庖丁解牛
- Literal
- cook ding carves up the ox
- Figurative
- To master a craft so thoroughly that the hard becomes effortless and fluid; to act with the natural, consummate skill of a true expert.
Where does 庖丁解牛 come from?
A cook named Ding was butchering an ox for Lord Wenhui, and every motion of his hand and blade moved like a dance set to music. Amazed, the lord asked how he had reached such skill. Ding replied that at first he saw only the whole ox; after years of practice he no longer used his eyes but his spirit, guiding the knife through the natural gaps between joints and sinews, never striking bone. Thus, while a poor cook breaks his knife every month and a good one replaces it every year, Ding's blade stayed sharp after nineteen years. Lord Wenhui declared that from these words he had learned the art of nurturing life.
Source (出处): 《庄子·养生主》
How is 庖丁解牛 used? Two examples
- 老师傅修起表来就像庖丁解牛，几下子就找到了问题。
The old master repairs watches with such consummate ease, like Cook Ding carving the ox, that he found the problem in moments.
- 他分析这个难题就像庖丁解牛，一下子就理清了思路。
He analyzes this tough problem with such mastery that he untangles his thinking in no time.
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