推三阻四 To shirk responsibility
Explanation
形容找各种借口推托，不肯承担责任。
Describes making various excuses to shirk responsibility.
Origin Story
话说唐朝时期，有一位名叫李白的诗人，他一生豪放不羁，才华横溢，写下了许多流芳百世的诗篇。然而，他也有着一些令人头疼的毛病。其中之一便是，李白常常推三阻四，不愿承担责任。有一次，皇帝要李白写一首诗来歌颂盛唐的繁荣昌盛，可是李白却推三阻四，说什么自己灵感枯竭，笔下无神，找各种借口推脱。皇帝见他如此，既生气又无奈，只好作罢。后来，人们便用“推三阻四”来形容那些找各种借口推托的人。
In ancient China during the Tang Dynasty lived a poet called Li Bai, whose name remains synonymous with magnificent poetry. However, he was also notorious for his reluctance to take on responsibilities, often employing a variety of excuses to evade his duties. Once, the emperor commissioned him to write a poem celebrating the Tang Dynasty's prosperity, but Li Bai, inventing numerous excuses, claimed that his muse had deserted him and his writing was barren. The emperor, a mix of frustrated and disappointed, gave up. This story led to the use of the phrase 推三阻四 (tuī sān zǔ sì) to describe people who avoid responsibilities by making excuses.
Usage
用于形容找各种借口推托，不肯承担责任。
Used to describe someone who makes excuses to avoid responsibility.
Examples
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他推三阻四，就是不肯帮忙。
ta tui san zu si, jiushi bu ken bangmang.
He kept making excuses and wouldn't help.
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这件事我推三阻四了好久，最终还是答应了。
zhe jian shi wo tui san zu si le hao jiu, zhongyu haishi dayingle
I hesitated for a long time, but finally agreed