铺张浪费 pū zhāng làng fèi Extravagance and waste

Explanation

铺张浪费是指为了场面好看而浪费人力物力，讲究排场。

Extravagance means wasting manpower and material resources for the sake of appearance and emphasizing ostentation.

Origin Story

话说唐朝时期，有个叫李员外的富商，他家财万贯，却为人十分吝啬。有一年，他儿子要结婚，李员外为了显示自己的富有，大摆宴席，宴请宾客达数千人，席间山珍海味，美酒佳肴，应有尽有。然而，席间却出现许多令人啼笑皆非的事情。因为准备不足，酒杯不够用，许多宾客只能用碗甚至用木瓢来喝酒。菜肴也出现不够的状况，许多宾客只吃到了一些粗茶淡饭。更令人难以接受的是，为了炫耀财富，李员外还特意让人在宴席上表演杂技、歌舞等节目，其中有些节目准备不足，表演得非常糟糕，导致宾客们兴致不高。这场盛大的婚礼，非但没有显示出李员外的富有和气派，反而让宾客们觉得他既吝啬又没有眼光。这场婚礼最终在一片混乱和不满中结束，成为了当时人们茶余饭后津津乐道的笑谈。李员外为了炫耀自己的财富而铺张浪费的行为，最终适得其反，不仅没有提升他的形象，反而让他成了人们的笑柄。这个故事告诉我们，真正的富有不在于拥有多少财富，而在于拥有怎样的生活态度。

huì shuō táng cháo shí qī, yǒu gè jiào lǐ yuán wài de fù shāng, tā jiā cái wàn guàn, què wéi rén shí fēn lìn sè. yǒu yī nián, tā ér zi yào jié hūn, lǐ yuán wài wèi le xiǎn shì zì jǐ de fù yǒu, dà bǎi yàn xí, yàn qǐng bīn kè dá shù qiān rén, xí jiān shān zhēn hǎi wèi, měi jiǔ jiā yáo, yīng yǒu jìn yǒu. rán ér, xí jiān què chū xiàn xǔ duō lìng rén tí xiào jī fēi de shì qíng. yīn wèi zhǔn bèi bù zú, jiǔ bēi bù gòu yòng, xǔ duō bīn kè zhǐ néng yòng wǎn shèn zhì yòng mù piāo lái hē jiǔ. cài yáo yě chū xiàn bù gòu de zhuàng kuàng, xǔ duō bīn kè zhǐ chī dào le yī xiē cū chá dàn fàn. gèng lìng rén nán yǐ jiē shòu de shì, wèi le xuán yào cáifù, lǐ yuán wài hái tè yì ràng rén zài yàn xí shàng biǎo yǎn zá jì, gē wǔ děng jié mù, qí zhōng yǒu xiē jié mù zhǔn bèi bù zú, biǎo yǎn de fēi cháng zāo gāo, dǎo zhì bīn kè men xīng zhì bù gāo. zhè chǎng shèng dà de hūn lǐ, fēi dàn méi yǒu xiǎn shì chū lǐ yuán wài de fù yǒu hé qì pài, fǎn ér ràng bīn kè men jué de tā jì lìn sè yòu méi yǒu yǎn guāng. zhè chǎng hūn lǐ zuì zhōng zài yī piàn hùn luàn hé bù mǎn zhōng jié shù, chéng wéi le dāng shí rén men chá yú fàn hòu jīn jīn lè dào de xiào tán. lǐ yuán wài wèi le xuán yào zì jǐ de cáifù ér pū zhāng làng fèi de xíng wéi, zuì zhōng shì dé fǎn, bù jǐn méi yǒu tí shēng tā de xíng xiàng, fǎn ér ràng tā chéng le rén men de xiào bǐng. zhège gù shì gào sù wǒ men, zhēn zhèng de fù yǒu bù zài yú yǒng yǒu duō shǎo cáifù, ér zài yú yǒng yǒu zěn yàng de shēng huó tài dù.

It is said that during the Tang Dynasty, there was a wealthy merchant named Li Yuanwai who, despite his immense fortune, was extremely stingy. When his son was to be married, Li Yuanwai, in an attempt to flaunt his wealth, held a grand banquet, inviting thousands of guests. The feast was laden with delicacies and fine wines. However, several comical incidents marred the celebration. Due to inadequate preparations, there were not enough wine cups; many guests had to drink from bowls or even wooden ladles. The food also ran short, leaving many guests with only simple fare. Adding to the absurdity, to further showcase his riches, Li Yuanwai arranged for acrobatic and musical performances, some of which were poorly rehearsed and executed, dampening the guests' spirits. This grand wedding, far from demonstrating Li Yuanwai's wealth and taste, instead exposed his stinginess and lack of judgment. The event ended in chaos and discontent, becoming a subject of amusement for years to come. Li Yuanwai’s extravagant display, intended to flaunt his wealth, backfired spectacularly, transforming him into a laughingstock rather than a figure of admiration. This story highlights that true wealth lies not in the accumulation of riches, but in one’s attitude towards life.

Usage

用于形容浪费钱财，讲究排场。常用于批评或谴责浪费的行为。

yòng yú xíng róng làng fèi qián cái, jiǎng jiù pái chǎng. cháng yòng yú pī píng huò qiǎn zé làng fèi de xíng wéi

Used to describe the waste of money and emphasis on ostentation. Often used to criticize or condemn wasteful behavior.

Examples

• 这场婚礼未免太铺张浪费了。

  zhè chǎng hūn lǐ wèi miǎn tài pū zhāng làng fèi le

  The wedding was a bit too extravagant.

• 公司年会铺张浪费，引发员工不满。

  gōngsī nián huì pū zhāng làng fèi, yǐn fā yuángōng bù mǎn

  The company's annual meeting was too extravagant and led to employee dissatisfaction.

• 他花钱大手大脚，铺张浪费。

  tā huā qián dà shǒu dà jiǎo, pū zhāng làng fèi

  He is extravagant with money.

Related Idioms

• 挥霍

• 浪费

• 奢侈

Opposite Idioms

• 勤俭节约

• 俭朴