引而不發

Chinese

	to lead; to divert (water); to guide	and; as well as; but (not) and; as well as; but (not); yet (not); (shows causal relation); (shows change of state); (shows contrast)	not; no	to send out; to show (one's feeling); to issue to send out; to show (one's feeling); to issue; to develop
trad. (引而不發)	引	而	不	發
simp. (引而不发)	引	而	不	发
Literally: “to draw the bow without shooting”.

Etymology

From the Mencius.

孟子曰：「大匠不為拙工改廢繩墨，羿不為拙射變其彀率。君子引而不發，躍如也。中道而立，能者從之。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.][▼ expand/hide]

孟子曰：“大匠不为拙工改废绳墨，羿不为拙射变其彀率。君子引而不发，跃如也。中道而立，能者从之。” [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Mencius, circa 4^th century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Mèngzǐ yuē: “Dàjiàng bù wèi zhuōgōng gǎifèi shéngmò, Yì bù wèi zhuōshè biàn qí gòulǜ. Jūnzǐ yǐn ér bù fā, yuèrú yě. Zhōngdào ér lì, néng zhě cóng zhī.” [Pinyin]

Mencius said, 'A great artificer does not, for the sake of a stupid workman, alter or do away with the marking-line. Yi did not, for the sake of a stupid archer, change his rule for drawing the bow. The superior man draws the bow, but does not discharge the arrow, having seemed to leap with it to the mark; and he there stands exactly in the middle of the path. Those who are able, follow him.'

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): yǐn'érbùfā

(Zhuyin): ㄧㄣˇ ㄦˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄈㄚ
Cantonese (Jyutping): jan⁵ ji⁴ bat¹ faat³

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Pinyin: yǐn'érbùfā
  - Zhuyin: ㄧㄣˇ ㄦˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄈㄚ
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yyinerlbufa
  - IPA ^(key): /in²¹⁴⁻²¹¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ pu⁵¹ fä⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: jan⁵ ji⁴ bat¹ faat³
  - Yale: yáhn yìh bāt faat
  - Cantonese Pinyin: jan⁵ ji⁴ bat⁷ faat⁸
  - Guangdong Romanization: yen⁵ yi⁴ bed¹ fad³
  - IPA ^(key): /jɐn¹³ jiː²¹ pɐt̚⁵ fäːt̚³/

Idiom

引而不發

to be good at guiding others while leaving them to act on their own
- 共產黨對於這些東西的宣傳政策應當是：「引而不發，躍如也。」菩薩要農民自己去丟，烈女祠、節孝坊要農民自己去摧毀，別人代庖是不對的。 [MSC, trad.]
  共产党对于这些东西的宣传政策应当是：“引而不发，跃如也。”菩萨要农民自己去丢，烈女祠、节孝坊要农民自己去摧毁，别人代庖是不对的。 [MSC, simp.]
  From: 1927, 毛澤東 (Mao Zedong), 《湖南農民運動考察報告》 (Report on an Investigation of the Peasant Movement in Hunan), 毛澤東選集 (1991). English translation based on the Foreign Languages Press edition
  Gòngchǎndǎng duìyú zhèxiē dōngxi de xuānchuán zhèngcè yīngdāng shì: “Yǐn ér bù fā, yuèrú yě.” Púsà yào nóngmín zìjǐ qù diū, liènǚcí, jiéxiàofāng yào nóngmín zìjǐ qù cuīhuǐ, biérén dàipáo shì bùduì de. [Pinyin]
  The Communist Party's propaganda policy in such matters should be, “Draw the bow without shooting, just indicate the motions.” It is for the peasants themselves to cast aside the idols, pull down the temples to the martyred virgins and the arches to the chaste and faithful widows; it is wrong for anybody else to do it for them.
to prepare and wait for action

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