欣欣向荣
- Literal
- lush and heading toward full bloom
- Figurative
- Thriving and flourishing: said of plants shooting up and, above all nowadays, of industries, companies, or projects doing very well.
Where does 欣欣向荣 come from?
The phrase comes from 《归去来兮辞》, the poem in which Tao Yuanming, of the Jin dynasty, took leave of official life to go home to the countryside. Describing what he finds there, he writes that the trees are lush and heading into bloom and that the springs are just beginning to trickle. That image of growing things broke loose from the poem and hardened into a set phrase. Today it turns up mostly in news reports and official write-ups, applied to an economy, an industry, or a company growing fast — though it still works for actual plants, which is where it started.
Source (出处): 陶渊明《归去来兮辞》
How is 欣欣向荣 used? Two examples
- 下过雨以后，院子里的花草欣欣向荣。
After the rain, the plants in the yard are thriving.
- 报纸上说这个行业呈现出一片欣欣向荣的景象。
The paper says the industry is showing every sign of a boom.
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