洛阳纸贵
- Literal
- paper became expensive in luoyang
- Figurative
- Said of a work so celebrated and sought-after that everyone wants a copy of it; a runaway bestseller that sells out instantly.
Where does 洛阳纸贵 come from?
During the Jin dynasty, the writer Zuo Si spent ten years composing his "Ode to the Three Capitals" (《三都赋》). At first nobody paid it any attention, dismissing him as untalented. But when the renowned scholar Zhang Hua read it, he was full of praise. Suddenly the wealthy families and literati of the capital, Luoyang, all wanted their own copies, and since books were then copied by hand, the huge demand for paper drove its price sky-high throughout the city.
Source (出处): 《晋书·左思传》
How is 洛阳纸贵 used? Two examples
- 他的新小说一上市就洛阳纸贵，书店全都卖光了。
His new novel was a runaway bestseller the moment it came out; every bookshop sold out completely.
- 这本教材写得太好了，出版后立刻洛阳纸贵。
This textbook is so well written that, as soon as it was published, everyone wanted a copy and it sold out.
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