JLPT N1Proverbs
臥薪嘗胆
- Meaning
- 目的達成のために長い間苦難に耐え忍ぶこと
- Explanation
- From the anecdote of sleeping on hard firewood (臥薪) and tasting a bitter liver (嘗胆) so as not to forget one's humiliation, it means enduring long hardship to achieve a goal. Contrary to c2, which advises finishing revenge quickly, it expresses the patience of biding one's time over a long period.
Original Japanese explanation
硬い薪の上に寝(臥薪)、苦い肝をなめて(嘗胆)屈辱を忘れまいとした故事から、目的を遂げるため長く苦難に耐え忍ぶこと。復讐を早く済ませよと説く c2 とは逆に、長期にわたって雌伏する忍耐を表します。
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