闭门自守 bì mén zì shǒu to shut the doors and guard oneself

Explanation

指把自己封闭起来，不与外界接触。可以指保守，不愿接受新事物；也可以指谨慎小心，避免风险。

means to isolate oneself and have no contact with the outside world. It can stand for both conservatism and the refusal to accept new things, as well as caution and risk aversion.

Origin Story

在一个偏僻的山村里，住着一位名叫老张的老人。他年轻时曾是村里有名的猎户，却因一次意外失去了一条腿，从此变得沉默寡言，不愿与人来往。他整天把自己关在小屋里，大门紧闭，日复一日地过着与世隔绝的生活。村里人对他既同情又敬佩，同情他的遭遇，敬佩他坚韧不拔的性格。老张虽然闭门自守，但他并没有忘记外面的世界，他常常透过窗户观察村里的变化，了解村民的生活。有时，也会帮助一些需要帮助的村民。他只是用自己独特的方式，守护着自己内心的宁静。直到有一天，村里来了一个年轻的医生，他不畏惧老张的闭门自守，多次上门拜访，最终用真诚打动了老张，老张也慢慢地打开了心扉，与外界重新建立了联系。

zài yīgè piānpì de shāncūn lǐ, zhù zhe yī wèi míng jiào lǎo zhāng de lǎorén. tā niánqīng shí céng shì cūn lǐ yǒumíng de lièhù, què yīn yī cì yìwài shīqù le yī tiáo tuǐ, cóngcǐ biàn de chénmò guǎyán, bù yuàn yǔ rén lái wǎng. tā zhěngtiān bǎ zìjǐ guān zài xiǎowū lǐ, dà mén jǐn bì, rì fù rì rì de guò zhe yǔ shì géjué de shēnghuó. cūn lǐ rén duì tā jì tóngqíng yòu jìngpèi, tóngqíng tā de zāoyù, jìngpèi tā jiānrèn bùbá de xìnggé. lǎo zhāng suīrán bì mén zì shǒu, dàn tā bìng méiyǒu wàngjì wàimian de shìjiè, tā chángcháng tòuguò chuānghù guānchá cūn lǐ de biànhuà, liǎojiě cūn mín de shēnghuó. yǒushí, yě huì bāngzhù yīxiē xūyào bāngzhù de cūn mín. tā zhǐshì yòng zìjǐ dú tè de fāngshì, shǒuhù zhe zìjǐ nèixīn de níngjìng. zhídào yǒu yī tiān, cūn lǐ lái le yīgè niánqīng de yīshēng, tā bù wèijù lǎo zhāng de bì mén zì shǒu, duō cì shàng mén bàifǎng, zuìzhōng yòng zhēnchéng dǎ dòng le lǎo zhāng, lǎo zhāng yě màn man de dǎkāi le xīnfēi, yǔ wàijiè chóngxīn jiànlì le liánxì

In a remote mountain village, lived an old man named Lao Zhang. In his youth, he was a famous hunter in the village, but due to an accident, he lost a leg and became taciturn, unwilling to interact with others. He spent his days locked in his small house, the door tightly shut, living a life of seclusion from the world. The villagers both sympathized and admired him, sympathizing with his plight and admiring his tenacious character. Although Lao Zhang kept to himself, he did not forget the outside world. He often observed the changes in the village through the window and learned about the villagers' lives. Sometimes, he would also help villagers in need. He simply guarded the peace of his heart in his own unique way. Until one day, a young doctor came to the village. He was not intimidated by Lao Zhang's seclusion and visited him many times, eventually winning him over with his sincerity. Lao Zhang then slowly opened his heart and re-established contact with the outside world.

Usage

用来形容人思想保守，不愿与外界接触，或指一个地方或组织封闭，不与外界交流。

yòng lái xíngróng rén sīxiǎng bǎoshǒu, bù yuàn yǔ wàijiè jiēchù, huò zhǐ yīgè dìfāng huò zǔzhī fēngbì, bù yǔ wàijiè jiāoliú

Used to describe a person's conservative thinking, unwillingness to interact with the outside world, or to refer to a place or organization that is closed off and does not communicate with the outside world.

Examples

• 他总是闭门自守，不愿与人交往。

  tā zǒngshì bì mén zì shǒu, bù yuàn yǔ rén jiāowǎng.

  He always keeps to himself and refuses to socialize.

• 公司面临危机，却闭门自守，不肯寻求外部帮助。

  gōngsī miàn lín wēijī, què bì mén zì shǒu, bùkěn xúnqiú wàibù bāngzhù

  The company is facing a crisis, but it is closed off and unwilling to seek external help.

Related Idioms

• 孤僻

• 封闭

Opposite Idioms

• 开放

• 积极进取