一石激起千层浪 yī shí jī qǐ qiān céng làng a stone thrown into the water makes a thousand ripples

Explanation

比喻一句话或某一细小行动，会引起强烈的反响。

It is a metaphor for the fact that one word or one small action can cause a strong reaction.

Origin Story

从前，在一个宁静的湖泊里，生活着各种各样的鱼儿。它们每天都悠闲地游来游去，享受着平静的生活。突然有一天，一只调皮的小鸟飞过湖面，它看到湖面波光粼粼，就随手捡起一块小石子，扔进了湖里。 这块小石子落到湖水中，顿时激起了一圈圈涟漪，原本平静的湖面顿时变得波涛汹涌，水花四溅。鱼儿们都被这突如其来的变化吓了一跳，纷纷躲到水底，不敢露头。 就这样，一个小小的石子，却给湖泊带来了巨大的变化。从此以后，湖泊再也不平静了，因为那一石激起的千层浪，让湖泊变得更加充满生机。

cóng qián, zài yī ge níng jìng de hú pō lǐ, shēng huó zhe gè zhǒng gè yàng de yú ér. tā men měi tiān dōu yōu xián de yóu lái yóu qù, xiǎng shòu zhe píng jìng de shēng huó. túrán yǒu yī tiān, yī zhī tiáo pí de xiǎo niǎo fēi guò hú miàn, tā kàn dào hú miàn bō guāng lín lín, jiù suí shǒu jiǎn qǐ yī kuài xiǎo shí zi, rēng jìn le hú lǐ. zhè kuài xiǎo shí zi luò dào hú shuǐ zhōng, dùn shí jī qǐ le yī quān quān lián yī, yuán běn píng jìng de hú miàn dùn shí biàn de bō tāo xióng yǒng, shuǐ huā sì jiàn. yú ér men dōu bèi zhè tú rú lái de biàn huà xià le yī tiào, fēn fēn duǒ dào shuǐ dǐ, bù gǎn lòu tóu. jiù zhè yàng, yī ge xiǎo xiǎo de shí zi, què gěi hú pō dài lái le jù dà de biàn huà. cóng cǐ yǐ hòu, hú pō zài yě bù píng jìng le, yīn wèi nà yī shí jī qǐ de qiān céng làng, ràng hú pō biàn de gèng jiā chōng mǎn shēng jī.

Once upon a time, in a tranquil lake, lived all kinds of fish. They swam around leisurely every day, enjoying their peaceful lives. Suddenly, one day, a playful bird flew over the lake. Seeing the glistening surface of the lake, it picked up a small pebble and threw it into the water. The pebble fell into the lake, immediately causing ripples in all directions. The once calm surface of the lake instantly became turbulent, with water splashing everywhere. The fish were startled by the sudden change and hid at the bottom of the lake, afraid to surface. Thus, a small pebble brought about a great change in the lake. From then on, the lake was never peaceful again, for the waves caused by the stone made it more vibrant.

Usage

这个成语用来形容一件事情或一句话引起了很大的反响。

zhè ge chéng yǔ yòng lái xíng róng yī jiàn shì qíng huò yī jù huà yǐn qǐ le hěn dà de fǎn xiǎng.

This idiom is used to describe an event or a sentence that has caused a lot of response.

Examples

• 他的一句话，就～，引起了轩然大波。

  tā de yī jù huà, jiù yī shí jī qǐ qiān céng làng, yǐn qǐ le xuān rán dà bō.

  One sentence from him caused a stir.

• 这个建议一出，～，引起了很多人的议论。

  zhè ge jiàn yì yī chū, yī shí jī qǐ qiān céng làng, yǐn qǐ le hěn duō rén de yì lùn。

  This proposal sparked a lot of debate.

Related Idioms

• 激起

• 反响

• 波澜

Opposite Idioms

• 石沉大海

• 不值一提