雕虫小技 diāo chóng xiǎo jì petty tricks

Explanation

雕虫小技比喻微不足道的技能。

This idiom refers to insignificant skills or abilities.

Origin Story

唐朝时期，常州人薛登很有学问，知识面很广，每次与人谈话总要广征博引，把道理讲得透彻。他与当时的徐坚、刘子玄齐名。他对朝廷举贤取士过分推重辞赋不满，他引用李谔的话批评曹操父子三人只好雕虫小技、连篇累牍，而不重视其他才能。当时的人对薛登的学问都十分佩服，但也有人认为他过于强调辞赋，有些钻牛角尖。

Táng cháo shí qí, Chángzhōu rén Xuē Dēng hěn yǒu xué wèn, zhī shí miàn hěn guǎng, měi cì yǔ rén tán huà zǒng yào guǎng zhēng bó yǐn, bǎ dào lǐ jiǎng de tòu chè. Tā yǔ dāng shí de Xú Jiān, Liú Zǐ Xuán qí míng. Tā duì cháo tíng jǔ xián qǔ shì guò fèn tuī zhòng cí fù bù mǎn, tā yǐn yòng Lǐ É de huà pī píng Cáo Cāo fù zǐ sān rén zhǐ hǎo diāo chóng xiǎo jì, lián piān lèi dú, ér bù zhòng shì qí tā cái néng. Dāng shí de rén duì Xuē Dēng de xué wèn dōu shí fèn pèi fú, dàn yě yǒu rén rèn wéi tā guò yú qiáng diào cí fù, yǒu xiē zuàn niú jiǎo jiān.

During the Tang Dynasty, Xue Deng, a native of Changzhou, was a very learned man with a wide range of knowledge. Every time he talked to people, he would always cite extensively and explain the reasons clearly. He was known to Xu Jian and Liu Zixuan of that time. He criticized the court's excessive emphasis on literary works by quoting Li Egos words to criticize the three sons of Cao Cao for only focusing on petty tricks, writing endless texts, but not valuing other abilities. People admired Xue Deng's knowledge very much, but some people thought that he overemphasized the importance of literary works and was a bit pedantic.

Usage

这个成语用来形容那些只擅长一些微不足道的技巧，而缺乏真才实学的人。

zhè ge chéng yǔ yòng lái xíng róng nà xiē zhǐ shàn cháng yī xiē wēi bù zú dào de jì qiǎo, ér què fá zhēn cái shí xué de rén.

This idiom is used to describe people who are only good at some insignificant tricks, but lack real skills.

Examples

• 他只会雕虫小技，做不了大事。

  tā zhǐ huì diāo chóng xiǎo jì, zuò bù liǎo dà shì.

  He can only do petty tricks, he can't do great things.

• 雕虫小技，不足挂齿。

  diāo chóng xiǎo jì, bù zú guà chǐ.

  Petty tricks are not worth mentioning.

• 这种雕虫小技，岂能与天下大事相提并论？

  zhè zhǒng diāo chóng xiǎo jì, qǐ néng yǔ tiān xià dà shì xiāng tí bìng lùn?

  Such petty tricks can't be compared to great affairs!

Related Idioms

• 雕虫篆刻

• 雕虫末技

• 雕虫小巧

• 雕虫之技

• 雕虫之艺

Opposite Idioms

• 雄才大略

• 大才大略

• 卓尔不群