相庆弹冠 Xiāng qìng tán guān Mutual congratulations on promotion

Explanation

相庆弹冠指的是官场中一人当了官或升了官，同伙就互相庆贺将有官可做，比喻坏人互相庆贺得到好处。

Xiang qing tan guan refers to the situation in the officialdom where one person gets an official position or promotion, and his accomplices congratulate each other, implying they will also get a position. It is used to describe how bad people congratulate each other upon gaining benefits.

Origin Story

汉宣帝时期，王吉与贡禹二人是至交好友，两人都曾在官场上屡遭挫折。后来，王吉被汉元帝征召为谏议大夫。贡禹听到这个消息后非常高兴，立刻掸去官帽上的灰尘，准备再次走上仕途。不久后，贡禹也如愿以偿，被任命为谏议大夫。两人相庆弹冠，成就了一段佳话，但也侧面反映了当时官场黑暗的现实。这个故事流传至今，成为人们告诫后人，要洁身自好，勿与奸邪为伍的警示。 然而，相庆弹冠也并非完全是贬义词。在一些特定场合下，它也可以用来形容朋友之间志同道合，互相扶持，共同进步的欣喜之情。例如，如果一群志同道合的朋友都在各自的领域取得了成功，他们互相庆祝，分享彼此的喜悦，也可以用“相庆弹冠”来形容。关键在于语境和所表达的含义。

hàn xuān dì shíqí, wáng jí yǔ gòng yǔ èr rén shì zhì jiāo hǎoyǒu, liǎng rén dōu céng zài guān chǎng shàng lǚ zāo cuòzhé. hòulái, wáng jí bèi hàn yuán dì zhēng zhào wèi jiànyì dàfū. gòng yǔ tīng dào zhège xiāoxi hòu fēicháng gāoxìng, lìkè shǎn qù guān mào shang de huī chén, zhǔnbèi zàicì zǒu shàng shìtú. bùjiǔ hòu, gòng yǔ yě rú yuàn yǐ cháng, bèi rèn mìng wèi jiànyì dàfū. liǎng rén xiāng qìng tán guān, chéngjiù le yī duàn jiāhuà, dàn yě cèmiàn fǎnyìng le dāngshí guān chǎng hēi'àn de xiànshí. zhège gùshì liúchuán zhì jīn, chéngwéi rénmen gàojiè hòurén, yào jiéshēn zì hǎo, wù yǔ jiānxié wéiwǔ de jǐngshì.

During the reign of Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty, Wang Ji and Gong Yu were close friends, both having experienced repeated setbacks in their official careers. Later, Wang Ji was appointed Jianyi Daifu by Emperor Yuan of the Han Dynasty. Gong Yu was overjoyed at this news and immediately dusted off his official hat, preparing to re-enter the government. Soon after, Gong Yu was also appointed Jianyi Daifu as he wished. The two celebrated their mutual success, which became a beautiful story, but also reflects the dark reality of the officialdom at that time. This story is still passed down today, serving as a warning to future generations to maintain integrity and avoid association with evil. However, "xiang qing tan guan" is not entirely negative. In certain contexts, it can also be used to describe the joy of like-minded friends mutually supporting and progressing together. For example, if a group of like-minded friends all achieve success in their respective fields, celebrating and sharing each other's joy can also be described using "xiang qing tan guan". The key lies in the context and the intended meaning.

Usage

相庆弹冠通常用来形容官场中人互相庆贺升官发财，带有贬义，讽刺那些不择手段谋取私利的人。

xiāng qìng tán guān tōngcháng yòng lái xíngróng guān chǎng zhōng rén hùxiāng qìnghè shēng guān fā cái, dài yǒu biǎnyì, fěngcì nàxiē bùzé shǒuduàn móuqǔ sīlì de rén

Xiang qing tan guan is usually used to describe people in official circles congratulating each other on their promotion and wealth, carrying a negative connotation and satirizing those who use any means to seek personal gain.

Examples

• 那些官场上的互相庆贺，真是一幅相庆弹冠的丑恶图景。

  nàxiē guǎn chǎng shang de hùxiāng qìnghè, zhēn shì yī fú xiāng qìng tán guān de chǒu'è tújǐng

  Those mutual celebrations in the officialdom are a truly ugly picture of self-congratulation.

• 他们沆瀣一气，相庆弹冠，为非作歹。

  tāmen hàng xiè yī qì, xiāng qìng tán guān, wèi fēi zuò dài

  They colluded, congratulated each other, and acted unscrupulously.

Related Idioms

• 弹冠相庆

• 朋比为奸

Opposite Idioms

• 同甘共苦

• 患难与共