背道而驰, run counter to, English

Explanation

比喻彼此的方向和目的完全相反，最终会越走越远，永远不会有交集。

The idiom is used to describe two things that are going in completely opposite directions and are destined to never meet.

Origin Story

战国时期，魏国大臣季梁在出使途中得知魏王要出兵进攻赵都邯郸后，立即折返拜见魏王，声称在路上遇到一个老成的车夫驾驭一匹千里马向北去目的地楚国，魏王大笑他背道而驰。季梁借机劝谏魏王对赵休兵。季梁对魏王说：“大王，您要攻打邯郸，就好像那位车夫要去楚国一样，是背道而驰的。邯郸距离魏国很近，您出兵攻打邯郸，只会让百姓更加疲惫，国家更加贫困，最终只会是得不偿失。与其如此，不如与赵国休战，让百姓安居乐业，国家才能强盛。”魏王听后恍然大悟，最终放弃了攻打邯郸的计划。

zhàn guó shí qī, wèi guó dà chén jì liáng zài chū shǐ tú zhōng dé zhī wèi wáng yào chū bīng jīng gōng zhào dū hán dàn hòu, lì jí zhé fǎn bài jiàn wèi wáng, shēng chēng zài lù shàng yù dào yī gè lǎo chéng de chē fū jià yù yī pǐ qiān lǐ mǎ xiàng běi qù mù dì dì chǔ guó, wèi wáng dà xiào tā bèi dào ér chí. jì liáng jiè jī quàn jiàn wèi wáng duì zhào xiū bīng. jì liáng duì wèi wáng shuō: “dà wáng, nín yào gōng dá hán dàn, jiù hǎo xiàng nà wèi chē fū yào qù chǔ guó yī yàng, shì bèi dào ér chí de. hán dàn jù lí wèi guó hěn jìn, nín chū bīng gōng dá hán dàn, zhǐ huì ràng bǎi xìng gèng jiā pí bèi, guó jiā gèng jiā pín kùn, zuì zhōng zhǐ huì shì dé bù cháng shī. yǔ qí rú cǐ, bù rú yǔ zhào guó xiū zhàn, ràng bǎi xìng ān jū lè yè, guó jiā cái néng qiáng shèng.” wèi wáng tīng hòu huǎng rán dà wù, zuì zhōng fàng qì le gōng dá hán dàn de jì huà.

During the Warring States Period, a minister of the State of Wei named Ji Liang learned on his way to a diplomatic mission that the King of Wei was planning to attack Handan, the capital of the State of Zhao. He immediately returned to the King and claimed that he had encountered an experienced charioteer driving a swift horse northward towards the State of Chu while the King of Wei was heading southward towards Handan. The King of Wei laughed at Ji Liang, thinking it was ridiculous that he was going in the opposite direction. Ji Liang seized this opportunity to advise the King of Wei not to attack Zhao. Ji Liang said to the King of Wei, “Your Majesty, if you want to attack Handan, it is like the charioteer who is going to Chu, it is a step in the opposite direction. Handan is not far from Wei. If you attack Handan with your army, you will only make your people more tired and your country poorer, and in the end you will only lose. Instead of doing this, you should make peace with Zhao, so that your people can live in peace and your country can become strong.” The King of Wei finally understood and gave up the plan to attack Handan.

Usage

当人们的行动目标或方向相互矛盾，或彼此的观念、行为等完全相反，最终会导致无法取得一致，甚至会造成负面影响时，可以用“背道而驰”来形容。例如，朋友之间因为意见不合而背道而驰，最终导致友谊破裂；公司为了追求短期利益而背道而驰，最终导致经营状况恶化。

dāng rén men de xíng dòng mù biāo huò fāng xiàng xiāng hù máo dùn, huò bǐ cǐ de guān niàn, xíng wéi děng wán quán xiāng fǎn, zuì zhōng huì dǎo zhì wú fǎ qǔ dé yī zhì, shèn zhì huì zào chéng fù miàn yǐng xiǎng shí, kě yǐ yòng “bèi dào ér chí” lái xíng róng. lì rú, péng you zhī jiān yīn wèi yì jiàn bù hé ér bèi dào ér chí, zuì zhōng dǎo zhì yǒu qíng pò liè; gōng sī wèi le zhuī qiú duǎn qī lì yì ér bèi dào ér chí, zuì zhōng dǎo zhì jīng yíng zhuàng kuàng è huà.

This idiom is used to describe when people's actions or goals are contradictory, or when their ideas, behaviors, etc. are completely opposite, which will ultimately lead to a lack of agreement and even negative consequences. For example, friends may drift apart because of disagreements, or a company may deteriorate its business by pursuing short-term profits.

Examples

这两家公司的经营理念完全背道而驰，注定无法合作。

zhè liǎng jiā gōng sī de jīng yíng lì niǎn wán quán bèi dào ér chí, zhù dìng wú fǎ hé zuò.

These two companies' business philosophies are completely at odds with each other, they are destined to not cooperate.
他的计划与公司的目标背道而驰，注定无法成功。

tā de jì huà yǔ gōng sī de mù biāo bèi dào ér chí, zhù dìng wú fǎ chéng gōng.

His plan runs counter to the company's goals, it is destined to fail.
改革开放的政策与过去闭关锁国的做法背道而驰。

gǎi gé kāi fàng de zhèng cè yǔ guò qù bì guān suǒ guó de zuò fǎ bèi dào ér chí.

The policy of opening up and reform runs counter to the previous policy of isolation.

Explanation

Origin Story

Usage

Examples

Related Idioms

Opposite Idioms