语不惊人 Words that do not surprise
Explanation
指语句平淡，没有令人震惊之处。多用于批评文章或诗歌缺乏精彩之处。
It refers to a bland statement without anything shocking. It is often used to criticize the lack of brilliance in articles or poems.
Origin Story
唐代诗人杜甫，以其独特的诗歌风格著称于世，他笔下的诗歌，或雄浑豪迈，或沉郁顿挫，总能给人以强烈的震撼和感动。然而，杜甫的创作之路并非一帆风顺，他经历了安史之乱的战火洗礼，饱尝了离乱之苦。在一次漂泊途中，他写下了这样一首诗：“为人性僻耽佳句，语不惊人死不休。”这句诗，便是他创作态度的真实写照。他坚信，一首好的诗歌，应该有其独特的魅力，能够打动人心，而不是平庸无奇。即使创作过程再艰难，他也要坚持自己的创作理念，直到写出足以震撼人心的佳句为止。杜甫的这句诗，也成为后世文人的座右铭，激励着他们不断追求诗歌艺术的最高境界，不轻易放弃对完美的追求。
Du Fu, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, was known for his unique poetic style. His poems, whether powerful and heroic or somber and poignant, always left a strong impression and moved the reader. However, Du Fu's creative journey was not smooth sailing. He experienced the turmoil of the An Lushan Rebellion and suffered greatly from the war. During one of his wanderings, he wrote a poem with the line: “为人性僻耽佳句，语不惊人死不休” (Wéirén xìng pì dān jiā jù, yǔ bù jīng rén sǐ bù xiū). This line reflects his attitude towards creation. He firmly believed that a good poem should have unique charm and move people's hearts, rather than being mediocre. Even if the creative process was difficult, he would stick to his creative ideas until he wrote a shocking masterpiece. This line of Du Fu's poem also became the motto of later literati, encouraging them to constantly pursue the highest realm of poetic art and never give up their pursuit of perfection.
Usage
用于形容语言或作品平淡无奇，缺乏亮点。
Used to describe language or works that are bland and lack highlights.
Examples
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他的文章，平淡无奇，真是语不惊人死不休。
tā de wénzhāng, píngdàn wúqí, zhēnshi yǔ bù jīng rén sǐ bù xiū
His article is bland, really not shocking enough.
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这篇文章写得平平淡淡，语不惊人死不休。
zhè piān wénzhāng xiě de píngpíng dàn dàn, yǔ bù jīng rén sǐ bù xiū
This article is written in a dull way, not shocking enough to catch people's attention