自取其咎 self-inflicted
Explanation
咎指罪过、祸害。指自己招致祸害或自己找罪受。
Jiù refers to guilt and misfortune. It means that one brings misfortune upon oneself or blames oneself.
Origin Story
话说有个年轻人,名叫小李,从小娇生惯养,养成了骄傲自满的性格。他考上了大学后,不认真学习,经常逃课,沉迷于网络游戏。期末考试时,他考得很差,被老师批评。他非但不反思自己的错误,反而把责任推卸给老师,说老师讲课枯燥乏味,让他无法集中注意力。他这种态度让老师和同学们都非常不满。毕业后,小李求职屡屡受挫,他把责任归咎于经济环境不好、用人单位不公平。他从未想过自己不努力学习、态度傲慢,才是导致他失败的真正原因。最终,他只能回到家乡,过着碌碌无为的生活,这真是应了那句“自取其咎”。
Once upon a time, there was a young man named Xiao Li who was spoiled since childhood and developed an arrogant and complacent character. After he got into college, he didn't study hard, often skipped classes, and was addicted to online games. During the final exam, he did poorly and was criticized by the teacher. Instead of reflecting on his mistakes, he blamed the teacher, saying that the teacher's lectures were boring and that he couldn't concentrate. This attitude made the teacher and classmates very dissatisfied. After graduation, Xiao Li repeatedly failed to find a job, attributing the blame to the poor economic environment and unfair employers. He never thought that his lack of effort in studying and his arrogant attitude were the real reasons for his failure. In the end, he could only return to his hometown and live a mediocre life. This is exactly what the saying "self-inflicted" refers to.
Usage
常用作谓语、宾语;指自己造成的麻烦或过失。
Often used as a predicate and object; refers to trouble or mistakes one has caused oneself.
Examples
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他这次的失败完全是自取其咎。
ta zhe ci de shibai wanquan shi ziquqi jiu;buyao zong shi bao yuan bieren, youshihou shibai shi ziquqi jiu de
His failure this time is entirely his own fault.
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不要总是抱怨别人,有时候失败是自取其咎的。
Don't always complain about others; sometimes failure is self-inflicted.