古为今用 gǔ wéi jīn yòng Applying the past to the present

Explanation

“古为今用”意思是把古代的优秀文化遗产，经过批判地继承，用来为现代建设服务。它强调要吸收和借鉴前人的优秀经验，并根据时代和实践的要求加以改造，不能盲目照搬。

“Gǔ wéi jīn yòng” means to critically inherit the excellent cultural heritage of the ancients and use it to serve modern construction. It emphasizes the need to absorb and learn from the excellent experiences of our ancestors and to reform them according to the requirements of the times and practice, without blindly copying.

Origin Story

话说唐朝时期，有个叫李白的诗人，他博览群书，对古代诗词歌赋有着深厚的造诣。但他并没有停留在对古代作品的简单模仿上，而是将古代诗词的精髓与他自身的经历、感受融合在一起，创作出了许多脍炙人口的千古绝句。李白深知，要创作出优秀的诗歌，不能仅仅停留在对古代作品的模仿上，而要“古为今用”，将古代的优秀传统与现代的生活实际相结合。他不仅学习了前人的诗歌技巧，还积极地观察生活，体验生活，从生活中汲取灵感。最终，他创作出了许多充满时代气息的诗歌，这些诗歌不仅继承了古代诗歌的优良传统，更展现了唐朝时代的辉煌成就，流传至今，让人们感受到了中国古代诗歌的魅力。

shuō huà táng cháo shíqī, yǒu gè jiào lǐ bái de shī rén, tā bó lǎn qún shū, duì gǔdài shī cí gē fù yǒuzhe shēn hòu de zào yì. dàn tā bìng méiyǒu tíng liú zài duì gǔdài zuòpǐn de jiǎndān mófǎng shàng, ér shì jiāng gǔdài shī cí de jīnguǐ yǔ tā zìshēn de jīnglì, gǎnshòu rónghé zài yī qǐ, chuàngzuò chū le xǔduō kuài zhì rén kǒu de qiānguǐ juéjù. lǐ bái shēnzhī, yào chuàngzuò chū yōuxiù de shīgē, bùnéng jǐnjǐn tíng liú zài duì gǔdài zuòpǐn de mófǎng shàng, ér yào “gǔ wéi jīn yòng”, jiāng gǔdài de yōuxiù chuántǒng yǔ xiàndài de shēnghuó shíjì xiāng jiéhé. tā bù jǐn xuéxí le qián rén de shīgē jìqiǎo, hái jījí de guānchá shēnghuó, tǐyàn shēnghuó, cóng shēnghuó zhōng jī qǔ línggǎn. zuìzhōng, tā chuàngzuò chū le xǔduō chōngmǎn shídài qìxī de shīgē, zhèxiē shīgē bù jǐn jìchéng le gǔdài shīgē de yōuliáng chuántǒng, gèng zhǎnxian le táng cháo shídài de huīhuáng chéngjiù, liúchuán zhì jīn, ràng rénmen gǎnshòu dào le zhōngguó gǔdài shīgē de mèilì.

It is said that during the Tang Dynasty, there was a poet named Li Bai who was well-read and had a deep understanding of ancient poetry and songs. However, he did not stop at simply imitating ancient works, but instead integrated the essence of ancient poetry with his own experiences and feelings, creating many popular and timeless masterpieces. Li Bai knew that to create excellent poetry, one should not just simply imitate ancient works, but should "apply the past to the present", combining the excellent ancient traditions with modern life. He not only learned the poetic techniques of his predecessors, but also actively observed and experienced life, drawing inspiration from life. In the end, he created many poems full of the spirit of the times, which not only inherited the fine traditions of ancient poetry but also showed the glorious achievements of the Tang Dynasty, passed down to this day, allowing people to feel the charm of ancient Chinese poetry.

Usage

主要用于形容对传统文化的继承和发展，也指学习和借鉴古代的优秀经验，并根据时代和实践的要求加以改造。

zhǔyào yòng yú xíngróng duì chuántǒng wénhuà de jìchéng hé fāzhǎn, yě zhǐ xuéxí hé jièjiàn gǔdài de yōuxiù jīngyàn, bìng gēnjù shídài hé shíjiàn de yāoqiú jiāyǐ gǎizào.

Mainly used to describe the inheritance and development of traditional culture, it also refers to learning and borrowing from the excellent experiences of the ancients and reforming them according to the requirements of the times and practice.

Examples

• 我们要批判地继承传统文化，古为今用。

  wǒmen yào pīpàn de jìchéng chuántǒng wénhuà, gǔ wéi jīn yòng.

  We must critically inherit traditional culture and apply it to the present.

• 科学技术是第一生产力，我们要古为今用，不断创新。

  kēxué jìshù shì dì yī shēngchǎnlì, wǒmen yào gǔ wéi jīn yòng, bùduàn chuàngxīn

  Science and technology are the primary productive forces. We must make the past serve the present and continuously innovate

Related Idioms

• 继承创新

• 推陈出新

Opposite Idioms

• 以古非今

• 墨守成规