任其自流 leave it to its own devices
Explanation
指不加约束、引导，听任自由发展。
Refers to leaving things without restrictions or guidance, allowing for free development.
Origin Story
在一个偏远的山村里，住着一位老农。他有一片祖传的果园，里面种满了各种各样的果树。但是老农年纪大了，懒得打理果园，任由它自生自灭。几年过去了，果园里的果树杂草丛生，一些果树枯萎死亡，一些则因为缺乏修剪而长得歪七扭八，果实也变得稀少且品质低劣。村里的年轻人看不下去了，纷纷劝说老农好好打理果园，老农却摇摇头说：‘这果园已经这样很多年了，习惯了，就让它自流吧。’最终，这片曾经繁茂的果园，因为老农的放任自流，渐渐走向衰败。
In a remote village lived an old farmer. He had an ancestral orchard filled with various fruit trees. But the old farmer was getting old and lazy to manage the orchard, leaving it to fend for itself. Years passed, and the orchard was overgrown with weeds, some fruit trees withered and died, and some grew crooked and deformed due to lack of pruning, and the fruits became scarce and of poor quality. Young people in the village couldn't stand it and persuaded the old farmer to take good care of the orchard. But the old farmer shook his head and said, 'This orchard has been like this for many years, I'm used to it, just let it be.' Eventually, this once flourishing orchard gradually declined due to the old farmer's neglect.
Usage
表示听任事物自然发展，不加干预。常用于不好的事物。
Expresses leaving things to develop naturally without intervention. Often used for negative things.
Examples
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任其自流，最终会导致问题的恶化。
rèn qí zì liú, zuì zhōng huì dǎozhì wèntí de èhuà.
Leaving it to its own devices will eventually lead to a worsening of the problem.
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对于孩子的教育，不能任其自流，要积极引导。
duìyú háizi de jiàoyù, bù néng rèn qí zì liú, yào jījí yǐndǎo
Children's education cannot be left to its own devices; it must be actively guided.