heart." From then on, Li Bai lived a secluded life in the mountains, living in harmony with nature. His story has become a prime example of those who never return, reminding people to cherish the present and seize opportunities.

Usage

多用于描写人或事物离开后不再回来，表示永久消失。

duō yòng yú miáoxiě rén huò shìwù líkāi hòu bù zài huílái, biǎoshì yǒngjiǔ xiāoshī

Mostly used to describe that a person or thing will never come back after leaving, indicating permanent disappearance.

Examples

• 他远走他乡，一去不返。

  tā yuǎnzǒu tāxiāng, yī qù bù fǎn

  He went to a faraway place, never to return.

• 青春岁月一去不返，我们要珍惜当下。

  qīngchūnsùiyùe yī qù bù fǎn, wǒmen yào zhēnxī dāngxià

  Youth is gone, never to return, we need to cherish the present moment

Related Idioms

• 一去不复返

• 永别

Opposite Idioms

• 重返

• 回归