锋芒毕露 Fēng máng bì lù Showing one's sharp edges

Explanation

锋芒毕露指的是才华和锐气都完全显露出来，多指人喜欢表现自己。

Fēng máng bì lù means that talent and sharpness are fully revealed, often referring to someone who likes to show themselves off.

Origin Story

话说三国时期，有个年轻的谋士名叫诸葛亮，才华横溢，却一直隐居在隆中，不问世事。直到刘备三顾茅庐，他才出山辅佐刘备，成就一番霸业。而他的同乡庞统，则锋芒毕露，早早地就展现出了自己的才华，屡屡献计献策，却因为性格过于张扬，最终英年早逝。诸葛亮和庞统的经历形成了鲜明的对比，一个韬光养晦，成就伟业；一个锋芒毕露，英年早逝。这正是锋芒毕露的双刃剑，它既能让你迅速获得成功，也能让你迅速走向失败。

huà shuō sān guó shíqí, yǒu gè nián qīng de móushì míng jiào zhū gě liàng, cái huá héng yì, què yī zhí yǐnjū zài lóng zhōng, bù wèn shì shì。zhì dào liú bèi sān gù máo lú, tā cái chū shān fǔzuǒ liú bèi, chéngjiù yī fān bà yè。ér tā de tóng xiāng páng tǒng, zé fēng máng bì lù, zǎo zǎo de jiù zhǎnxian le zìjǐ de cái huá, lǚ lǚ xiàn jì xiàn cè, què yīn wèi xìnggé guò yú zhāng yáng, zuìzhōng yīng nián zǎoshì。zhū gě liàng hé páng tǒng de jīnglì xíng chéng le xiānmíng de duìbǐ, yīgè tāo guāng yǎng huì, chéngjiù wěi yè；yīgè fēng máng bì lù, yīng nián zǎoshì。zhè zhèng shì fēng máng bì lù de shuāng rèn jiàn, tā jì néng ràng nǐ xùnsù huòdé chénggōng, yě néng ràng nǐ xùnsù zǒuxiàng shībài。

During the Three Kingdoms period, there was a young strategist named Zhuge Liang, who was extremely talented but had been living in seclusion in Longzhong, away from worldly affairs. It was not until Liu Bei visited his thatched cottage three times that he came out of retirement to assist Liu Bei, achieving great success. However, his fellow villager, Pang Tong, displayed his talents overtly from an early age, repeatedly offering plans and strategies, yet because of his overly arrogant personality, he died young. The experiences of Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong stand in stark contrast; one hid his talent and achieved greatness, while the other openly displayed his talents, resulting in an early death. This illustrates the double-edged sword of Fēng máng bì lù; it can lead to quick success, but can also lead to rapid failure.

Usage

锋芒毕露通常用来形容一个人才华横溢，但是也容易因为过于张扬而招致祸患。

fēng máng bì lù tōngcháng yòng lái xíngróng yīgè rén cái huá héng yì, dànshì yě róngyì yīn wèi guòyú zhāngyáng ér zhāozhì huòhuàn。

Fēng máng bì lù is often used to describe a person who is extremely talented but also easily encounters misfortune due to being too ostentatious.

Examples

• 他锋芒毕露，很快就引起了老板的注意。

  tā fēng máng bì lù, hěn kuài jiù yǐn qǐ le lǎobǎn de zhùyì。

  He showed his sharp edges and quickly caught the boss's attention.

• 小李锋芒毕露，在会议上抢先发言，表达了自己的观点。

  xiǎo lǐ fēng máng bì lù, zài huìyì shàng qiǎngxiān fāyán, biǎodá le zìjǐ de guāndiǎn。

  Xiao Li, showing his sharp edges, spoke first at the meeting, expressing his views.

• 这次比赛中，他锋芒毕露，技压群雄，最终获得了冠军。

  zhè cì bǐsài zhōng, tā fēng máng bì lù, jì yā qúnxióng, zuìzhōng huòdé le guànjūn。

  In this competition, he showed his sharp edges, outperforming everyone else and ultimately winning the championship.

Related Idioms

• 才华横溢

• 锐不可当

Opposite Idioms

• 隐忍不发

• 韬光养晦