杯盘狼藉 cups and plates in a mess
Explanation
形容宴席结束后，杯盘等放得乱七八糟的情景。
Describes the scene after a banquet, where cups and plates are scattered in a mess.
Origin Story
话说唐朝，有一位大富豪名叫李员外，他家财万贯，经常在家中设宴款待宾客。有一天，李员外宴请了众多达官贵人，席间觥筹交错，热闹非凡。然而，当宾客尽兴而散后，只见满堂杯盘狼藉，残羹剩饭遍地，好不壮观！仆人们忙着收拾残局，清理满地的酒杯、碗盘、以及散落各处的瓜果点心，直至深夜才将一切恢复原状。李员外看着焕然一新的厅堂，心中感慨万千：人生如宴，盛极而衰，物极必反。这杯盘狼藉的景象，不正像人生的短暂与无奈吗？
In the Tang Dynasty, there was a wealthy man named Li Yuanwai who often held banquets at home to entertain guests. One day, Li Yuanwai invited many high-ranking officials to a banquet. During the banquet, there was a lot of drinking and a lively atmosphere. However, when the guests left, the hall was filled with scattered cups and plates, and leftover food was everywhere. The servants were busy cleaning up the mess, and they didn't finish until late at night. Li Yuanwai looked at the renewed hall and sighed: Life is like a banquet, it reaches its peak and then ends. When something reaches its peak, it turns into its opposite. Isn't the scene of scattered cups and plates like the short and helpless life?
Usage
常用作谓语、定语；形容宴会或聚会结束后，场面杂乱的情景。
Often used as a predicate or attributive; describes the messy scene after a banquet or party.
Examples
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宴会结束后，杯盘狼藉，一片狼藉。
yanhui jieshu hou, bei pan lang ji, yipian langji
After the banquet, the room was in a mess with dishes and cups scattered everywhere.
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聚会结束后，房间里杯盘狼藉，需要收拾一下。
juhui jieshu hou, fangjian li bei pan lang ji, xuyao shoushi yixia
After the party, the room was in a mess; everything was scattered around and needed to be cleaned up.