弦外之意 Unspoken meaning
Explanation
指话语中隐含的意思，并非表面意思。
Refers to the implicit meaning of a statement, not the literal meaning.
Origin Story
战国时期，著名琴师伯牙与钟子期相遇，二人因共同的音乐爱好而成为知己。一次，伯牙在山中弹奏古琴，琴声时而激昂，时而低沉，时而如山崩地裂，时而如涓涓细流。钟子期听得入神，竟能从琴声中体会到伯牙所要表达的意境。演奏完毕，钟子期赞叹道："妙啊！你刚才弹奏的，第一段是巍峨高山，第二段是奔腾江河，第三段是凄凉秋风，第四段是茫茫大海！"伯牙惊奇道："你竟然能听懂我琴声中的弦外之意！" 钟子期笑道："我与你心灵相通，自然能感受到你琴声中的深意。" 这个故事体现了伯牙与钟子期之间深厚的友谊，也说明了优秀的艺术作品能够表达出超越文字的深层含义，即弦外之意。
During the Warring States period, the famous qin master Boya met Zhong Ziqi, and the two became close friends due to their shared love of music. Once, Boya played the guqin in the mountains; the music was sometimes exciting, sometimes low, sometimes like a mountain collapsing, sometimes like a gentle stream. Zhong Ziqi listened intently and could understand the meaning that Boya wanted to express through the music. After the performance, Zhong Ziqi exclaimed, "Wonderful! The first part of your performance was a majestic mountain, the second was a rushing river, the third was a desolate autumn wind, and the fourth was the vast ocean!" Boya was surprised, "You can actually understand the unspoken meaning of my music!" Zhong Ziqi smiled, "I am connected with you in spirit; naturally, I can feel the profound meaning in your music." This story reflects the deep friendship between Boya and Zhong Ziqi and shows that excellent works of art can express profound meanings that go beyond words, that is, the implied meaning.
Usage
用于比喻话语中隐含的意思，而不是表面意思。
Used to describe the implicit meaning of a statement, not the literal meaning.
Examples
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领导话里有话，弦外之意是让我们加班。
lingdaohualiyouhua, xianwai zhiyi shi rangwomenjiaban
The leader's words had a hidden meaning, implying that we should work overtime.
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他的话虽然轻描淡写，但弦外之意却很明显。
ta dehua suiran qingmiao xiaoxie, dan xianwai zhiyi que hen mingxian
His words were understated, but the implicit meaning was clear.