先来后到 xiān lái hòu dào First come, first served

Explanation

按照到达时间的先后顺序来决定次序，表示公平公正的原则。

The order is determined by the order of arrival, representing the principle of fairness and justice.

Origin Story

从前，在一个热闹的集市上，有位老木匠摆摊卖精巧的木雕。每天天不亮，就有很多人来排队购买。老木匠为人正直，坚持先来后到的原则，从不因为谁的钱多或身份高就插队。一天，一位富商来到摊位前，想买一件珍贵的木雕，可队伍已经排得很长了。他傲慢地对老木匠说：“我有急用，能不能让我先买？”老木匠笑着摇摇头：“不行啊，这位先生，这儿讲究先来后到，您看，前面还有这么多人等着呢！”富商不甘心，又拿出许多银两，想贿赂老木匠，可老木匠仍然坚定地拒绝了。最终，富商只好老老实实地排队等候，等到轮到他时，老木匠已经把最精美的木雕卖完了，富商只能买到一件一般的木雕。这件事在集市上传为佳话，大家都赞扬老木匠的诚实和公平。

cóngqián, zài yīgè rènao de jǐshì shàng, yǒu wèi lǎo mùjiàng bǎi tān mài jīngqiǎo de mùdiāo. měitiān tiān bù liàng, jiù yǒu hěn duō rén lái páiduì gòumǎi. lǎo mùjiàng wéirén zhèngzhí, jiānchí xiān lái hòu dào de yuánzé, cóng bù yīnwèi shuí de qián duō huò shēnfèn gāo jiù chā duì. yītiān, yī wèi fùshāng lái dào tān wèi qián, xiǎng mǎi yī jiàn zhēnguì de mùdiāo, kě duìwù yǐjīng pái de hěn cháng le. tā àomàn de duì lǎo mùjiàng shuō: “wǒ yǒu jí yòng, néng bùnéng ràng wǒ xiān mǎi?” lǎo mùjiàng xiàozhe yáo yáo tóu: “bùxíng a, zhè wèi xiānsheng, zhè'er jiǎngjiu xiān lái hòu dào, nín kàn, qiánmiàn hái yǒu zhème duō rén děngzhe ne!” fùshāng bù gānxīn, yòu ná chū xǔduō yín liang, xiǎng huìlù lǎo mùjiàng, kě lǎo mùjiàng réngrán jiāndìng de jùjué le. zuìzhōng, fùshāng zhǐ hǎo lǎo láoshíshí de páiduì děnghòu, děng dào lún dào tā shí, lǎo mùjiàng yǐjīng bǎ zuì jīngměi de mùdiāo mài wán le, fùshāng zhǐ néng mǎi dào yī jiàn yībān de mùdiāo. zhè jiàn shì zài jǐshì shàng chuán wéi jiāhuà, dàjiā dōu zànyáng lǎo mùjiàng de chéngshí hé gōngpíng.

Once upon a time, in a bustling market, there was an old carpenter who set up a stall to sell exquisite wood carvings. Every day before dawn, many people would come to queue up to buy. The old carpenter was a man of integrity and insisted on the principle of first come, first served, never letting anyone jump the queue because of their wealth or status. One day, a rich merchant came to the stall and wanted to buy a precious wood carving, but the queue was already very long. He arrogantly said to the old carpenter: "I need it urgently, can you let me buy it first?" The old carpenter smiled and shook his head: "No, sir, this is first come, first served, look, so many people are waiting in front of you!" The merchant was unwilling to give up, and took out a lot of money to bribe the old carpenter, but the old carpenter still firmly refused. In the end, the merchant had to honestly queue up, and when it was his turn, the old carpenter had already sold the most exquisite wood carvings, and the merchant could only buy an ordinary one. This story became a legend in the market, and everyone praised the old carpenter's honesty and fairness.

Usage

用于描述事情或人的先后顺序，强调公平原则。

yòng yú miáoshù shìqíng huò rén de xiānhòu shùnxù, qiángdiào gōngpíng yuánzé

Used to describe the order of things or people, emphasizing the principle of fairness.

Examples

• 今天大家排队买票，请大家按照先来后到的顺序进行。

  jīntiān dàjiā páiduì mǎi piào, qǐng dàjiā àn zhào xiān lái hòu dào de shùnxù jìnxíng

  Today, everyone is queuing up to buy tickets, please follow the order of first come, first served.

• 这家饭店顾客很多，我们得遵循先来后到的原则等位。

  zhè jiā fàndiàn gùkè hěn duō, wǒmen děi zūnxún xiān lái hòu dào de yuánzé děng wèi

  This restaurant has a lot of customers, we have to follow the first come, first served principle to wait for a table.

Related Idioms

• 先到先得

• 公平公正

Opposite Idioms

• 后进先出

• 反客为主