荣宗耀祖 bring glory to one's ancestors
Explanation
这个成语意思是为家族和祖先增添光荣，光耀门庭。通常用于褒义，形容一个人取得的成就对家族有极大的贡献。
This idiom means to add glory to one's family and ancestors, to illuminate the family's reputation. It's usually used in a commendatory sense to describe a person's achievements that have made a great contribution to their family.
Origin Story
话说唐朝时期，有个名叫李白的书生，自幼聪颖过人，勤奋好学。他熟读诗书，才华横溢，立志要通过科举考试，金榜题名，光宗耀祖。他日夜苦读，废寝忘食，寒窗十年，终于在科考中取得了优异的成绩，一举高中状元。他的才华名扬天下，受到唐玄宗的赏识，被任命为翰林待诏。李白为朝廷效力，为百姓谋福祉，他的诗歌更是传颂至今，流芳百世。李白的成就，不仅让他个人名垂青史，更让他的家族也因此感到无比荣耀，荣宗耀祖，成为千古佳话。
In the Tang Dynasty, there was a scholar named Li Bai, who was intelligent and diligent from a young age. He was well-versed in literature and had great talent. He aspired to pass the imperial examinations, become famous, and bring glory to his ancestors. He studied day and night, neglecting sleep and food, and after ten years of hard work in his studies, he finally achieved excellent results in the examinations and became the top scholar. His talent became famous throughout the country, and he was appreciated by Emperor Xuanzong and appointed as a Hanlin scholar. Li Bai served the court, worked for the people's well-being, and his poetry was passed down to this day, his reputation lasting forever. Li Bai's achievements not only made him famous for all time, but also brought great honor and glory to his family, becoming a timeless story.
Usage
该成语常用于赞扬一个人为家族争光，取得巨大成就，多用于书面语。
This idiom is often used to praise a person for bringing glory to their family and achieving great success. It is mostly used in written language.
Examples
-
李明寒窗苦读，最终考取功名，荣宗耀祖，光宗耀祖。
li ming han chuang ku du, zhong yu kao qu gong ming, rong zong yao zu, guang zong yao zu
Li Ming studied hard and finally passed the imperial examination. He brought honor and glory to his family.
-
他立志要为国家争光，荣宗耀祖。
ta li zhi yao wei guo jia zheng guang, rong zong yao zu
He resolved to bring honor to his country and his ancestors.