细枝末节 xì zhī mò jié minor details

Explanation

比喻事情或问题的细小而无关紧要的部分。

Refers to the small, unimportant details of a problem or situation.

Origin Story

从前，有一个木匠，他心灵手巧，制作的家具总是精美绝伦。然而，他却有一个不好的习惯：凡事都追求完美，事无巨细，哪怕是极其微小的细节，他也精雕细琢，一丝不苟。有一次，他接到一个订单，要制作一套精美的红木家具。他兴致勃勃地投入工作，从木材的选择到每一个部件的打磨，他都反复推敲，力求完美。然而，在家具制作完成之后，他却发现自己花费了比预期多出几倍的时间，并且因为过于关注细枝末节，忽略了整体的设计和布局，导致最终完成的家具虽然精细，却显得不协调，缺乏整体的美感。顾客看到后并不满意，认为虽然做工精细，但是整体设计不够美观，实用性也不强，最终退货了。木匠十分沮丧，他这才意识到，过分关注细枝末节，反而会影响整体效果，有时甚至会适得其反。从此以后，他改变了工作习惯，在注重细节的同时，更注重整体设计和布局，最终他的家具作品获得了巨大的成功。

cóng qián, yǒu yīgè mùjiàng, tā xīnlíng shǒu qiǎo, zhìzuò de jiājù zǒngshì jīngměi juélún. rán'ér, tā què yǒu yīgè bù hǎo de xíguàn: fánshì dōu zhuīqiú wánměi, shì wú jù xì, nǎpà shì jíqí wēixiǎo de xìjié, tā yě jīng diāo xī zhuó, yīsī bù gǒu. yǒu yīcì, tā jiē dào yīgè dìngdān, yào zhìzuò yī tào jīngměi de hóngmù jiājù. tā xīngzhì bó bó de tóurù gōngzuò, cóng mùcái de xuǎnzé dào měi yīgè bùjiàn de dǎmó, tā dōu fǎnfù tuīqiāo, lìqiú wánměi. rán'ér, zài jiājù zhìzuò wánchéng zhīhòu, tā què fāxiàn zìjǐ huāfèi le bǐ yùqī duō chū jǐ bèi de shíjiān, bìngqiě yīnwèi guòyú guānzhù xì zhī mò jié, hūlüè le zhěngtǐ de shèjì hé bùjú, dǎozhì zuìzhōng wánchéng de jiājù suīrán jīngxì, què xiǎnde bù xiétiáo, quēfá zhěngtǐ de měigǎn. gùkè kàn dào hòu bìng bù mǎnyì, rènwéi suīrán zuògōng jīngxì, dànshì zhěngtǐ shèjì bù gòu měiguān, shíyòng xìng yě bù qiáng, zuìzhōng tuì huò le. mùjiàng shífēn jǔsàng, tā cái zhīdào, guòfèn guānzhù xì zhī mò jié, fǎn'ér huì yǐngxiǎng zhěngtǐ xiàoguǒ, yǒushí shènzhì huì shìdéqífǎn. cóngcǐ yǐhòu, tā gǎibiàn le gōngzuò xíguàn, zài zhùzhòng xìjié de tóngshí, gèng zhùzhòng zhěngtǐ shèjì hé bùjú, zuìzhōng tā de jiājù zuòpǐn huòdé le jùdà de chénggōng。

Once upon a time, there was a carpenter known for his exquisite craftsmanship. However, he had a flaw: he obsessed over details, perfecting even the smallest aspects of his work. He received a commission for a magnificent set of rosewood furniture. He poured his heart into it, meticulously selecting the wood and polishing each component to perfection. Yet, upon completion, he realized he'd spent far more time than anticipated. His focus on minutiae had overshadowed the overall design and layout, resulting in a beautiful but disharmonious set. The client, unsatisfied with the lack of cohesive design, rejected the furniture. The disheartened carpenter learned a valuable lesson: while attention to detail is important, over-emphasizing it can negatively impact the final product. He adjusted his approach, balancing detail with overall design, and ultimately achieved great success.

Usage

用作主语、宾语、定语；指细小的事情。

yòng zuò zhǔyǔ, mùdìyǔ, xiūshìyǔ; zhǐ xìxiǎo de shìqíng。

Used as a subject, object, or attributive; refers to small things.

Examples

• 他总是拘泥于细枝末节，忽略了问题的关键。

  tā zǒngshì jūní yú xì zhī mò jié, hūlüè le wèntí de guānjiàn.

  He always sticks to the details and ignores the key issues.

• 不要纠缠于那些细枝末节，抓住重点就行。

  bú yào jiūchán yú nàxiē xì zhī mò jié, zhuā zhù zhòngdiǎn jiù xíng。

  Don't get bogged down in the details, just focus on the key points.

Related Idioms

• 无足轻重

• 无关紧要

Opposite Idioms

• 举足轻重

• 非同小可