Once upon a time, there lives a young man who likes to read aloud, but he
never thoroughly understands his literature's contents, or he only catches part
of the importance of what he is reading, or maybe he does not grasp the
importance at all. Yet he considered himself knowledgable. One day he went to
buy some fruit. On the market the old man selling pears told him that raw pears
are good for one's teeth but bad for one's spleen. Another old man selling dates
told him raw dates are good for one's spleen but bad for one's teeth. Hearing
those words the self-important man said he knew a way to enjoy the nutritional
benefits from both, while avoiding the negative side effects. "I could chew
pears, but don't swallow them and swallow dates without chewing them." he said.
"By doing this, both of my teeth and my spleen will not be hurt." He did what he
said and he was choked by a date.
This joke gave rise to the idiom, which refers to lapping up information
without digesting it, or reading without comprehension.
從前有個人看書的時(shí)候,總會把書中文章大聲念出來,可是他從來不動腦筋想一想書中的道理,還自以為看了很多書,懂得許多道理。有一天,他去買水果,賣梨的老人對他說:“
吃梨對牙齒很好,但是吃多了傷胃。” 旁邊一位賣棗的老人對他說:“棗子能健胃,可惜吃多了會傷牙齒。”
讀書人說:“這很簡單嘛!吃梨子時(shí)只嚼不咽,就不會傷胃;吃棗子時(shí)只吞不嚼,就不會傷牙啦!” 說完,他很得意,拿棗就往嘴里塞,結(jié)果,他被噎住了。
后來,人們就用“囫圇吞棗”,來形容一個人不動腦子,只是死記硬套,照搬規(guī)定的做法。
囫圇吞棗 【翻譯】Gulping down a whole date.