JLPT N1Proverbs
桃李もの言わざれども下自ら蹊を成す
- Meaning
- 立派な徳のある人は黙っていても自然に人が慕い集まる
- Explanation
- Even though peach and plum trees say nothing, people gather seeking their fruit and a path naturally forms beneath them. In the same way, a person of virtue draws people who admire them without advertising themselves. Unlike c1 and c2, which emphasize self-assertion and eloquence, this teaches the power of silent virtue.
Original Japanese explanation
桃や李は何も言わなくても、その実を求めて人が集まり木の下に自然と道ができる。同様に徳のある人は自ら宣伝しなくても人が慕い寄るという意味。自己主張や多弁を重視する c1・c2 とは逆で、無言の徳の力を説きます。
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