Chinese

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!boat

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!(double-edged) sword |- !trad. (刻舟求劍) | 刻 | 舟 | 求 | 劍 |- !simp. (刻舟求剑) | 刻 | 舟 | 求 | 剑 |- !Literally: “notch the boat in search of the sword”. |}

Idiom

刻舟求劍

1. rigidly cling to an idea or approach without considering the reality of a situation; to stubbornly cling to tradition
   • 似你這樣尋根究底，便是刻舟求劍，膠柱鼓瑟了。 [MSC, trad.]
     似你这样寻根究底，便是刻舟求剑，胶柱鼓瑟了。 [MSC, simp.]
     From: c. 1330 - 1400: Cao Xueqin, Dream of the Red Chamber, Chapter 120 (紅樓夢/第120回)

     Sì nǐ zhèyàng xúngēnjiūdǐ, biànshì kèzhōuqiújiàn, jiāozhùgǔsè le. [Pinyin]

     It seems as though this kind of thorough investigation that you are conducting is like notching a moving boat in order to mark where your sword dropped into the river, you are being inflexible.

   • 文學藝術工作者必須正視我國當前迅速變化的實際，來考察我們過去用慣了的文藝理論，而不能刻舟求劍。 [MSC, trad.]
     文学艺术工作者必须正视我国当前迅速变化的实际，来考察我们过去用惯了的文艺理论，而不能刻舟求剑。 [MSC, simp.]
     From: c. 1900 - 1995: Xia Yan, Unite and advance through liberation thought (解放思想團結前進)

     Wénxué yìshù gōngzuòzhě bìxū zhèngshì wǒguó dāngqián xùnsù biànhuà de shíjì, lái kǎochá wǒmen guòqù yòng guàn le de wényì lǐlùn, ér bùnéng kèzhōuqiújiàn. [Pinyin]

     Workers in the literary arts must squarely face the reality of the rapid changes currently taking place within our country when considering the wellworn theories of the past about literature and art, and must not stubbornly cling to tradition.

Descendants

Korean

Noun

刻舟求劍 • ‎(gakjugugeom) ‎(hangeul 각주구검)

1. Hanja form^? of 각주구검.