文房四物 wén fáng sì wù Four Treasures of the Study

Explanation

文房四物指的是笔、墨、纸、砚，是中国古代文人书写绘画时使用的四种主要工具。它们代表了中国传统文化的精髓，也象征着文人的高雅品味和文化修养。

The Four Treasures of the Study (文房四物 - wén fáng sì wù) refer to the brush, ink stick, paper, and inkstone, the four main tools used by ancient Chinese literati for writing and painting. They represent the essence of traditional Chinese culture and symbolize the elegant taste and cultural cultivation of scholars.

Origin Story

话说唐朝时期，有个名叫李白的书生，家境贫寒却才华横溢。他酷爱书法和绘画，可惜囊中羞涩，难以购置上好的文房四物。一日，李白漫步山间，偶然发现一处山洞，洞内竟藏有一套精美的文房四物：笔如春竹般翠绿挺拔，墨如寒潭般幽深清澈，纸如冬雪般洁白细腻，砚如秋月般温润光滑。李白惊喜万分，将这套文房四物带回，从此创作更加精进，佳作频出，名扬天下。后人便将这套文房四物称为‘李白文房四物’，以纪念这位天才诗人的勤奋和才华。

huì shuō táng cháo shí qī, yǒu gè míng jiào lǐ bái de shū shēng, jiā jìng pín hán què cái huá héng yì. tā kù ài shū fǎ hé huì huà, kě xī náng zhōng xiū sè, nán yǐ gòu zhì shàng hǎo de wén fáng sì wù. yī rì, lǐ bái màn bù shān jiān, ǒu rán fā xiàn yī chù shān dòng, dòng nèi jìng cáng yǒu yī tào jīng měi de wén fáng sì wù: bǐ rú chūn zhú bān cuì lǜ tǐng bá, mò rú hán tán bān yōu shēn qīng chè, zhǐ rú dōng xuě bān jié bái xì nì, yàn rú qiū yuè bān wēn rùn guāng huá. lǐ bái jīng xǐ wàn fēn, jiāng zhè tào wén fáng sì wù dài huí, cóng cǐ chuàng zuò gèng jiā jīng jìn, jiā zuò pín chū, míng yáng tiān xià. hòu rén biàn jiāng zhè tào wén fáng sì wù chēng wèi ‘lǐ bái wén fáng sì wù’, yǐ jì niàn zhè wèi tiān cái shī rén de qín fèn hé cái huá.

During the Tang Dynasty, there lived a scholar named Li Bai, who was poor but extraordinarily talented. He loved calligraphy and painting, but unfortunately, his poverty made it difficult for him to acquire high-quality writing materials. One day, Li Bai was strolling through the mountains when he stumbled upon a cave, inside which was a set of exquisite writing materials: a brush as green and straight as spring bamboo, ink as deep and clear as a cold lake, paper as white and delicate as winter snow, and an inkstone as warm and smooth as the autumn moon. Li Bai was overjoyed and took these treasures home. From then on, his artistic skills improved, and he produced numerous masterpieces, becoming famous throughout the land. Later, this set of writing materials was known as 'Li Bai's Four Treasures of the Study' to commemorate the diligence and talent of this brilliant poet.

Usage

通常用作主语、宾语或定语，多用于书面语，形容精美的文具或文人雅致的生活。

tōng cháng yòng zuò zhǔ yǔ, bīn yǔ huò dìng yǔ, duō yòng yú shū miàn yǔ, xiá róng jīng měi de wén jù huò wén rén yǎ zhì de shēng huó.

It is usually used as a subject, object or attributive, mostly in written language, to describe exquisite stationery or the elegant life of literati.

Examples

• 书桌上摆放着文房四物。

  shū zhuō shang bǎi fàng zhe wén fáng sì wù.

  The four treasures of the study are on the desk.

• 他珍藏着祖传的文房四物。

  tā zhēn cáng zhe zǔ chuán de wén fáng sì wù.

  He cherished the ancestral four treasures of the study.

Related Idioms

• 文房四宝

• 文房七宝

Opposite Idioms

• 粗制滥造

• 粗俗