美人迟暮 měi rén chí mù beauty's late evening

Explanation

原意是有作为的人也将逐渐衰老。比喻因日趋衰落而感到悲伤怨恨。也指美丽的人逐渐衰老。

The original meaning is that even accomplished people will gradually grow old. It is a metaphor for sadness and resentment due to decline. It also refers to beautiful people gradually aging.

Origin Story

一位绝世佳人，名叫清歌，她年轻时倾国倾城，无数公子王孙为她倾倒。她精通音律，歌声婉转动听，常常在繁华的长安城中留下动人的传说。然而，时光飞逝，清歌也逐渐步入中年。她看着镜中容颜渐老，昔日的光彩渐渐暗淡，心中难免涌起一丝伤感。她依然热爱音乐，但歌声中多了一份沧桑，少了一份明媚。她回忆起过去那些美好的时光，那些追逐她的身影，那些为她谱写的诗歌，如今都已成为记忆深处珍贵的片段。虽然美人迟暮，但她依然优雅从容，用她独特的魅力，诠释着人生的另一种境界。她明白，人生的每个阶段都有其独特的美丽，而她将继续用歌声，诉说着属于她自己的故事。

yī wèi juéshì jiārén, míng jiào qīnggē, tā niánqīng shí qīngguó qīngchéng, wúshù gōngzǐ wángsūn wèi tā qīngdǎo. tā jīngtōng yīnlǜ, gēshēng wǎn zhuǎn dòngtīng, chángcháng zài fán huá de cháng'ān chéng zhōng liú xià dòngrén de chuán shuō. rán'ér, shíguāng fēishì, qīnggē yě zhújiàn bùrù zhōngnián. tā kànzhe jìng zhōng róngyán jiàn lǎo, xīrì de guāngcǎi jiànjiàn àndàn, xīn zhōng nánmiǎn yǒng qǐ yīsī shānggǎn. tā yīrán rè'ài yīnyuè, dàn gēshēng zhōng duō le yī fèn cāngsāng, shǎo le yī fèn míngmèi. tā huíyì qǐ guòqù nàxiē měihǎo de shíguāng, nàxiē zhuīzhú tā de shēnyǐng, nàxiē wèi tā pǔxiě de shīgē, rújīn dōu yǐ chéngwéi jìyì shēnchù zhēnguì de piànduàn. suīrán měirén chímù, dàn tā yīrán yōuyǎ cóngróng, yòng tā dútè de mèilì, qiǎnshìzhe rénshēng de lìng yī zhǒng jìngjiè. tā míngbái, rénshēng de měi gè jiēduàn dōu yǒu qí dútè de měilì, ér tā jiāng jìxù yòng gēshēng, sùshuōzhe shǔyú tā zìjǐ de gùshì.

A peerless beauty, named Qingge, was stunningly beautiful in her youth, with countless princes and nobles captivated by her. She was skilled in music, her voice melodious and enchanting, often leaving touching legends in the bustling city of Chang'an. However, time flew by, and Qingge gradually entered middle age. Looking at her aging reflection in the mirror, the brilliance of her youth fading, a hint of sadness inevitably arose in her heart. She still loved music, but her singing held a greater sense of vicissitudes, a lack of former brightness. She reminisced about the beautiful times, the admirers who pursued her, the poems written for her; now they were precious fragments deep within her memory. Though the beauty was late in her evening, she remained graceful and composed, interpreting another realm of life with her unique charm. She understood that each stage of life had its own unique beauty, and she would continue to tell her own story through her singing.

Usage

多用于形容女子容颜衰老，也用于比喻事物由盛转衰。

duō yòng yú xíngróng nǚzǐ róngyán shuāi lǎo, yě yòng yú bǐyù shìwù yóu shèng zhuǎn shuāi

Mostly used to describe a woman's aging appearance, but also used to describe something going from peak to decline.

Examples

• 她虽然容颜不再，但风韵犹存，真是美人迟暮啊！

  tā suīrán róngyán bù zài, dàn fēngyùn yóucún, zhēnshi měirén chímù a!

  Although her appearance is no longer, but her charm still exists, it is really a 'beauty late in the evening'!

• 昔日的花魁，如今也美人迟暮，令人唏嘘不已。

  xīrì de huākuí, rújīn yě měirén chímù, lìng rén xīxū bù yǐ

  The former courtesan, now also aged and faded, makes people sigh. 'beauty late in the evening'.

Related Idioms

• 迟暮之年

• 英雄迟暮

Opposite Idioms

• 青春永驻

• 盛年