铁树开花 tiě shù kāi huā Iron tree blooms

Explanation

铁树，又名苏铁，是一种常绿乔木，生长缓慢，开花周期很长，一般情况下很难开花。因此，人们用“铁树开花”来比喻事情非常罕见或极难实现。

Iron tree, also known as cycad, is a kind of evergreen tree. It grows slowly and has a long flowering cycle. It rarely blooms under normal circumstances. Therefore, people use "Iron tree blooms" to describe something that is very rare or extremely difficult to achieve.

Origin Story

从前，有一个村子里住着一位老爷爷，他非常喜欢养花。他家院子里种满了各种各样的花，每天都精心照料着。其中，有一棵铁树，已经陪伴老爷爷度过了几十年，却始终没有开过花。老爷爷常常对着铁树说：“什么时候才能开花呀？我真的很想看看你开花的样子！”邻居们都说：“老爷爷，铁树开花可是千年等一回的事，你这一辈子可能都看不到了。”老爷爷听了，虽然有些失望，却依然坚持每天给铁树浇水施肥，悉心呵护着。终于有一天，铁树奇迹般地开花了，一朵朵金黄色的花，在阳光的照耀下，显得格外耀眼。老爷爷激动地流下了眼泪，他终于等到了这“铁树开花”的时刻。

cóngqián, yǒu yīgè cūnzi lǐ zhùzhe yī wèi lǎoyéyé, tā fēicháng xǐhuan yǎnghuā. tā jiā yuànzi lǐ zhòngmǎnle gè zhǒng gè yàng de huā, měitiān dōu jīnxīn zhào liào zhe. qí zhōng, yǒu yī kē tiě shù, yǐjīng péibàn lǎoyéyé dùguòle jǐ shí nián, què shǐzhōng méiyǒu kāi guò huā. lǎoyéyé chángcháng duìzhe tiě shù shuō: “shénme shíhou cái néng kāi huā ya? wǒ zhēnshi hěn xiǎng kànkan nǐ kāi huā de yàngzi!” línjūmen dōu shuō: “lǎoyéyé, tiě shù kāi huā kěshì qiān nián děng yī huí de shì, nǐ zhè yī bèizi kěnéng dōu kàn bù dào le.” lǎoyéyé tīngle, suīrán yǒu xiē shīwàng, què yīrán jiānchí měitiān gěi tiě shù jiāo shuǐ shī féi, xìxīn hùhù zhe. zhōngyú yǒu yī tiān, tiě shù qíjì bàn de kāi huā le, yī duǒ duǒ jīnhuáng sè de huā, zài yángguāng de zhào yào xià, xiǎn de gè wài yǎoyǎn. lǎoyéyé jīdòng de liú xiàle yǎnlèi, tā zhōngyú děngdào le zhè “tiě shù kāi huā” de shí kè.

Once upon a time, there was an old man who lived in a village and loved to grow flowers. His yard was filled with all kinds of flowers, which he carefully tended every day. Among them was an iron tree that had been with the old man for decades, but had never bloomed. The old man often said to the iron tree: “When will you finally bloom? I would really like to see you bloom!” The neighbors said: “Old man, the iron tree only blooms once in a thousand years, you probably won't live to see that.” The old man was a little disappointed, but he continued to water and fertilize the iron tree every day and care for it with great care. One day, the iron tree miraculously bloomed. Golden yellow flowers adorned the tree and shone brightly in the sunlight. The old man cried with joy. He had finally experienced the moment when the “iron tree bloomed.”

Usage

当我们形容一件事情很难实现，或者事情发生的可能性很小的时候，可以用“铁树开花”来表达。

dāng wǒmen xíngróng yī jiàn shìqing hěn nán shíxiàn, huòzhě shìqing fāshēng de kěnéng xìng hěn xiǎo de shíhou, kěyǐ yòng “tiě shù kāi huā” lái biǎodá.

When we describe something that is very difficult to achieve, or the possibility of something happening is very small, we can use "Iron tree blooms" to express it.

Examples

• 这个项目难度很大，想要成功简直是铁树开花！

  zhège xiàngmù nándù hěn dà, xiǎngyào chénggōng jiǎnzhí shì tiě shù kāi huā!

  This project is very difficult, it's almost impossible to succeed!

• 他工作勤勤恳恳，终于升职加薪，真是铁树开花！

  tā gōngzuò qínqín kěn kěn, zhōngyú shēngzhí jiāxīn, zhēnshi tiě shù kāi huā!

  He worked diligently and finally got promoted and a raise. It's like a miracle!

Related Idioms

• 百年不遇

• 千载难逢

Opposite Idioms

• 司空见惯

• 唾手可得