得陇望蜀
- Literal
- to gain long and covet shu
- Figurative
- Insatiable, ever-growing greed: the moment you get one thing, you crave the next. Never being content with what you already have.
Where does 得陇望蜀 come from?
During the Eastern Han dynasty, Emperor Guangwu (Liu Xiu) was fighting to reunify the empire. After a long campaign his troops finally took the region of Long (modern Gansu), held by the warlord Wei Xiao. In a letter to his general Cen Peng, the emperor remarked that people are never satisfied: "having already gained Long, I still covet Shu," meaning the kingdom of Shu (modern Sichuan), still controlled by Gongsun Shu. He half-ironically acknowledged this restless ambition while using it to spur his army onward. From that imperial confession came the idiom, which went on to describe greed that is never satisfied.
Source (出处): 《后汉书·岑彭传》
How is 得陇望蜀 used? Two examples
- 他刚买了新车，又想换更大的房子，真是得陇望蜀。
He just bought a new car and already wants a bigger house; he's never satisfied.
- 公司给他加了工资，他却得陇望蜀，又要求升职。
The company raised his salary, but, never content, he then demanded a promotion too.
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