举案齐眉
- Literal
- to raise the food tray level with the eyebrows
- Figurative
- Describes a couple who treat each other with deep mutual respect and affection; a harmonious marriage in which husband and wife honor one another.
Where does 举案齐眉 come from?
During the Eastern Han dynasty there lived a poor but high-minded scholar named Liang Hong, married to a plain yet virtuous woman, Meng Guang. They lived humbly, with Liang Hong hiring himself out to husk grain for others. Each day when he came home, Meng Guang prepared his meal and, out of respect, would not look at him directly: she presented the food tray held up level with her own eyebrows. From this gesture of wifely deference the saying was born, and ever since it has stood for mutual respect between husband and wife.
Source (出处): 《后汉书·梁鸿传》
How is 举案齐眉 used? Two examples
- 他们结婚三十年，一直举案齐眉，从来没红过脸。
They have been married thirty years, always treating each other with mutual respect, and have never had a quarrel.
- 我希望将来和爱人举案齐眉，互相尊重。
I hope that in the future my partner and I will treat each other with mutual respect and affection.
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