见利忘义 jiàn lì wàng yì to abandon righteousness for profit

Explanation

见利忘义是指看到有利可图就忘记了道义，只顾个人利益而不顾他人利益或社会公德的行为。这是一个贬义词，用于批评那些为了私利而牺牲原则和道德的人。

“Jian li wang yi” refers to the act of forgetting righteousness when one sees profit, only caring about personal interests and ignoring the interests of others or social morality. It is a derogatory term used to criticize those who sacrifice principles and morality for personal gain.

Origin Story

话说汉朝时期，有个叫张生的年轻人，家境贫寒，却胸怀大志，立志要考取功名，光宗耀祖。一日，他听说一位富商家的公子因病危急，悬赏重金求医。张生听说后，心动不已，立即赶往富商家中。他为公子诊治，发现公子所患之症，并非危及性命，只要精心调理，即可痊愈。张生尽心尽力地为公子治疗，不久公子便恢复了健康。富商大喜过望，拿出重金酬谢张生。张生见此巨额财富，双眼放光，便将自己当初立志考取功名的心愿抛诸脑后，挥金如土，过上了纸醉金迷的生活。不久之后，他的钱财花光了，又回到了贫困潦倒的状态。他后悔莫及，才意识到自己因为贪图眼前的利益，而放弃了自己的理想，最终落得个两手空空的下场。

huà shuō hàn cháo shíqī, yǒu gè jiào zhāng shēng de nián qīng rén, jiā jìng pín hán, què xiōng huái dà zhì, lì zhì yào kǎo qǔ gōng míng, guāng zōng yào zǔ。yī rì, tā tīng shuō yī wèi fù shāng jiā gōng zi yīn bìng wēi jí, xuán shǎng zhòng jīn qiú yī。zhāng shēng tīng shuō hòu, xīn dòng bù yǐ, lì jí gǎn wǎng fù shāng jiā zhōng。tā wèi gōng zi zhěn zhì, fā xiàn gōng zi suǒ huàn zhī zhēng, bìng fēi wēi jí mìng xìng, zhǐ yào jīng xīn tiáo lǐ, jí kě quán yù。zhāng shēng jìn xīn jìn lì de wèi gōng zi zhì liáo, bù jiǔ gōng zi biàn huī fù le jiànkāng。fù shāng dà xǐ guò wàng, ná chū zhòng jīn chóu xiè zhāng shēng。zhāng shēng jiàn cǐ jù é cáifù, shuāng yǎn fàng guāng, biàn jiāng zìjǐ dāng chū lì zhì kǎo qǔ gōng míng de xīn yuàn pāo zhū nǎo hòu, huī jīn rú tǔ, guò le shàng zhǐ zuì jīn mí de shēnghuó。bù jiǔ zhī hòu, tā de qián cái huā guāng le, yòu huí dào le pín kùn liáodǎo de zhuàngtài。tā hòu huǐ mò jí, cái yì shí zìjǐ yīn tāntú yǎn qián de lìyì, ér fàng qì le zìjǐ de lǐxiǎng, zuì zhōng luò de gè liǎng shǒu kōng kōng de xià chǎng。

During the Han Dynasty, there was a young man named Zhang Sheng who came from a poor family but had great ambitions. He aspired to pass the imperial examinations and achieve high office to bring honor to his ancestors. One day, he heard that the son of a wealthy merchant was critically ill, and the merchant offered a substantial reward for a doctor. Upon hearing this, Zhang Sheng was immediately moved and rushed to the merchant's home. He examined the young man and discovered that his illness was not life-threatening. With diligent care, he could make a full recovery. Zhang Sheng treated the young man with utmost dedication, and soon the son recovered his health. The overjoyed merchant offered a large sum of money to show his gratitude. Dazzled by the enormous wealth, Zhang Sheng forgot about his ambitions and squandered his fortune on a life of luxury. Soon, however, his money ran out, and he was reduced to poverty once more. He deeply regretted abandoning his dreams for instant gratification, ending up with nothing.

Usage

见利忘义通常用来形容一个人为了利益而放弃道义，不择手段地追求个人利益的行为。

jiàn lì wàng yì tōng cháng yòng lái xíngróng yīgè rén wèile lìyì ér fàng qì dàoyì, bù zé shǒuduàn de zhuīqiú gèrén lìyì de xíngwéi。

“Jian li wang yi” is typically used to describe someone who abandons righteousness for profit, pursuing personal gain by any means necessary.

Examples

• 他为了钱财，竟然见利忘义，抛弃了自己的朋友。

  tā wèile qiáncái, jìngrán jiàn lì wàng yì, pāoqì le zìjǐ de péngyou.

  He abandoned his friend for money, forgetting about righteousness.

• 有些人为了个人利益，不惜见利忘义，做出损人利己的事情。

  yǒuxiē rén wèile gèrén lìyì, bù xī jiàn lì wàng yì, zuò chū sǔn rén lì jǐ de shìqíng.

  Some people sacrifice their morals for personal gain, doing things that are selfish and harmful to others.

• 在商场上，见利忘义的事情屡见不鲜，我们必须擦亮眼睛。

  zài shāng chǎng shàng, jiàn lì wàng yì de shìqíng lǚjiàn bù xiān, wǒmen bìxū cā liàng yǎnjīng。

  In the business world, it is not uncommon to see people abandoning righteousness for their own benefit; we must be vigilant.

Related Idioms

• 贪得无厌

• 损人利己

• 利令智昏

Opposite Idioms

• 舍己为人

• 见义勇为

• 先义后利