权衡利弊 Quán héng lì bì Weigh the pros and cons

Explanation

权衡利弊指比较衡量事情的利与弊。在做任何事情之前，都应该仔细权衡利弊，才能做出最正确的选择。

Weighing the pros and cons refers to comparing and measuring the advantages and disadvantages of something. Before doing anything, one should carefully weigh the pros and cons to make the most correct choice.

Origin Story

话说唐朝时期，一位名叫李白的诗人，他喜好结交天下豪杰，经常饮酒赋诗，纵情山水。一日，他接到好友邀请，前往一座名山游玩，李白欣然前往。然而，在前往名山的途中，他却犹豫了，因为他要经过一条险峻的山路，这条山路虽然风景秀丽，但路途异常艰险，稍有不慎就会坠入山谷。李白心里不断权衡利弊，一边是好友的盛情邀请，一边是山路的危险，他思虑再三，最后决定先仔细打探路况，确保安全后再出发。于是，他先派仆人前往探路，了解路况及是否有其他风险。仆人回来后，详细地汇报了路况，并建议绕路而行，避免危险。李白仔细权衡了仆人的建议，认为绕路虽然会耽误一些时间，但安全第一，因此决定采纳仆人的建议。最后，李白顺利到达名山，与好友畅谈，并创作了多首名篇佳作。这个故事告诉我们，做任何事都要权衡利弊，安全永远是第一位的。

huà shuō Táng cháo shíqī, yī wèi míng jiào Lǐ Bái de shī rén, tā xǐ hào jié jiāo tiānxià háojié, jīngcháng yǐn jiǔ fù shī, zòngqíng shānshuǐ. yī rì, tā jiēdào hǎoyǒu yāoqǐng, qiánwǎng yī zuò míngshān yóuwán, Lǐ Bái xīn rán qiánwǎng. rán'ér, zài qiánwǎng míngshān de túzhōng, tā què yóuyù le, yīnwèi tā yào jīngguò yī tiáo xiǎnjùn de shānlù, zhè tiáo shānlù suīrán fēngjǐng xiùlì, dàn lùtú yìcháng jiānxian, shāo yǒu bù shèn jiù huì zhuì rù shāngǔ. Lǐ Bái xīn lǐ bùduàn quán héng lì bì, yībiān shì hǎoyǒu de shèngqíng yāoqǐng, yībiān shì shānlù de wēixiǎn, tā sīlǜ zàisān, zuìhòu juédìng xiān zǐxì dǎtàn lùkuàng, quèbǎo ānquán zàihòu chūfā. yúshì, tā xiān pài pún rén qiánwǎng tànlù, liǎojiě lùkuàng jí yǒu méiyǒu qítā fēngxiǎn. pún rén huí lái hòu, xiángxì de huìbào le lùkuàng, bìng jiànyì ràolù ér xíng, bìmiǎn wēixiǎn. Lǐ Bái zǐxì quán héng le pún rén de jiànyì, rènwéi ràolù suīrán huì dānhòu yīxiē shíjiān, dàn ānquán dì yī, yīncǐ juédìng cǎinà pún rén de jiànyì. zuìhòu, Lǐ Bái shùnlì dàodá míngshān, yǔ hǎoyǒu chàngtán, bìng chuàngzuò le duō shǒu míngpiān jiāzuò. zhège gùshì gàosù wǒmen, zuò rènhé shì dōu yào quán héng lì bì, ānquán yǒngyuǎn shì dì yī wèi de.

It is said that during the Tang Dynasty, there was a poet named Li Bai who enjoyed making friends with heroes from all over the country, frequently drank alcohol, wrote poems, and indulged in the pleasures of mountains and rivers. One day, he received an invitation from a friend to visit a famous mountain. Li Bai gladly accepted. However, on the way to the famous mountain, he hesitated because he had to pass a dangerous mountain path. This path, while beautiful, was extremely dangerous; a slight mistake could lead to a fall into the valley. Li Bai weighed the pros and cons in his heart: on one hand, the warm invitation from his friend, and on the other, the danger of the mountain path. After much consideration, he decided to first thoroughly investigate the condition of the road to ensure safety before setting off. So, he first sent his servant to scout the path, checking the conditions and any other risks. After the servant returned, he gave a detailed report of the road conditions and suggested taking a detour to avoid danger. Li Bai carefully weighed the servant's suggestion, believing that while the detour would cost some time, safety was paramount, so he decided to accept the servant's advice. In the end, Li Bai successfully reached the famous mountain, talked freely with his friend, and created many famous masterpieces. This story teaches us that we should always weigh the pros and cons of everything we do, and safety should always come first.

Usage

权衡利弊通常用于分析决策，选择最优方案。

quán héng lì bì tōngcháng yòng yú fēnxī juécè, xuǎnzé zuì yōu fāng'àn

Weighing the pros and cons is usually used for analysis and decision-making, to select the optimal solution.

Examples

• 在投资之前，我们必须权衡利弊，才能做出正确的决定。

  zài tóuzī zhīqián, wǒmen bìxū quán héng lì bì, cáinéng zuò chū zhèngquè de juédìng.

  Before investing, we must weigh the pros and cons to make the right decision.

• 这次改革方案，需要权衡利弊，既要考虑经济效益，又要顾及社会公平。

  zhè cì gǎigé fāng'àn, xūyào quán héng lì bì, jì yào kǎolǜ jīngjì xiàoyì, yòu yào gùjí shèhuì gōngpíng

  This reform proposal needs to weigh the pros and cons, considering both economic benefits and social equity.

Related Idioms

• 利大于弊

• 弊大于利

Opposite Idioms

• 轻率从事

• 盲目行动