残花败柳 withered flowers and wilted willows
Explanation
比喻女子容貌已衰，也比喻事物衰败。
A metaphor for a woman whose beauty has faded; also used to describe the decline of things.
Origin Story
话说江南小镇上，住着一位秀外慧中的女子，名叫秋月。她年轻貌美，是远近闻名的美人。许多公子都前来追求，但她心有所属，只钟情于一位书生。然而，书生家境贫寒，无法给她富足的生活。秋月为了爱情，不顾家人反对，毅然嫁给了书生。婚后，他们过着清贫却幸福的生活。然而，天有不测风云。书生屡试不第，加上家中变故，生活更加困顿。秋月为了帮助丈夫，操持家务，奔波劳碌，日渐消瘦，昔日明艳的容颜也变得憔悴不堪，宛如残花败柳，令人惋惜。但她始终坚守着对爱情的信念，用自己的一生诠释了爱情的真谛。
It is said that in a small town in southern China, there lived a beautiful and intelligent woman named Qiuyue. She was young, beautiful, and well-known for her beauty. Many young men pursued her, but she already had someone in her heart and only loved a scholar. However, the scholar was poor and could not provide her with a comfortable life. Qiuyue, for the sake of her love, defied her family and resolutely married the scholar. After their marriage, they lived a poor but happy life. However, fate had other plans. The scholar repeatedly failed his exams and was burdened by family issues, making their lives even more difficult. To support her husband, Qiuyue took care of the housework, worked hard, and ran errands, becoming thinner and thinner. Her once radiant face grew haggard and looked like withered flowers and wilted willows, a sight that was a pity. Yet she remained faithful to her love, using her whole life to explain the true meaning of love.
Usage
一般用于形容女子容貌衰老，也可比喻事物衰败。
Generally used to describe a woman's aging appearance, it can also be used to describe the decline of things.
Examples
-
她虽然出身名门，但如今却落得个残花败柳的下场。
tā suīrán chūshēn míngmén, dàn rújīn què luò de gè cán huā bài liǔ de xiàchǎng.
Although she came from a prominent family, she has now fallen into a state of decline.
-
这几年经历了太多磨难，他整个人都变得残花败柳了。
zhè jǐ nián jīnglì le tài duō mónan, tā zhěnggè rén dōu biàn de cán huā bài liǔ le。
After so many hardships in recent years, he has become completely dilapidated.