回光返照 huí guāng fǎn zhào Last Gleam

Explanation

比喻事物灭亡前夕的表面兴旺，也比喻人死前精神突然兴奋。

A metaphor for the surface prosperity of things on the eve of their demise; also for the sudden excitement of the spirit before death.

Origin Story

林黛玉自知命不久矣，宝玉大婚之夜，她强撑着看望宝玉最后一面。她倚在窗边，望着窗外盛开的梨花，心中五味杂陈。她想起自己与宝玉的点点滴滴，往昔的美好时光仿佛就在眼前。她嘴角微微上扬，露出一丝微笑，如同夕阳西下时，天空短暂的回光返照，美丽而短暂。她用尽最后的力气，写下一首绝句，表达了她对宝玉的爱恋和不舍，随后便悄然离世，香消玉殒。

lín dài yù zì zhī mìng bù jiǔ yǐ, bǎo yù dà hūn zhī yè, tā qiáng chēng zhe kàn wàng bǎo yù zuì hòu yī miàn. tā yǐ zài chuāng biān, wàng zhe chuāng wài shèng kāi de lí huā, xīn zhōng wǔ wèi zá chén. tā xǐng qǐ zì jǐ yǔ bǎo yù de diǎn diǎn dī dī, wǎng xī de měi hǎo shí guāng fǎng fú jiù zài yǎn qián. tā zuǐ jiǎo wēi wēi shàng yáng, lù chū yīsī wēi xiào, rú tóng xī yáng xī xià shí, tiān kōng duǎn zàn de huí guāng fǎn zhào, měi lì ér duǎn zàn. tā yòng jìn zuì hòu de lì qi, xiě xià yī shǒu jué jù, biǎo dá le tā duì bǎo yù de ài liàn hé bù shě, suí hòu biàn qiāo rán lí shì, xiāng xiāo yù yǔn.

Lin Daiyu, knowing her time was short, forced herself to see Baoyu one last time on the night of his wedding. Leaning by the window, she gazed at the blooming pear blossoms outside, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She recalled her moments with Baoyu; their past good times seemed to be right before her eyes. A faint smile touched her lips, like the brief afterglow of the setting sun, beautiful yet fleeting. With her last ounce of strength, she wrote a short poem, expressing her love for and reluctance to part from Baoyu, and then she quietly passed away.

Usage

用于比喻事物在灭亡前夕的表面繁荣或人在临死前的精神突然兴奋。

yòng yú bǐ yù shì wù zài miè wáng qián xī de biǎo miàn fán róng huò rén zài lín sǐ qián de jīng shén tū rán xīng fèn

Used to describe the surface prosperity of something on the eve of its demise, or the sudden excitement of a person's spirit before death.

Examples

  • 大厦将倾，已是回光返照了。

    dà shà jiāng qīng, yǐ shì huí guāng fǎn zhào le

    The building is about to collapse; it's just a final flash of light.

  • 他病重期间，曾有过几次回光返照。

    tā bìng zhòng qī jiān, céng yǒu guò jǐ cì huí guāng fǎn zhào

    During his serious illness, he had a few moments of seeming recovery.

Related Idioms

  • 垂死挣扎

  • 强弩之末

Opposite Idioms

  • 生机勃勃

  • 欣欣向荣