老牛破车 lǎo niú pò chē old ox broken cart

Explanation

比喻做事慢吞吞，一点也不利落。也比喻才能低。

A metaphor for doing things slowly and inefficiently. It can also refer to low ability.

Origin Story

从前，有一个老农，他有一头老牛和一辆破车。这头老牛年事已高，力不从心，拉起破车来，慢吞吞的，半天也走不了多远。老农每天都得赶着这头老牛拉破车去田里干活，因为家境贫寒，他也没有办法买一头壮牛或者一辆好车来代替。老农虽然着急，但是他也没有任何办法，只能慢慢地赶着老牛破车，日复一日，年复一年。后来，老农的儿子长大成人，他看到父亲每天都辛苦地赶着老牛破车去干活，于是他便劝说父亲买一头壮牛和一辆好车，这样父亲就不需要那么辛苦了。老农听了儿子的劝说后，终于同意了。于是，他们买了一头壮牛和一辆好车，从此以后，老农再也不用赶着老牛破车去干活了，他的生活也因此得到了很大的改善。

cóngqián, yǒu yīgè lǎonóng, tā yǒu yī tóu lǎo niú hé yī liàng pò chē. zhè tóu lǎo niú niánshì yǐ gāo, lì bù cóng xīn, lā qǐ pò chē lái, màn tūn tūn de, bàntiān yě zǒu bù le duō yuǎn. lǎonóng měitiān dōu děi gǎn zhe zhè tóu lǎo niú lā pò chē qù tián li gàn huó, yīnwèi jiājìng pínhán, tā yě méiyǒu bànfǎ mǎi yī tóu zhuàng niú huòzhě yī liàng hǎo chē lái dàitì. lǎonóng suīrán zhāojí, dànshì tā yě méiyǒu rènhé bànfǎ, zhǐ néng màn màn de gǎn zhe lǎo niú pò chē, rì fù rì yī, nián fù nián yī. hòulái, lǎonóng de érzi zhǎng dà chéngrén, tā kàndào fùqīn měitiān dōu xīnkǔ de gǎn zhe lǎo niú pò chē qù gàn huó, yúshì tā biàn quàn shuō fùqīn mǎi yī tóu zhuàng niú hé yī liàng hǎo chē, zhèyàng fùqīn jiù bù xūyào nàme xīnkǔ le. lǎonóng tīng le érzi de quàn shuō hòu, zhōngyú tóngyì le. yúshì, tāmen mǎi le yī tóu zhuàng niú hé yī liàng hǎo chē, cóngcǐ yǐhòu, lǎonóng zài yòng bù gǎn zhe lǎo niú pò chē qù gàn huó le, tā de shēnghuó yě yīncǐ dédào le hěn dà de gǎishàn le.

Once upon a time, there was an old farmer who owned an old ox and a broken cart. The old ox was old and weak, and it pulled the broken cart very slowly. Every day, the farmer had to drive the old ox and the broken cart to the field to work. Because he was poor, he couldn't afford to buy a strong ox or a good cart to replace it. Although the farmer was in a hurry, he couldn't do anything and had to slowly drive the old ox and the broken cart day after day, year after year. Later, the farmer's son grew up. He saw that his father worked hard every day to drive the old ox and broken cart to work, so he persuaded his father to buy a strong ox and a good cart so that his father would not have to work so hard. After the farmer heard his son's persuasion, he finally agreed. So they bought a strong ox and a good cart, and from then on, the farmer no longer had to drive the old ox and the broken cart to work, and his life was greatly improved.

Usage

作谓语、定语；比喻做事效率低，进展缓慢。

zuò wèiyǔ, dìngyǔ; bǐyù zuòshì xiàolǜ dī, jìnzǎn màn huǎn

As predicate or attributive; A metaphor for inefficient and slow work.

Examples

• 他做事总是老牛破车，效率太低了。

  tā zuòshì zǒngshì lǎo niú pò chē, xiàolǜ tài dī le.

  He always does things as slowly as an old ox pulling a broken cart.

• 别看他年纪大了，干起活来可不像老牛破车。

  bié kàn tā niánjì dà le, gàn qǐ huó lái kě bù xiàng lǎo niú pò chē

  Despite his age, he doesn't work as slowly as an old ox pulling a broken cart

Related Idioms

• 慢条斯理

• 行动迟缓

Opposite Idioms

• 雷厉风行

• 行云流水