殷鉴不远 The lessons of the past are not far off
Explanation
殷鉴不远，出自《诗经·大雅·荡》。意思是说，殷商的灭亡，对当时的人们来说，教训就在眼前，并不是遥远的往事。后来，人们用这个成语来比喻前人的教训就在眼前。
The idiom "Yin Jian Bu Yuan" comes from "The Classic of Poetry, Daya, Dang". It means that the destruction of the Shang Dynasty was a lesson before the eyes of the people at that time, not a distant past. Later, people used this idiom to illustrate the lessons of the past.
Origin Story
商朝末年，商纣王暴虐无道，荒淫无耻，最终导致商朝灭亡。周武王灭商后，周公旦辅佐成王，总结商朝灭亡的教训，告诫后人要以史为鉴，避免重蹈覆辙。他引用了《诗经》中的名句“殷鉴不远，在夏后之世”，意思是说殷商的覆灭就在眼前，夏朝的灭亡也是殷商的教训。这警示人们不能忘记历史教训，要从前人的失败中吸取经验，为国家社稷的长治久安贡献力量。
At the end of the Shang Dynasty, King Zhou was a cruel and debauched tyrant, ultimately leading to the demise of the Shang Dynasty. After King Wu of Zhou destroyed Shang, Duke Zhou assisted King Cheng and summarized the lessons learned from the demise of the Shang Dynasty, warning later generations to learn from history and avoid repeating past mistakes. He quoted the famous line from the "Classic of Poetry": "The lessons of history are not far off, they lie in the time after Xia". This means that the fall of the Shang Dynasty is in front of our eyes, and the fall of the Xia Dynasty is also a lesson for the Shang Dynasty. This warns people not to forget the lessons of history, to learn from the mistakes of our predecessors, and to contribute to the long-term stability and prosperity of the state.
Usage
用于提醒人们要吸取历史教训，避免重蹈覆辙。常用于总结历史经验，引以为戒。
It is used to remind people to learn from history and avoid repeating past mistakes. It is often used to summarize historical experiences and take warnings from them.
Examples
-
殷鉴不远，前车之鉴，不可不察。
yinjianbuyuan, qianchezhijian, kebubucha
The lessons of history are not far off, the lessons of the past must not be overlooked.
-
历史的教训就在眼前，我们应引以为戒。
lishide jiaoxun jiuzai yanqian, women ying yinyiweijie
Historical lessons are right before our eyes, we should take warning from them