摇摇欲坠 Yáo yáo yù zhuì Shaky and about to collapse

Explanation

形容事物极不稳固，好像马上要倒塌或垮掉的样子。

Describes something that is very unstable and seems about to collapse or fall apart.

Origin Story

在一个偏僻的小山村里，住着一位年迈的木匠老李。他一生都致力于木匠手艺，从年轻时起就凭着这门手艺养家糊口。老李的房子，是他自己亲手建造的，用的是祖辈留下来的上好木材，经过他精心的打磨和拼接，房子十分结实耐用。可是，随着岁月的流逝，这栋老房子也日渐老化，房顶上的瓦片开始脱落，木梁也出现了裂纹，显得摇摇欲坠。村里人都劝老李搬到新房子里去住，以免发生意外，但老李却固执地不肯搬走。他说：“这是我用一生心血建造的房子，每一块木头都饱含着我的汗水，我舍不得离开它。”然而，有一天，一场暴风雨突袭了小山村，狂风呼啸，暴雨倾盆。老李的房子在风雨的摧残下，终于不堪重负，轰然倒塌。所幸的是，老李在暴风雨来临之前就已经躲进了村里的避风处，因此幸免于难。这件事，让老李深刻地体会到，即使是再坚固的东西，也经不起岁月的磨砺，更经不起大自然的考验。从此以后，老李终于同意搬进了村里为他准备的新房子里，安享晚年。

zài yīgè piānpì de xiǎoshān cūn lǐ, zhù zhe yī wèi niánmài de mùjiàng lǎo lǐ. tā yīshēng dōu zhìlì yú mùjiàng shǒuyì, cóng niánqīng shí qǐ jiù píngzhe zhè mén shǒuyì yǎngjiā húkǒu. lǎo lǐ de fángzi, shì tā zìjǐ qīnshǒu jiànzào de, yòng de shì zǔbèi liúxià lái de shàng hǎo mùcái, jīngguò tā jīngxīn de dǎmò hé piējiē, fángzi shífēn jiēshí nàiyòng. kěshì, suí zhe suìyuè de liúshì, zhè dōng lǎo fángzi yě rìjiàn lǎohuà, fángdǐng shang de wápian kāishǐ tuōluò, mùliáng yě chūxiàn le lièwén, xiǎnde yáoyáo yùzhuì. cūn lǐ rén dōu quàn lǎo lǐ bān dào xīn fángzi lǐ qù zhù, yǐmiǎn fāshēng yìwài, dàn lǎo lǐ què gùzhī de bùkěn bān zǒu. tā shuō:“zhè shì wǒ yòng yīshēng xīnxiě jiànzào de fángzi, měi yī kuài mùtou dōu bǎohán zhe wǒ de hànshuǐ, wǒ shěbude líkāi tā.” rán'ér, yǒu yītiān, yī chǎng bàofēngyǔ tūxí le xiǎoshān cūn, kuángfēng hūxiào, bàoyǔ qīngpén. lǎo lǐ de fángzi zài fēngyǔ de cuīcán xià, zhōngyú bùkān zhòngfù, hōngrán dàotā. suǒxìng de shì, lǎo lǐ zài bàofēngyǔ láilín zhīqián yǐjīng dǒu jìn le cūn lǐ de bìfēng chù, yīncǐ xìngmiǎn yú nàn. zhè jiàn shì, ràng lǎo lǐ shēnkè de tǐhuì dào, jíshǐ shì zài jiāngu gù de dōngxī, yě jīng bù qǐ suìyuè de mólì, gèng jīng bù qǐ dàzìrán de kǎoyàn. cóngcǐ yǐhòu, lǎo lǐ zhōngyú tóngyì bān jìn le cūn lǐ wèi tā zhǔnbèi de xīn fángzi lǐ, ānxǐng wǎnnián.

In a remote mountain village, there lived an old carpenter named Lao Li. He had dedicated his entire life to his craft, making a living from it since his youth. Lao Li's house was built by his own hands, using high-quality lumber passed down from his ancestors. With careful craftsmanship and meticulous joining, the house was incredibly sturdy and durable. However, as time went by, this old house began to show its age. The roof tiles started to fall off, and cracks appeared in the wooden beams; it looked shaky and about to collapse. Villagers advised Lao Li to move to a newer, safer house to avoid accidents, but Lao Li stubbornly refused. He said, "This is the house I built with my life's work; every piece of wood is filled with my sweat; I can't bear to leave it." One day, a violent storm suddenly struck the mountain village. The wind howled, and the rain poured down. Lao Li's house, finally unable to withstand the ravages of the storm, suddenly collapsed. Fortunately, Lao Li had taken shelter in a village storm shelter before the storm hit, so he escaped unharmed. This incident made Lao Li realize that even the strongest things cannot withstand the relentless wear and tear of time, and especially not the test of nature. From then on, Lao Li finally agreed to move into a new house prepared for him by the village and enjoyed his old age in peace.

Usage

用于形容事物或局势不稳定，随时可能崩溃或垮台。

yòng yú miáoshù shìwù huò júshì bù wěndìng, suíshí kěnéng bēngkuì huò kuǎ tái

Used to describe things or situations that are unstable and could collapse or fail at any time.

Examples

• 这栋摇摇欲坠的老房子随时可能倒塌。

  zhè dòng yáoyáo yùzhuì de lǎo fángzi suíshí kěnéng dàotā

  This rickety old house could collapse at any time.

• 他的事业摇摇欲坠，随时可能破产。

  tā de shìyè yáoyáo yùzhuì, suíshí kěnéng pò chǎn

  His business is shaky and could go bankrupt at any moment..

Related Idioms

• 摇摇欲倒

• 风雨飘摇

• 危如累卵

Opposite Idioms

• 稳如泰山

• 坚如磐石