坐冷板凳 sit on the bench
Explanation
比喻因不受重视而担任清闲职务，或长期等待工作或接见。
To describe someone who holds an unimportant position or has to wait a long time for an opportunity or a meeting.
Origin Story
话说唐朝时期，有个名叫李白的才子，年轻时才华横溢，却怀才不遇。他四处游历，渴望得到朝廷的赏识，却屡屡碰壁。一次，他在长安城中偶遇一位老朋友，老朋友感慨地说："你啊，真是怀才不遇，在朝廷里坐冷板凳，真是可惜了你的才华！"李白听了，心中五味杂陈。他继续坚持自己的理想，写诗作画，虽未得到朝廷的重用，却依然在民间广受赞誉。多年以后，李白终于被朝廷召见，但此时的他，已经不再年轻，经历了岁月的沉淀，他的诗歌也更加成熟，更具深度。他并没有抱怨当初的冷遇，而是用自己的作品，向世人证明了他的价值。
During the Tang Dynasty, there was a talented man named Li Bai. In his youth, he was full of talent but had no chance to show it. He traveled around the country, hoping to be appreciated by the court, but he was repeatedly met with failure. Once, he met an old friend in Chang'an, who said with regret:"You are truly underappreciated. It's a pity you are sitting on the bench in the court without a chance to show your talent!" Li Bai listened and felt mixed emotions. He continued to pursue his ideals, writing poems and paintings, and though he didn't receive much attention from the court, he was still widely praised by the people. Many years later, Li Bai was finally summoned by the court. But by this time he was no longer young. His years of experience had matured his poems, which had more depth. He didn't complain about being overlooked, instead, he proved his worth to the world through his works.
Usage
用来形容不被重视或长期等待的情况。
Used to describe a situation where someone is not appreciated or has to wait for a long time.
Examples
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他被公司冷落，只能坐冷板凳了。
ta bei gongsi lengluo, zhineng zuo lengban deng le.
He was neglected by the company and could only sit on the bench.
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这个项目迟迟未获批，让我们坐冷板凳等了好久。
zège xiàngmù chichí wei huopī, ràng wǒmen zuò lengban deng le hǎojiǔ.
This project has been pending for a long time, making us wait for a long time.