A FRIEND GAVE US A COPY OF the book, ?100 Common Chinese Idioms and Set Phrases,? in which each idiom is explained by a short story. Here are some of them, as well as their respective lessons:

Building a cart behind closed doors

In ancient times, there was a man who wanted to make a fine chariot. But, instead of learning how to do it from experts, he shut himself up at home and worked on his own. Despite his time and effort, the chariot he made was useless. The idiom describes a person who is ?being too subjective??someone who ?disregards the rest of the world.?

Every bush or tree looks like an enemy

In 383 AD, the king of Qin, Fu Jian led a huge army to attack Eastern Jin. After losing the first round of fighting, Fu Jian looked down from a city wall, and was terrified to see his opponent?s formidable army.

Then, as he looked at the surrounding mountains, he mistook the grass and trees for enemy soldiers. As a result, when the nervous Fu Jian led his men into battle, his army suffered crushing defeat. This idiom describes how a person can defeat himself by imagining difficulties.

Aping the beauty?s frown

There was a beauty called Xishi. She often suffered from pains in her chest, so she would walk around doubled over, and with her brows knitted. Dongshi, an ugly village girl, envied Xishi.

Striving to emulate Xishi, Dongshi imitated her stoop and knitted her brows. She thought that this would make her elegant when, in fact, it only made her uglier. This idiom is used to indicate improper imitation that produces the reverse effect.

Ruining an enterprise for the lack of one basketful

Once, a man planned to build a terrace. He spent a lot of time digging and carrying earth in baskets. When the mound was almost completed, and only one more basket was needed, the man gave up?and the terrace was never completed! This idiom, which connotes pity, means failure to succeed for lack of a final effort.

Blow apart the hairs upon a fur to discover any defect

In ancient times, there was a man who was a notorious nitpicker. Once, he bought a fur cloak. To check the fur, he blew the hairs apart to look for defects. This idiom means ?looking for tiny faults.?

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Two items from our article about Confucian sayings should have read: ?He who is moved by slander is not intelligent,? and ?Won?t a gentleman not be offended if others fail to notice his great qualities??