物伤其类 Shared suffering
Explanation
看到同类遭遇不幸而产生悲伤或忧虑的心情。
Feeling sad or worried when seeing the misfortune of someone similar to oneself.
Origin Story
战国时期，有个将军率领大军攻打敌国，屡战屡败。一次，他带兵经过一片坟地，看到满目荒凉的坟冢，他不禁物伤其类，想起自己年老体衰，随时可能战死沙场，想到自己死后也会像这些无名将士一样无人祭奠，心中悲凉，于是下令全军撤退，不再出战。此后，他便在自己的府邸里过着隐居的生活，终日诵读兵书，不再问及军国大事。
During the Warring States period, a general led his troops in numerous battles, but they suffered repeated defeats. Once, while leading his army through a graveyard, the sight of countless desolate tombs filled him with a sense of shared vulnerability, causing him to reflect on his own aging body and the ever-present threat of death on the battlefield. He imagined his own demise, envisioning a similar fate of being unhonored and unmourned, just like these nameless soldiers. This morbid contemplation overwhelmed him with sadness and he consequently ordered a retreat, ending the campaign. Thereafter, he retired to his estate, spending his remaining days in quiet study and reflection.
Usage
形容因看到与自己情况相似的人或事遭遇不幸而产生的悲伤或同情的心情。
Describes the feeling of sadness or sympathy caused by seeing someone or something similar to oneself suffering misfortune.
Examples
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老王看到隔壁邻居家的房子倒塌了，心里不禁物伤其类，担心自己的房子也会出事。
lǎo wáng kàn dào gébì línjū jiā de fángzi dǎotā le, xīn lǐ bù jīn wù shāng qí lèi, dānxīn zìjǐ de fángzi yě huì chūshì.
Old Wang saw his neighbor's house collapse and couldn't help but feel a sense of shared vulnerability, worrying that his own house might suffer the same fate.
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看到许多企业倒闭，我们也不禁物伤其类，开始担心起自己的公司来。
kàn dào xǔduō qǐyè dǎobì, wǒmen yě bù jīn wù shāng qí lèi, kāishǐ dānxīn qǐ zìjǐ de gōngsī lái.
Seeing so many companies go bankrupt, we couldn't help but feel a sense of shared vulnerability, starting to worry about our own company.