沉默不语 chén mò bù yǔ silent

Explanation

指一言不发，不说话。通常表示心情沉重、不愿表达或无法表达等状态。

Means not saying a word, not speaking. Usually indicates a heavy heart, unwillingness to express or inability to express.

Origin Story

老张是一位经验丰富的木匠，他一生沉默寡言，专注于手中的木工活。他从不炫耀自己的技艺，也不轻易评论别人的作品。村里的人们都知道老张的手艺精湛，却很少有人见过他说话。有一天，村里来了个年轻的木匠，他技艺不错，却喜欢夸夸其谈，总是滔滔不绝地讲述自己的成功经验。老张默默地看他工作，并没有发表任何意见。年轻人看到老张沉默不语，以为他技不如人，心里便有些轻蔑。直到有一天，村里要修建一座重要的庙宇，需要最优秀的木匠来完成。经过多方考察和比较，最终选中了老张。老张沉默不语地开始工作，他精湛的技艺让所有的人都叹为观止。最终，他用自己的沉默和精湛的技艺，征服了所有人，也证明了沉默的力量。

lao zhang shi yi wei jingyan fengfu de mujiang, ta yisheng chenmo guyan, zhuanzhu yu shouzhong de mugong huo. ta cong bu xuanyao ziji de jiyi, ye bu qingyi pinglun bieren de zuopin. cunli de renmen dou zhidao lao zhang de shouyi jingzhan, que haoshao youren jianguo ta shuohua. you yitian, cunli lai le ge nianqing de mujiang, ta jiyi bucuo, que xihuan kuakuatantan, zongshi taotaobubujue de jiangshu ziji de chenggong jingyan. lao zhang momodi kan ta gongzuo, bing meiyou fabiao renhe yijian. nianqingren kan dao lao zhang chenmo buyu, yiwei ta ji bu ru ren, xinli bian youxie qingmie. zhidao you yitian, cunli yao xiu jian yizuo zhongyao de miaoyu, xuyao zui youxiu de mujiang lai wancheng. jingguo duofang kaozha he bijiao, zhongyu xuanzhongle lao zhang. lao zhang chenmo buyu di kaishi gongzuo, ta jingzhan de jiyi rang suoyou de ren dou tanwei guanzhi. zhongjiu, ta yong ziji de chenmo he jingzhan de jiyi, zhengfu le suoyou ren, ye zhengmingle chenmo de liliang.

Old Zhang was an experienced carpenter, who was taciturn all his life and focused on his woodworking. He never showed off his skills, nor easily commented on others' works. People in the village knew that Old Zhang's craftsmanship was superb, but few had ever seen him talk. One day, a young carpenter came to the village. He was skilled, but liked to boast, always talking endlessly about his successful experiences. Old Zhang silently watched him work without making any comments. The young man saw Old Zhang's silence, thinking that he was inferior, and felt somewhat contemptuous in his heart. Until one day, the village was going to build an important temple, which needed the best carpenter to complete. After careful investigation and comparison, Old Zhang was finally chosen. Old Zhang silently started to work. His superb skills amazed everyone. In the end, he conquered everyone with his silence and superb skills, proving the power of silence.

Usage

用于描写人物沉默不语的状态，多用于书面语。

yongyu miaoxie renwu chenmo buyu de zhuangtai, duo yongyu shumianyu

Used to describe the state of a person's silence, mostly used in written language.

Examples

• 会议上，他沉默不语，让人捉摸不透他的想法。

  huiyi shang, ta chenmo buyu, rang ren zuomo bu tou ta de xiangfa

  At the meeting, he remained silent, making his thoughts inscrutable.

• 面对突如其来的指责，他沉默不语，默默承受着委屈。

  mian dui turu qilai de zhize, ta chenmo buyu, momoque cheng shou zhe weiqu

  Faced with sudden accusations, he fell silent, silently bearing the grievance.

• 得知噩耗，她沉默不语，泪水无声地滑落。

  dezhi ehao, ta chenmo buyu, leisui wusheng di huoluo

  Upon hearing the bad news, she was silent, tears falling soundlessly down her face

Related Idioms

• 沉默不言

• 缄默

• 默然

Opposite Idioms

• 喋喋不休

• 滔滔不绝