小大由之 xiǎo dà yóu zhī Small and big, it depends on it

Explanation

指事物用途可以大，也可以小，规模可以大，也可以小，具有很大的灵活性。

Refers to something whose use can be large or small, whose scale can be large or small, and which has great flexibility.

Origin Story

话说春秋时期，一位名叫子贡的著名商人，他经商有道，善于把握商机，生意做得风生水起。他曾经做过一件事情，让后人对他的经商才能赞叹不已。有一次，他需要运送一批货物，这批货物数量巨大，一般的船只根本无法容纳。子贡想了很多办法，但是都因为船只的容量有限而行不通。这时，子贡灵机一动，他想到了一个妙计。他并没有选择一艘大船来运送货物，而是选择了几艘小船。他把货物分成若干份，分别装载在几艘小船上，这样就巧妙地解决了运输难题。后来，这批货物安全抵达目的地，子贡也因此获得了丰厚的利润。这件小事体现了子贡的商业才能，他的智慧在于能够根据实际情况灵活地调整策略，充分利用资源，最终取得成功。这小大由之的故事也流传至今，成为后世商人的经典案例。

huà shuō chūn qiū shí qī, yī wèi míng jiào zǐ gòng de zhùmíng shāng rén, tā jīng shāng yǒu dào, shàn yú bǎ wò shāng jī, shēng yì zuò de fēng shēng shuǐ qǐ. tā céng jīng zuò guò yī jiàn shì qing, ràng hòu rén duì tā de jīng shāng cái néng zàn tàn bù yǐ. yǒu yī cì, tā xūyào yùnsòng yī pī huò wù, zhè pī huò wù shùliàng jù dà, yībān de chuán zhǐ gēnběn wúfǎ róngnà. zǐ gòng xiǎng le hěn duō bànfǎ, dànshì dōu yīnwèi chuán zhǐ de róngliàng yǒuxiàn ér xíng bù tōng. zhè shí, zǐ gòng líng jī yī dòng, tā xiǎng dào le yī gè miào jì. tā bìng méiyǒu xuǎnzé yī sōu dà chuán lái yùnsòng huò wù, érshì xuǎnzé le jǐ sōu xiǎo chuán. tā bǎ huò wù fēn chéng rán duō fèn, fēn bié zhuāng zài jǐ sōu xiǎo chuán shàng, zhè yàng jiù qiǎomiào de jiějué le yùnshū nántí. hòulái, zhè pī huò wù ān quán dǐ dá mùdì dì, zǐ gòng yě yīncǐ huòdé le fēnghòu de lìrùn. zhè jiàn xiǎo shì tǐxiàn le zǐ gòng de shāngyè cái néng, tā de zhìhuì zài yú nénggòu gēnjù shíjì qíngkuàng línghuó de tiáo zhěng cèlüè, chōngfèn lìyòng zīyuán, zuìzhōng qǔdé chénggōng. zhè xiǎo dà yóu zhī de gùshì yě liúchuán zhì jīn, chéngwéi hòushì shāng rén de jīngdiǎn àn lì.

During the Spring and Autumn period, there was a famous businessman named Zigong, known for his shrewd business acumen and ability to seize opportunities. He once faced a challenge that would later become a testament to his skill. He needed to transport a massive quantity of goods – too much for a single vessel. He considered various options but was thwarted by the limited capacity of available ships. Then, in a stroke of genius, Zigong devised a clever solution. Instead of attempting to find one large enough ship, he employed several smaller ones. He divided the goods into manageable portions and loaded them onto multiple smaller ships, effectively overcoming the logistical hurdle. The goods arrived safely, and Zigong reaped a substantial profit. This incident highlighted Zigong's business acumen; his wisdom lay in his ability to adapt his strategy, effectively utilizing resources, and ultimately achieving success. This story of 'Xiao Da You Zhi' has endured and become a classic example for businessmen even today.

Usage

形容事物用途广泛，规模大小皆可。

xióngróng shìwù yòngtú guǎngfàn, guīmó dàxiǎo jiē kě

Describes something with a wide range of uses and adaptable size.

Examples

• 这把小刀用途很广，小大由之。

  zhè bǎ xiǎo dāo yòngtú hěn guǎng, xiǎo dà yóu zhī

  This small knife has a wide range of uses, suitable for both small and large tasks.

• 这台机器小大由之，既可以处理简单的任务，也可以处理复杂的大型项目。

  zhè tái jīqì xiǎo dà yóu zhī, jì kěyǐ chǔlǐ jiǎndān de rènwu, yě kěyǐ chǔlǐ fùzá de dàxíng xiàngmù

  This machine is versatile, capable of handling both simple and complex, large-scale projects

Related Idioms

• 可大可小

• 适用范围广

Opposite Idioms

• 一成不变

• 墨守成规