冤家路窄 yuān jiā lù zhǎi Enemies meet on a narrow road

Explanation

指仇人或不愿意见面的人偏偏相遇。

Refers to the unexpected encounter with an enemy or someone you don't want to see.

Origin Story

话说唐朝贞观年间，有个叫李元霸的将领，武功盖世，无人能敌。然而，他为人狂傲，得罪了不少人，树敌众多。一日，李元霸奉命出征，途经一处山谷。山谷狭窄，只容一辆马车通行。这时，他正巧遇到多年以前被他打败的对手——窦建德。窦建德早已对李元霸恨之入骨，一心想报仇。两人四目相对，剑拔弩张。李元霸冷笑一声，拔出宝剑，准备与窦建德决一死战。窦建德也不甘示弱，抽出长枪，摆好架势。两人在狭窄的山谷中展开了一场殊死搏斗。最终，李元霸凭借高强的武功，将窦建德击败，然而李元霸也身受重伤。这次冤家路窄的遭遇，让他深刻体会到仇恨的可怕，也让他意识到，武功再高强，也难免有阴险狡诈之人暗算。此后，李元霸虽然依旧骁勇善战，却收敛了往日的狂傲，开始反思自己的行为。

huà shuō táng cháo zhēnguān nián jiān, yǒu ge jiào lǐ yuán bà de jiàng lǐng, wǔ gōng gài shì, wú rén néng dí. rán ér, tā wéi rén kuáng ào, dé zuì le bù shǎo rén, shù dí zhòng duō. yī rì, lǐ yuán bà fèng mìng chū zhēng, tú jīng yī chù shān gǔ. shān gǔ xiázhǎi, zhǐ róng yī liàng mǎ chē tōng xíng. zhè shí, tā zhèng qiǎo yù dào duō nián yǐ qián bèi tā dǎ bài de duì shǒu——dòu jiàn dé. dòu jiàn dé zǎo yǐ duì lǐ yuán bà hèn zhī rù gǔ, yī xīn xiǎng bào chóu. liǎng rén sì mù xiāng duì, jiàn bá nǔ zhāng. lǐ yuán bà lěng xiào yī shēng, bá chū bǎo jiàn, zhǔnbèi yǔ dòu jiàn dé jué yī sǐ zhàn. dòu jiàn dé yě bù gān shì ruò, chōu chū cháng qiāng, bǎi hǎo jià shì. liǎng rén zài xiázhǎi de shān gǔ zhōng zhǎnkāi le yī chǎng shū sǐ bó dòu. zuì zhōng, lǐ yuán bà píng jiè gāo qiáng de wǔ gōng, jiāng dòu jiàn dé bèi bài, rán ér lǐ yuán bà yě shēn shòu zhòng shāng. zhè cì yuānjiā lù zhǎi de zāo yù, ràng tā shēn kè tǐ huì dào chóu hèn de kě pà, yě ràng tā yì shí dào, wǔ gōng zài gāo qiáng, yě nán miǎn yǒu yīnxǐan jiǎozhà zhī rén àn suàn. cǐ hòu, lǐ yuán bà suīrán yī jiù xiāo yǒng shàn zhàn, què shōuliǎn le wǎng rì de kuáng ào, kāishǐ fǎnsī zìjǐ de xíng wéi.

During the Tang Dynasty's Zhenquan era, a general named Li Yuanba was renowned for his unmatched martial arts skills. However, his arrogance had made him numerous enemies. One day, while on a military campaign, he found himself in a narrow mountain pass. It was there that he unexpectedly encountered his old rival, Dou Jiande, whom he had defeated years ago. Dou Jiande, still harboring a deep resentment, was eager for revenge. The two locked eyes, and a tense stand-off ensued. They engaged in a fierce duel, with Li Yuanba's superior skills ultimately securing victory, but not without sustaining serious injuries himself. This fateful encounter served as a stark reminder of the dangers of hatred and revenge, teaching Li Yuanba a valuable lesson about humility despite his prowess. He remained a valiant warrior, but his arrogance was tempered by newfound self-reflection.

Usage

形容仇人或不想见的人意外相遇。

xiáoróng chóurén huò bù xiǎng jiàn de rén yìwài xiāngyù

Describes the unexpected encounter with an enemy or someone you don't want to see.

Examples

• 真是冤家路窄，在火车站又碰上了他。

  zhēnshi yuānjiā lù zhǎi, zài huǒchē zhàn yòu pèng shang le tā

  It's really narrow paths for enemies, I met him at the train station again.

• 冤家路窄，没想到在这里遇到他。

  yuānjiā lù zhǎi, méi xiǎngdào zài zhèlǐ yù dào tā

  It's really unlucky, I met him here unexpectedly..

Related Idioms

• 狭路相逢

• 不期而遇

• 萍水相逢

Opposite Idioms

• 相见恨晚

• 久别重逢