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Learn Chinese IdiomsRelieving Hunger with Pictures of Cakes
Later, this idiom came to be used to mean comforting oneself
with unrealistic thoughts, without solving practical problems.
sān
三guó 国shí 时dài 代wèi 魏guó 国de 的huáng 皇dì 帝cáo 曹ruì 睿 ，zhǔn 准bèi 备xuǎn 选bá 拔yī 一gě 个yǒu 有cái 才néng 能de 的rén 人dào 到cháo 朝tíng 廷lái 来zuò 做guān 官 。cáo 曹ruì 睿duì 对tā 他de 的dà 大chén 臣shuì 说 ： “xuǎn 选zé 择rén 人cái 才 ，bú 不néng 能guāng 光zhǎo 找yǒu 有xū 虚míng 名de 的rén 人 。xū 虚míng 名hǎo 好xiàng 像shì 是huà 画de 的yī 一kuài 块bǐng 饼 ，zhī 只néng 能kān 看 ，bú 不néng 能jiě 解jué 决dǔ 肚zǐ 子jī 饥è 饿de 的wèn 问tí 题ā 啊 ！ ”
hòu
后lái 来rén 人men 们jiù 就yòng 用 “huà 画bǐng 饼chōng 充jī 饥 ”zhè 这gě 个chéng 成yǔ 语bǐ 比yù 喻yòng 用kōng 空xiǎng 想ān 安wèi 慰zì 自jǐ 己 ，bú 不néng 能jiě 解jué 决shí 实jì 际wèn 问tí 题 。 |
Once in the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280), the duke of the Wei, Cao Rui,
planed to select a very capable man to work for him. He said to his ministers:
'When choosing a talented person, always beware of one with a false reputation.
A false reputation is just like a picture of a cake; it can' t ease hunger.'