青黄不接 qīng huáng bù jiē the gap between the harvest

Explanation

指新旧事物交替衔接不上，出现空档。多用于比喻事物前后衔接不上。

Refers to the lack of smooth transition between old and new things, resulting in a gap. Often used metaphorically to describe the lack of connection between consecutive events.

Origin Story

话说唐朝时期，有个名叫李白的诗人，他豪放不羁，喜欢仗剑游历，走遍大江南北，写下了许多千古名篇。一日，他来到一个偏远的小村庄，正值秋季，村民们秋收完毕，却发现粮食不够吃了，因为今年的收成不好，青黄不接，村民们都饿得面黄肌瘦。李白见状，心中不忍，便慷慨解囊，拿出自己的盘缠，为村民们购买粮食，解了燃眉之急。同时，他还教导村民们改进耕作技术，鼓励他们勤劳致富，让这个小村庄摆脱了青黄不接的困境，过上了丰衣足食的生活。从此，李白便被这个村庄的村民们尊为恩人，他的事迹也一代代流传了下来，成为了人们心中美好的故事。

huà shuō táng cháo shí qī, yǒu gè míng jiào lǐ bái de shī rén, tā háo fàng bù jī, xǐ huan zhàng jiàn yóu lì, zǒu biàn dà jiāng nán běi, xiě xià le xǔ duō qiānguǐ míng piān. yī rì, tā lái dào yīgè piānyuǎn de xiǎo cūn zhuāng, zhèng zhí qiū jì, cūn mín men qiū shōu wán bì, què fāxiàn liáng shí bù gòu chī le, yīnwèi jīn nián de shōu chéng bù hǎo, qīng huáng bù jiē, cūn mín men dōu è de miàn huáng jī shòu. lǐ bái jiàn zhàng, xīn zhōng bù rěn, biàn kāng kǎi jiě náng, ná chū zìjǐ de pán chán, wèi cūn mín men gòu mǎi liáng shí, jiě le rán méi zhī jí. tóngshí, tā hái jiàodǎo cūn mín men gǎi jìn gēng zuò jìshù, gǔ lì tāmen qín láo zhì fù, ràng zhège xiǎo cūn zhuāng bǎi tuō le qīng huáng bù jiē de kùnjìng, guò shang le fēng yī zú shí de shēnghuó. cóng cǐ, lǐ bái biàn bèi zhège cūn zhuāng de cūn mín men zūn wèi ēn rén, tā de shì jì yě yī dài dài liú chuán le xià lái, chéng le le rén men xīn zhōng měihǎo de gùshì.

In the Tang Dynasty, there was a poet named Li Bai who was known for his unrestrained nature and love of swordplay. He traveled throughout China, leaving behind countless famous poems. One day, he arrived in a remote village. It was autumn, and the villagers had just finished harvesting, but they found that they did not have enough food to last, as this year's harvest was poor, leaving a gap between the old and new harvests. The villagers were emaciated from hunger. Li Bai, upon seeing their plight, was moved with compassion and generously donated his money to purchase food for the villagers, relieving their immediate suffering. At the same time, he also taught the villagers how to improve their farming techniques, encouraging them to work hard to achieve prosperity, thereby helping the village overcome the difficulties of a poor harvest and live a life of abundance. From then on, Li Bai was revered as a benefactor by the villagers of that village, and his story passed down through generations, becoming a beautiful tale in the hearts of the people.

Usage

通常作谓语、定语；比喻事物前后衔接不上，出现空档。

tōng cháng zuò wèi yǔ, dìng yǔ；bǐ yù shì wù qián hòu xián jiē bù shàng, chū xiàn kōng dàng.

Usually used as a predicate or attributive; metaphorically refers to the lack of smooth connection between things, resulting in a gap.

Examples

• 今年收成不好，青黄不接，粮价飞涨。

  jīn nián shōu chéng bù hǎo, qīng huáng bù jiē, liáng jià fēi zhǎng.

  This year's harvest was poor, resulting in a shortage of food and soaring prices.

• 公司目前人才青黄不接，急需招聘新人。

  gōngsī mùqián réncái qīng huáng bù jiē, jí xū zhāopìn xīnrén

  The company is currently facing a shortage of qualified personnel and urgently needs to recruit new employees.

Related Idioms

• 间歇

• 断档

Opposite Idioms

• 承前启后

• 继往开来