节外生枝 jie wai sheng zhi unexpected complications

Explanation

比喻在原有问题之外又岔出了新的问题，多指意料之外或人为制造的障碍。

It means that a new problem arises in addition to the original problem. It often refers to unexpected or artificially created obstacles.

Origin Story

话说宋代大儒朱熹，他勤于讲学著书，认为读书应注重文章思想内容和逻辑推理，不应节外生枝，另生枝节。一日，他的学生吕子约提出疑问，认为在理解文章时，若遇到疑问，应该深入探讨，不必顾忌太多。朱熹听后沉思片刻，说道：‘读书应专心致志，切忌节外生枝，否则会分散精力，事倍功半。’吕子约虽然仍有不同意见，却也明白朱熹的良苦用心，于是继续专心研读。后来，吕子约在学问上也取得了显著成就。这个故事告诉我们，学习要专心致志，避免节外生枝，才能取得成功。

shuō huà sòng dài dà rú zhū xī, tā qín yú jiǎng xué zhù shū, rèn wéi dú shū yīng zhòng zhù wén zhāng sī xiǎng nèi róng hé luó jí tuī lǐ, bù yīng jié wài shēng zhī, lìng shēng zhī jié. yī rì, tā de xué shēng lǚ zi yuē tí chū yí wèn, rèn wéi zài lǐ jiě wén zhāng shí, ruò yù dào yí wèn, yīng gāi shēn rù tàn tǎo, bù bì gù jì tài duō. zhū xī tīng hòu chén sī piàn kè, shuō dào: ‘dú shū yīng zhuān xīn zhì zhì, qiē jì jié wài shēng zhī, fǒu zé huì fēn sǎn jīng lì, shì bèi gōng bàn.’ lǚ zi yuē suī rán réng yǒu bù tóng yì jiàn, què yě míng bái zhū xī de liáng kǔ yōng xīn, yú shì jì xù zhuān xīn yán dú. hòu lái, lǚ zi yuē zài xué wèn shàng yě qǔ dé le xiǎn zhù chéng jiù. zhège gù shì gào sù wǒ men, xué xí yào zhuān xīn zhì zhì, bì miǎn jié wài shēng zhī, cái néng qǔ dé chéng gōng.

In the Song Dynasty, there lived a great scholar named Zhu Xi, known for his dedication to teaching and writing. He believed that when studying, one should focus on the content and logic of the text, avoiding unnecessary side issues. One day, his student Lü Zi Yue questioned this approach, arguing that when encountering difficulties, one should delve deeper rather than shy away from exploration. Zhu Xi, after a moment of reflection, stated, "In reading, one must maintain focus and refrain from branching off into irrelevant matters. Otherwise, energy will be dispersed, leading to diminished efficiency." While Lü Zi Yue maintained some dissent, he understood Zhu Xi's well-intentioned advice and continued his diligent studies. Ultimately, Lü Zi Yue also achieved considerable success in his scholarship. This story underscores the importance of concentration and focused learning, avoiding unnecessary distractions, for successful achievement.

Usage

主要用于比喻在事情发展过程中，出现意外的岔子，使事情复杂化。

zhu yao yong yu biyu zai shiqing fazhan guocheng zhong, chuxian yiwai de chazi, shi shiqing fuza hua

It is mainly used to describe unexpected complications that arise during a process, making the situation more complex.

Examples

• 这次的谈判原本进展顺利，却因为一个细节问题节外生枝，导致最终失败。

  zhe ci de tanpan yuanben jinzhan shunli, que yinwei yige xijie wenti jie wai sheng zhi, daozhi zui zhong shibai.

  The negotiation was originally progressing smoothly, but it became complicated by a small problem, which led to the final failure.

• 他本想好好休息，却因为邻居家的狗叫声节外生枝，搅扰了他的好梦。

  ta ben xiang haohao xiuxi, que yinwei linju jia de gou jiao sheng jie wai sheng zhi, jiaorao le ta de haomeng

  He wanted to have a good rest, but the noise of the neighbor's dogs distracted him and disturbed his sleep.

Related Idioms

• 横生枝节

• 节上生枝

Opposite Idioms

• 一帆风顺

• 顺风顺水