剜肉补疮 wān ròu bǔ chuāng Cut out flesh to patch a wound

Explanation

比喻采取治标不治本的办法,用有害的方法来解决眼前的紧急问题。

A metaphor for a short-sighted, harmful solution to an urgent problem.

Origin Story

从前,有个秀才,特别吝啬。一日,他得了重病,请来郎中诊治。郎中诊脉后说:"你患的是心肌梗塞,需要静养,千万不可劳累!"秀才一听,吓得脸色苍白,心想:"这可怎么办?我还有许多文章要写,许多书要读,这病可耽误了大事!"他冥思苦想,终于想出一个办法:从自己大腿上割下一块肉,填补到心口,以减轻心脏的负担。他独自一人,关起门来,用刀子在自己的大腿上剜下一块肉,笨拙地缝补到心口处。伤口虽然止住了,可秀才不久就因失血过多而死去了。

cóngqián, yǒu ge xiùcái, tèbié lìnsè. yī rì, tā délěi chóng bìng, qǐng lái lángzhōng zhěnzhì. lángzhōng zhěn mài hòu shuō: "nǐ huàn de shì xīn jī gěng sè, xūyào jìng yǎng, qiānwàn bùkě láolèi!" xiùcái yī tīng, xià de liǎnsè cāng bái, xīn xiǎng: "zhè kě zěnme bàn? wǒ hái yǒu xǔduō wénzhāng yào xiě, xǔduō shū yào dú, zhè bìng kě dānmò le dàshì!" tā míngsīkǔxiǎng, zhōngyú xiǎng chū yīgè bànfǎ: cóng zìjǐ dàtuǐ shang gē xià yī kuài ròu, tiánbǔ dào xīn kǒu, yǐ jiǎn qīng xīn zàng de fùdàn. tā dúzì yīrén, guān qǐ mén lái, yòng dāozi zài zìjǐ de dàtuǐ shang wān xià yī kuài ròu, bènzhuō de féngbǔ dào xīn kǒu chù. shāngkǒu suīrán zhǐ zhùle, kě xiùcái bùjiǔ jiù yīn shī xuè guò duō ér sǐ qùle.

Once upon a time, there was a scholar who was particularly stingy. One day, he became seriously ill and summoned a physician. After examining his pulse, the physician said, "You are suffering from a myocardial infarction; you need to rest and must absolutely avoid overexertion!" The scholar was terrified, turning pale. He thought, "What am I going to do? I still have so many articles to write, so many books to read, this illness will delay my important matters!" He pondered deeply and finally devised a plan: He would cut a piece of flesh from his thigh and fill the cavity in his chest to ease the burden on his heart. Alone in his room, he used a knife to carve out a piece of flesh from his thigh and awkwardly sewed it onto his chest. The wound was stopped, but the scholar died soon after from excessive blood loss.

Usage

用于比喻用损害根本利益的办法来解决眼前的紧急问题。

yòng yú bǐyù yòng sǔnhài gēnběn lìyì de bànfǎ lái jiějué yǎnqián de jǐnjí wèntí

Used to describe a method that damages fundamental interests to solve an urgent problem.

Examples

  • 为了应付眼前的危机,他采取了剜肉补疮的办法,最终损害了长远利益。

    wèile yìngfù yǎnqián de wēijī, tā cǎiqǔle wān ròu bǔ chuāng de bànfǎ, zuìzhōng sǔnhài le chángyuǎn lìyì.

    To cope with the immediate crisis, he adopted a method that did more harm than good, ultimately damaging long-term interests.

  • 公司为了弥补亏损,采取了剜肉补疮的策略,却导致了更大的损失。

    gōngsī wèile mǐbǔ kuīsǔn, cǎiqǔle wān ròu bǔ chuāng de cèlüè, què dǎozhìle gèng dà de sǔnshī

    In order to make up for the losses, the company adopted a strategy that led to even greater losses.