摇摆不定 yáobǎi bùdìng waver

Explanation

指心意犹豫不决，来回变化。形容一个人在做决定时，思想不稳定，反复不定。

To describe someone whose mind is wavering and changing back and forth. It implies uncertainty and indecision in making a decision.

Origin Story

从前，有一个小村庄，村里住着一位名叫阿强的木匠。他技艺高超，村里人找他做家具，总是络绎不绝。一天，一位富商来到村里，想请阿强为他打造一套精美的红木家具。阿强欣然答应，并约定好交货日期。可是，在制作的过程中，阿强却摇摆不定。他先按照富商的要求，设计了华丽的款式，但又觉得过于繁琐；接着，他又尝试了简约的风格，但又觉得不够大气；后来，他又想结合两种风格，但又担心效果不好。就这样，阿强在不同的设计之间摇摆不定，无法做出最终的决定。眼看着交货日期临近，阿强还是没能完成家具的制作。富商非常生气，责备阿强办事不力，阿强也因此失去了这次宝贵的合作机会，并因此在木匠界中留下不好的口碑，之后生意也每况愈下。

cóngqián, yǒu yīgè xiǎocūn zhuāng, cūn lǐ zhù zhe yī wèi míng jiào ā qiáng de mù jiàng. tā jìyì gāochāo, cūn lǐ rén zhǎo tā zuò jiājù, zǒng shì luòyì bùjué. yī tiān, yī wèi fù shāng lái dào cūn lǐ, xiǎng qǐng ā qiáng wèi tā dǎzào yī tào jīngměi de hóngmù jiājù. ā qiáng xīnrán dāyìng, bìng yuē dìng hǎo jiāo huò rìqī. kěshì, zài zhìzuò de guòchéng zhōng, ā qiáng què yáobǎi bùdìng. tā xiān àn zhào fù shāng de yāoqiú, shèjì le huá lǐ de kuǎnshì, dàn yòu juéde guòyú fán suǒ; jiēzhe, tā yòu shìyǎn le jiǎnyuē de fēnggé, dàn yòu juéde bùgòu dàqì; hòulái, tā yòu xiǎng jiéhé liǎng zhǒng fēnggé, dàn yòu dānxīn xiàoguǒ bù hǎo. jiù zhèyàng, ā qiáng zài bùtóng de shèjì zhī jiān yáobǎi bùdìng, wúfǎ zuò chū zuìzhōng de juédìng. yǎn kànzhe jiāo huò rìqī línjìn, ā qiáng hái shì méi néng wánchéng jiājù de zhìzuò. fù shāng fēicháng shēng qì, zébèi ā qiáng bànshì bù lì, ā qiáng yě yīncǐ shīqù le cì cì bǎoguì de hézuò jīhuì, bìng yīncǐ zài mùjiàng jiè zhōng liú xià bù hǎo de kǒubēi, zhīhòu shēngyì yě měikuàng yùxià.

Once upon a time, there was a small village where a carpenter named Ah Qiang lived. He was skilled, and villagers constantly sought him for furniture. One day, a wealthy merchant came to the village wanting Ah Qiang to craft an exquisite set of rosewood furniture. Ah Qiang readily agreed, setting a delivery date. However, during production, Ah Qiang wavered. He initially designed a lavish style as the merchant requested, but then found it too ornate. He tried a minimalist style, but felt it lacked grandeur. Then he considered combining both but worried about the outcome. Ah Qiang vacillated between designs, unable to decide. As the delivery date approached, the furniture remained unfinished. The furious merchant rebuked Ah Qiang for his incompetence, resulting in Ah Qiang's loss of the opportunity and damage to his reputation.

Usage

形容一个人在做决定时犹豫不决，思想反复不定。常用于描述人们在面临选择时犹豫不决的情况。

xióngróng yīgè rén zài zuò juédìng shí yóuyù bùjué, sīxiǎng fǎnfù bùdìng. cháng yòng yú miáoshù rénmen zài miànlín xuǎnzé shí yóuyù bùjué de qíngkuàng.

Used to describe someone who is hesitating and wavering in their decision-making. It is often used to depict someone who is indecisive when facing a choice.

Examples

• 他一直摇摆不定，不知道该选哪个方案。

  tā yīzhí yáobǎi bùdìng, bù zhīdào gāi xuǎn nǎge fāng'àn.

  He kept wavering, not knowing which plan to choose.

• 面对老板的提问，他显得摇摆不定，难以给出明确答复。

  miàn duì lǎobǎn de tíwèn, tā xiǎndé yáobǎi bùdìng, nán yǐ gěi chū míngquè dáfù.

  Faced with the boss's question, he seemed indecisive and could not give a clear answer.

• 在人生的十字路口，他摇摆不定，不知该如何选择。

  zài rénshēng de shízì lùkǒu, tā yáobǎi bùdìng, bù zhī gāi rúhé xuǎnzé

  At the crossroads of life, he hesitated, not knowing how to choose

Related Idioms

• 犹豫不决

• 优柔寡断

Opposite Idioms

• 坚定不移

• 立场坚定