鄭人買履

See also: 郑人买履

Chinese

		surname	man; person; people	buy	shoe; to tread on
trad. (鄭人買履)		鄭	人	買	履
simp. (郑人买履)		郑	人	买	履

Etymology

鄭人有且置履者，先自度其足而置之其坐，至之市而忘操之。已得履，乃曰：“吾忘持度，反歸取之。”及反，市罷，遂不得履。人曰：“何不試之以足？”曰：“寧信度，無自信也。” [Classical Chinese, trad.][▼ expand/hide]

郑人有且置履者，先自度其足而置之其坐，至之市而忘操之。已得履，乃曰：“吾忘持度，反归取之。”及反，市罢，遂不得履。人曰：“何不试之以足？”曰：“宁信度，无自信也。” [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Han Feizi, circa 2^nd century BCE

Zhèng rén yǒu qiě zhì lǚ zhě, xiān zì duó qí zú ér zhì zhī qí zuò, zhì zhī shì ér wàng cāo zhī. Yǐ dé lǚ, nǎi yuē: “Wú wàng chí dù, fǎn guī qǔ zhī.” Jí fǎn, shì bà, suì bù dé lǚ. Rén yuē: “Hé bù shì zhī yǐ zú?” Yuē: “Níng xìn dù, wú zì xìn yě.” [Pinyin]

There once lived a man from Zheng who was about to buy some shoes. He had measured his feet beforehand, and placed the measurements on a chair. When it came time for him to go to the market, he forgot to bring the measurements with him. He had already picked out the shoes that he wanted, and then said, "I forgot to bring the measurements, I need to go home and get them." He returned home (to get the measurements, but by the time he got back) the market was closed, so he could not get the shoes. People would ask him, "Why did you not just try on the shoes?" To this he replied, "I would rather believe the measurements, I don't trust myself."

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): zhèngrénmǎilǚ
(Zhuyin): ㄓㄥˋ ㄖㄣˊ ㄇㄞˇ ㄌㄩˇ

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Pinyin: zhèngrénmǎilǚ [Phonetic: zhèngrénmáilǚ]
  - Zhuyin: ㄓㄥˋ ㄖㄣˊ ㄇㄞˇ ㄌㄩˇ
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jenqrenmaeleu
  - IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂɤŋ⁵¹ ʐən³⁵ maɪ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ly²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

Idiom

鄭人買履

(mockingly) a person who rigidly adheres to rules and regulations (or established convention), while at the same time ignoring the reality of a situation