Phrases for success and failure in exams, past and present
The results for this year’s cutthroat college entrance examinations (gaokao) are out. If there is one sentence to describe the mood of students and their parents, it is “Several families are happy, others are sad (几家欢乐几家愁).”
But no matter the results, everyone will be discussing which university and major to choose, or where to hold a farewell banquet (or even to get plastic surgery as a graduation gift). Though the gaokao has a relatively recent history, having been redesigned in 1977, its ancient counterpart, the imperial examination, has a thousand-year history that gave birth to many chengyu. Here are several still frequently used today:
Snapping laurels in the toad palace 蟾宫折桂
The “toad palace” is a mythical palace on the moon (which, according to folklore, is the home of a three-legged toad) that symbolizes the imperial court. The “snapping laurels” part comes from the story of third-century scholar Qie Shen, who was asked to describe himself for the job of prime minister under Emperor Wu. Qie, answered: “I am like a branch in the laurels, a piece of jade on Mount Kun.” Both laurel and jade became known as metaphors for great talent after the exam system began in the Tang dynasty (618 – 907) and so the phrase simply means “success in the exam and competitions.”
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