老奸巨猾 cunning and insidious
Explanation
形容人非常狡猾阴险。
Describes someone as very cunning and insidious.
Origin Story
唐玄宗时期,奸相李林甫权倾朝野,他老奸巨猾,善于伪装,表面上对人忠厚和善,背地里却阴险毒辣,排除异己。他常以甜言蜜语迷惑君主,又善于玩弄权术,离间忠良,陷害大臣,使得朝中人人自危。李林甫深知自己行事狠毒,为了掩盖自己的罪行,他总是装出一副忠心耿耿的样子,以博得玄宗的信任。许多正直的大臣都被他陷害,甚至被杀害,而李林甫却依旧稳坐高位,权势日增。他的老奸巨猾令人不寒而栗,也成为后世警戒的典型。然而,李林甫的权势最终也走向了终结,他的恶行最终无法掩盖,最终被历史所唾弃。
During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang dynasty, the treacherous chancellor Li Linfu held immense power. He was cunning and deceitful, a master of disguise. Publicly, he appeared kind and loyal, but privately he was ruthless and cruel, eliminating any rivals. He often used sweet words to deceive the emperor and skillfully manipulated power, sowing discord among loyal officials and framing ministers. This created an atmosphere of fear in the court. Li Linfu was fully aware of his cruelty and tried to conceal his crimes by feigning loyalty to win Xuanzong's trust. Many upright ministers fell victim to his schemes and were killed, yet Li Linfu remained firmly in power, his influence growing. His deceitfulness was chilling and became a cautionary tale for generations to come. However, Li Linfu's power eventually came to an end, his evil deeds could not be covered up forever, and history ultimately condemned him.
Usage
用于形容人阴险狡诈。
Used to describe someone as insidious and cunning.
Examples
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他老奸巨猾,我们不得不防。
ta lao jian ju hua,women bude fang.
He is cunning and deceitful, we must be on guard against him.
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这个老奸巨猾的人,表面上装得人畜无害,暗地里却在算计别人。
zhege lao jian ju hua de ren,biao mianshang zhuang de ren chu wu hai,an di li que zai suan ji bie ren
This cunning man pretends to be harmless on the surface, but secretly he is plotting against others.