S6E03 | A Horse is a Horse, Of Course, Of Course
Saying: “making a deer out to be a horse”
Pinyin: Zhǐ Lù Wéi Mǎ
Chinese: 指鹿为马
The story behind today's Chinese Saying is an old favorite of all lovers of popular Chinese history. How can we forget Zhao Gao 赵高 from the Qin Dynasty and the famous story behind Zhǐ Lù Wéi Mǎ 指鹿为马. In our connected age when it's so easy to hoodwink one another in news feeds and social media, this is the perfect chéngyǔ to keep handy at all times. And of course, because this Zhǐ Lù Wéi Mǎ strategy worked so well for Zhao Gao in the 3rd Century BC, many an autocrat since, also found it handy and useful, not to mention, effective.
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Terms in Episode
| Pinyin/Term | Chinese | English/Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Zhǐ Lù Wéi Mǎ | 指鹿为马 | To point to a deer and call it a horse, to deliberately misrepresent |
| Qín | 秦朝 | The Qin Dynasty, founded by Ying Zheng in 221 BC |
| Sīmǎ Qiān | 司马迁 | The Grand Historian, finished compiling the Records of the Greand Historian, started by his father Sima Tan |
| Qín Shǐhuáng Běnjì | 秦始皇本纪 | The chapter from the Records of the Grand Historian that concerns the life and reign of Qin Shihuang |
| Zhǐ Sāng Mà Huái | 指桑骂槐 | point to the mulberry tree and scold the locust tree, use innuendo to attack or criticize someone |
| zhǐ | 指 | To point to |
| lù | 鹿 | a deer |
| Wéi | 为 | to act as or serve as or to be or mean |
| Mǎ | 马 | a horse |
| Zhào Gāo | 赵高 | As Pleco says, "(?-207BC),one of the most vile, corrupt and powerful eunuchs in Chinese history, responsible for the fall of the Qin Dynasty" |
| Yíng Zhèng | 嬴政 | 260-210 BC, personal name of the First Emperor Qin Shihuang 秦始皇 |
| Hénán | 河南 | Province in northern China, just to the west of Shandong |
| Shāndōng | 山东 | Province in northern China, just to the east of Henan |
| Lǐ Sī | 李斯 | 280-208 BC, Legalist, philosopher, calligrapher and prime minister of of the Qin Kingdom and Qin Dynasty from 246-208 BC |
| Yíng Húhài | 贏胡亥 | The Second Qin Emperor who reigned 210-207 BC |
| Qín Èrshì | 秦二世 | See above Ying Huhai |
| Fúsū | 扶苏 | Died 210 BC, eldest son and heir apparent of Qin Shiuhuang |
| Méng Tián | 蒙恬 | 250-210 BC, Chinese military great and engineer extraordinaire of the Qin Dynasty |
| Xiányáng | 咸阳 | The capital city of the Qin Kingdom and Empire, located in present day Xian |
| Xīān | 西安 | See above |
| chéngyǔ | 成语 | A Chinese Saying or idiom, usually comprised of four characters but often five or more |
| Ziyīng | 秦王子婴 | Died January 206, third and last ruler of Qin, reigning for only 46 days |
