S4E08 | Nobody Loves You When You're Down and Out | 门可罗雀
Saying: “you can net sparrows at the door”
Pinyin: Mén Kě Luǒ Què
Chinese: 门可罗雀
Here's another good one to remember if your life should temporarily hit the skids and your friends scatter. This one comes from the Grand Historian himself, Sima Qian, who tells us all about Lord Zhai, a loyal and respected public servant during the long reign of Han Emperor Wu.
I hope you never have to use this one in your life but keep Mén Kě Luǒ Què 门可罗雀 handy just in case. And take a page out of the Record of the Grand Historian and what Lord Zhai's classy response was to his fair-weather-friends.
Don't forget, the Chinese terms from CSP episodes are all listed for you down below.
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Terms in Episode
| Pinyin/Term | Chinese | English/Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Shǐ Jì | 史记 | The Record of the Grand Historian, the most authoritative and quoted text up to the Han Dynasty. It was written by Sima Tan 司马谈 and finished by his son, Sima Qian. |
| Sīmǎ Qiān | 司马迁 | China's most renowned historian who lived 145-86 BC (or thereabouts) |
| Mén Kě Luó Què | 门可罗雀 | You can net sparrows at the door, completely deserted; You can catch sparrows on the doorstep - visitors are few and far between |
| mén | 门 | a door or gate |
| Kě | 可 | can, able to |
| Luó | 罗 | A net for catching birds or fish |
| què | 雀 | a sparrow |
| Lord Zhái | 翟公 | A able official serving during the reign of Han Wudi. His position was as the Tíng Wèi 廷尉, the highest judicial office in the land |
| Xiàguī | 下邽 | a town located forty-five minutes north of the city of Wèinán 渭南 and maybe an hour and a half from the capital of Shǎnxī province….Xīān |
