非驴非马 Neither donkey nor horse
Explanation
比喻不伦不类,像驴不像驴,像马不像马,什么也不是。
It is used to describe something that is neither one thing nor the other, neither fish nor fowl.
Origin Story
汉朝时,西域龟兹国国王绛宾多次访问汉朝,回国后推行汉制,引起臣民不满。有人说他推行的政策像骡子一样,非驴非马,不伦不类。这反映了文化融合过程中可能出现的冲突和问题,也说明了盲目照搬照抄而不结合实际情况的弊端。故事中,龟兹王推行的汉制,在龟兹人看来,是既不符合他们本来的生活习惯,也不符合汉朝的实际情况,所以显得“非驴非马”。这就好比把驴和马杂交,生下来的骡子既不像驴,也不像马。
During the Han Dynasty, Jiang Bin, the king of Krorän in the Western Regions, visited China many times. After returning home, he implemented the Chinese system, which caused dissatisfaction among his subjects. Some said his policies were like mules, neither donkeys nor horses, neither fish nor fowl. This reflects the conflicts and problems that can arise during cultural fusion and also illustrates the disadvantages of blindly copying without considering actual circumstances.
Usage
主要用作谓语、状语和补语,常用来形容事物不伦不类,不规范。
It is mainly used as a predicate, adverbial, and predicative, often used to describe things that are neither fish nor fowl.
Examples
-
他的行为举止非驴非马,让人摸不着头脑。
tā de xíngwéi jǔzhǐ fēi lǘ fēi mǎ, ràng rén mō bù zháo tóu nǎo.
His behavior is neither fish nor fowl, it's baffling.
-
这篇文章写得非驴非马,既不像小说,也不像论文。
zhè piān wénzhāng xiě de fēi lǘ fēi mǎ, jì bù xiàng xiǎoshuō, yě bù xiàng lùnwén
This article is neither fish nor fowl, it's neither a novel nor an essay