弃之可惜 too bad to throw away
Explanation
形容舍弃某种东西觉得可惜。比喻对某事物舍不得丢弃。
Describes the regret of abandoning something. It describes the feeling of not wanting to let something go.
Origin Story
话说三国时期，曹操率军与马超对峙，久攻不下，士兵们疲惫不堪，士气低落。一日，曹操在军中设宴，席间，他望着盘中剩下的鸡肋，若有所思地说：鸡肋！鸡肋！此话一出，众将面面相觑，不知其意。唯有谋士杨修听出玄机，立刻下令全军收拾行装，准备撤退。原来，鸡肋食之无味，弃之可惜，正像他们目前的处境：继续攻打，胜算渺茫；撤军，又怕贻笑大方。曹操用这看似不经意的“鸡肋”，巧妙地化解了进退两难的局面，体现了他卓越的军事才能和心理战术。
During the Three Kingdoms period in China, Cao Cao led his army against Ma Chao. After a long time without a breakthrough, the soldiers were exhausted, and morale was low. One day, Cao Cao held a banquet in the army camp. During the banquet, he looked at the leftover chicken ribs on the plate and thoughtfully said: "Chicken ribs! Chicken ribs!" These words left the generals perplexed and they didn't know what he meant. Only the strategist Yang Xiu understood the implication and immediately ordered the entire army to pack up and prepare to retreat. The chicken rib, neither tasty enough to eat nor worth discarding, reflected their current situation: continuing the attack had little chance of success, while retreating would invite ridicule. Cao Cao cleverly used the seemingly casual mention of "chicken ribs" to resolve the difficult situation, demonstrating his outstanding military skill and psychological warfare tactics.
Usage
常用于表达对某事物的惋惜之情，或表示对两难选择的犹豫。
Often used to express regret over something, or to indicate hesitation in a difficult choice.
Examples
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这件古董，弃之可惜，留着又占地方。
zhè jiàn gǔdǒng, qì zhī kě xī, liú zhe yòu zhàn dìfang.
This antique, it's a pity to discard it, but it also takes up space.
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他写的这篇文章，虽然有些瑕疵，但弃之可惜，还是值得修改一下再发表的。
tā xiě de zhè piān wénzhāng, suīrán yǒuxiē xiácī, dàn qì zhī kě xī, háishì zhídé xiūgǎi yīxià zài fābǐao de。
The article he wrote, although it has some flaws, it's a pity to discard it. It's still worth modifying and publishing it again.