宝货难售, Precious goods are hard to sell, English

Explanation

比喻才能或物品珍贵，但难以被赏识或出售。

It means that talents or goods are valuable, but it is difficult to be appreciated or sold.

Origin Story

话说唐朝时期，有个叫李白的书生，从小就才华横溢，写得一手好诗，但他始终不得志，屡试不第，他的诗作也鲜有人赏识。他四处奔走，想找个伯乐，但最终都以失败告终。李白怀才不遇，只能借酒消愁，感叹自己的才华如珠玉般珍贵却无人问津，真是“宝货难售”。后来，李白终于遇到了唐玄宗，唐玄宗非常欣赏他的才华，将他召入宫中，李白从此官运亨通，但他依旧保持着自己高洁的品格，不为名利所动。他最终也未能改变“宝货难售”的命运，这既是李白自身的局限，也是时代的原因。李白的故事是宝货难售的典型例证，也因此成为后世文人墨客不断吟诵的对象。

huà shuò Táng cháo shíqī, yǒu gè jiào Lǐbái de shūshēng, cóng xiǎo jìu cáihuá héngyí, xiě de yī shǒu hǎo shī, dàn tā shízhong bùdézhì, lǔshì bù dì, tā de shīzuò yě xiānrén shǎngshí。tā sìchù bēnzǒu, xiǎng zhǎo gè bǒlè, dàn zuìzhong dōu yǐ shìbài gào zhóng。Lǐbái huáicái bù yù, zhí néng jiè jiǔ xiāo chóu, gàn tàn zìjǐ de cáihuá rú zhuyú bān zhēnguì què wúrén wènjīn,zhēnshi “bǎo huò nán shòu”。 hòulái, Lǐbái zhōngyú yùndào le Táng Xuanzóng, Táng Xuanzóng fēicháng xíngshǎn tā de cáihuá, jiáng tā zhào rù gōng zhōng, Lǐbái cóngcí guānyùn hēngtōng, dàn tā yījīu bǎochízhe zìjǐ gāo jié de pǐnggé, bù wèi mínglì suǒ dòng。tā zuìzhong yě wéi néng gǎibièn “bǎo huò nán shòu” de mìngyùn,zhè jìshi Lǐbái zīshēn de júxiàn, yě shì shìdài de yuānyīn。Lǐbái de gùshi shì bǎo huò nán shòu de diěnxíng lìzhèng, yě yīncǐ chéngwéi hòushi wénrén mòkè bùduàn yín sòng de duìxiàng。

In the Tang Dynasty, there was a scholar named Li Bai who had extraordinary talent in poetry from a young age. However, he never achieved the recognition he deserved, and his works remained largely unnoticed. He traveled around seeking a patron, but to no avail. Li Bai felt misunderstood and underutilized, comparing his talent to jewels that no one wanted—a classic example of "Bao Huo Nan Shou." Eventually, he met Emperor Xuanzong, who recognized his talent and summoned him to court. Li Bai then had a successful career, but he remained true to his high morals and was not swayed by fame and fortune. Still, the fate of "Bao Huo Nan Shou" persisted—a consequence of both his own limitations and the circumstances of the time. Li Bai's story illustrates the meaning of "Bao Huo Nan Shou" and has become a frequently cited example in Chinese literature.

Usage

用于形容有才能的人或珍贵的物品难以得到重用或出售。

yóngyú xíngróng yǒu cáinéng de rén huò zhēnguì de wǔpin nányǐ dèdào zhòngyòng huò chōushū。

It's used to describe talented people or valuable items that are difficult to reuse or sell.

Examples

他的才能很高，但一直没有得到很好的发挥，真是宝货难售啊！

ta de cáinéng hén gāo, dàn yīzhi méiyǒu dèdào hén hǎo de fāhuī,zhēnshi bǎo huò nán shòu a!

His talent is very high, but he has not been able to use it well. It's a pity that such talent is wasted.
这件古董非常珍贵，可惜一直无人问津，真是宝货难售。

zhèjian gǔdǒng fēicháng zhēnguì, kěxī yīzhi wúrén wènjīn,zhēnshi bǎo huò nán shòu。

This antique is very valuable, but unfortunately, no one is interested in it. A typical example of 'Bao Huo Nan Shou'.

Explanation

Origin Story

Usage

Examples

Related Idioms

Opposite Idioms