虚位以待 keep a position vacant
Explanation
留着职位等待合适的人选。比喻把职位空着等待合适的人来担任。
To keep a position vacant, waiting for a suitable candidate. It means to leave a position empty and wait for the right person to fill it.
Origin Story
魏文侯时期，有个叫西门豹的人才被魏文侯看中，但当时没有合适的职位。魏文侯深知西门豹的才能，于是便虚位以待，为他保留了职位，等待时机成熟再委以重任。果然，西门豹后来凭借自己的才干，为魏国做出了巨大的贡献，魏文侯的虚位以待也获得了丰厚的回报。这个故事告诉我们，对于真正的人才，应该虚位以待，给他们提供充分的发展空间，而不是急于求成，委以过大的重任，反而会压抑人才的发展。
During the Wei Wenhou period, there was a talented man named Ximen Bao who was appreciated by Wei Wenhou, but there was no suitable position available at that time. Wei Wenhou was well aware of Ximen Bao's talents, therefore he kept a position open, waiting for the right time to assign him an important task. Indeed, Ximen Bao later, through his own abilities, made great contributions to the Wei state, and Wei Wenhou's patience paid off handsomely. This story teaches us that for true talents, we should keep positions open, providing them with sufficient room for development, rather than rushing to assign excessive responsibility, which could stifle their growth.
Usage
用于比喻等待合适的人来担任重要职位。
Used to describe waiting for the right person to fill an important position.
Examples
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公司为新来的工程师虚位以待，准备让他担任项目经理。
gōngsī wèi xīnlái de gōngchéngshī xū wèi yǐ dài, zhǔnbèi ràng tā dānrèn xiàngmù jīnglǐ.
The company is keeping a position open for the new engineer, hoping he will take on the role of project manager.
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国家一直虚位以待，希望有更多的人才回国效力。
guójiā yīzhí xū wèi yǐ dài, xīwàng yǒu gèng duō de réncái huíguó xiàolì。
The country is keeping a position open, hoping to attract more talented people to return and work for the country。