登高望远 dēng gāo wàng yuǎn Climb high and look far

Explanation

登上高处，看得更远。比喻眼光远大，有远见卓识。

Climbing to a high place to see farther. A metaphor for having a far-sighted vision.

Origin Story

话说古代一位名叫李白的书生，从小就对世界充满好奇，他常常爬上村子最高的山峰，眺望远方，想象着远方是怎样一番景象。他梦想着有一天能去远方游历，见识更广阔的世界。有一天，一位路过的老禅师看到李白在山顶眺望，便走过去，对他说：“年轻人，你登高望远，心怀壮志，这是好事。但要记住，人生的道路如同山路一样，既有平坦的大道，也有崎岖险峻的山峰。要一步一个脚印地走，才能到达成功的彼岸。不要好高骛远，眼高手低。”李白听了老禅师的话，受益匪浅。他明白了，登高望远不仅仅是眺望远方，更重要的是要脚踏实地，一步一个脚印地去实现自己的梦想。从此，他更加努力学习，刻苦钻研，最终成为了一位著名的诗人，他的诗歌充满了对人生的感悟和对未来的期许，他的远见卓识也为他赢得了人们的敬仰。

huà shuō gǔ dài yī wèi míng jiào lǐ bái de shū shēng, cóng xiǎo jiù duì shì jiè chōng mǎn hào qí, tā cháng cháng pá shàng cūn zi zuì gāo de shān fēng, tiào wàng yuǎn fāng, xiǎng xiàng zhe yuǎn fāng shì zěn yàng yī fān jǐng xiàng. tā mèng xiǎng zhe yǒu yī tiān néng qù yuǎn fāng yóu lì, jiàn shì gèng guǎng kuò de shì jiè. yǒu yī tiān, yī wèi lù guò de lǎo chán shī kàn dào lǐ bái zài shān dǐng tiào wàng, biàn zǒu guò qù, duì tā shuō：'nián qīng rén, nǐ dēng gāo wàng yuǎn, xīn huái zhuàng zhì, zhè shì hǎo shì. dàn yào jì zhù, rén shēng de dào lù rú tóng shān lù yī yàng, jì yǒu píng tǎn de dà dào, yě yǒu qí qū xiǎn jùn de shān fēng. yào yī bù yī gè jiǎo yìn de zǒu, cái néng dào dá chéng gōng de bǐ àn. bù yào hǎo gāo wù yuǎn, yǎn gāo shǒu dī.' lǐ bái tīng le lǎo chán shī de huà, shòu yì fēi qiǎn. tā míng bái le, dēng gāo wàng yuǎn bù jǐn jīn shì tiào wàng yuǎn fāng, gèng shì zhòng yào de shì yào jiǎo tà shí dì, yī bù yī gè jiǎo yìn de qù shí xiàn zì jǐ de mèng xiǎng. cóng cǐ, tā gèng jiā nǔ lì xué xí, kè kǔ zuān yán, zhōng yú chéng wéi le yī wèi zhù míng de shī rén, tā de shī gē chōng mǎn le duì rén shēng de gǎn wù hé duì wèi lái de qī xǔ, tā de yuǎn jiàn zhuō shí yě wèi tā yíng dé le rén men de jìng yǎng.

Once upon a time, there was a scholar named Li Bai who, from a young age, was full of curiosity about the world. He would often climb the highest peak in his village to gaze into the distance, imagining what the faraway lands might look like. He dreamt of one day traveling to distant places and seeing a wider world. One day, a passing old Zen master saw Li Bai gazing from the mountaintop and approached him, saying, “Young man, your ambition to climb high and see far is commendable. But remember, life’s path is like a mountain road, with both smooth paths and treacherous peaks. You must take each step carefully to reach the other side of success. Do not be overly ambitious or aim too high.” Li Bai was deeply touched by the Zen master’s words. He understood that looking far from a height was not just about gazing at the horizon; it was about working hard to achieve one’s dreams step by step. From then on, he studied even harder, eventually becoming a renowned poet. His poems are filled with reflections on life and aspirations for the future; his farsightedness has earned him the admiration of people.

Usage

多用于形容人的眼光和抱负。

duō yòng yú xíng róng rén de yǎn guāng hé bào fú

Often used to describe a person's vision and aspirations.

Examples

• 登上泰山之巅，登高望远，览尽天下秀色。

  dēng shàng Tài Shān zhī diān, dēng gāo wàng yuǎn, lǎn jǐn tiān xià xiù sè

  Standing on the top of Mount Tai, looking far into the distance, one can see the beauty of the whole country.

• 他胸怀大志，登高望远，致力于国家发展。

  tā xiōng huái dà zhì, dēng gāo wàng yuǎn, zhì lì yú guó jiā fā zhǎn

  He has great ambitions and is dedicated to the development of the country.

Related Idioms

• 高瞻远瞩

• 远见卓识

Opposite Idioms

• 鼠目寸光

• 目光短浅