麻木不仁 má mù bù rén numb and insensitive

Explanation

形容对外界事物反应迟钝或漠不关心，没有感觉。

Describes the numbness or indifference to external things, without feeling.

Origin Story

话说古代有个村庄，常年战乱，村民饱受痛苦，渐渐对一切失去了感觉。一日，强盗来袭，村民们麻木不仁，任凭强盗抢掠，甚至没有一个人反抗，如同行尸走肉一般。村长看着这一切，心中悲痛欲绝，他意识到，麻木不仁比死亡更可怕，于是他决心带领村民们反抗，重新找回对生活的热情。他四处奔走，组织村民们学习武艺，并向其他村庄求助。在经过长期的努力后，他们最终战胜了强盗，重新过上了安定的生活。这个故事告诉我们，麻木不仁是一种可怕的状态，我们应该始终保持对生活的热情和对正义的追求。

huà shuō gǔdài yǒu gè cūn zhuāng, cháng nián zhànluàn, cūnmín bǎo shòu tòngkǔ, jiànjiàn duì yīqiè shī qù le gǎnjué. yīrì, qiángdào lái xí, cūnmín men má mù bù rén, rèn píng qiángdào qiǎnglüè, shènzhì méiyǒu yīgè rén fǎnkàng, rútóng xíngshī zǒu ròu yībān. cūnzhǎng kànzhe zhè yīqiè, xīnzhōng bēitòng yùjué, tā yìshí dào, má mù bù rén bǐ sǐwáng gèng kěpà, yúshì tā juéxīn dàilǐng cūnmín men fǎnkàng, chóngxīn zhǎo huí duì shēnghuó de rèqíng. tā sìchù bēnzǒu, zǔzhī cūnmín men xuéxí wǔyì, bìng xiàng qítā cūn zhuāng qiúzhù. zài jīngguò chángqī de nǔlì hòu, tāmen zhōngyú zhàn shèng le qiángdào, chóngxīn guò shang le āndìng de shēnghuó. zhège gùshì gàosù wǒmen, má mù bù rén shì yī zhǒng kěpà de zhuàngtài, wǒmen yīnggāi shǐzhōng bǎochí duì shēnghuó de rèqíng hé duì zhèngyì de zhuīqiú.

In ancient times, there was a village that suffered years of war. The villagers were worn down by suffering, gradually losing their senses. One day, bandits attacked, but the villagers remained numb and indifferent, allowing the bandits to loot and plunder without resistance. The village headman, heartbroken by this, realised that apathy is worse than death, so he decided to lead the villagers in revolt, to reignite their passion for life. He went around organising villagers to learn martial arts, and sought help from other villages. After years of effort, they finally defeated the bandits and returned to a peaceful life. This story teaches us that apathy is a terrible state, and we should always maintain enthusiasm for life and pursue justice.

Usage

常用来形容对周围事物漠不关心，反应迟钝的状态。

cháng yòng lái xíngróng duì zhōuwéi shìwù mò bù guānxīn, fǎnyìng chídùn de zhuàngtài

Often used to describe the state of indifference and slow response to surrounding things.

Examples

• 面对危难，他麻木不仁，毫无反应。

  miàn duì wēi nàn, tā má mù bù rén, háo wú fǎnyìng

  He was indifferent to danger, making no response.

• 长期处于困境，他变得麻木不仁，对周围的一切漠不关心。

  cháng qī chǔ yú kùnjìng, tā biàn dé má mù bù rén, duì zhōuwéi de yīqiè mò bù guānxīn

  After being in hardship for a long time, he became numb and indifferent to everything around him.

Related Idioms

• 冷漠

• 冷淡

• 迟钝

Opposite Idioms

• 耳聪目明

• 见微知著

• 反应灵敏