Chinese Idiom: 鹤立鸡群 (hèlìjīqún) A Crane Standing Among Chickens

Jìncháo shí,  yŏu yí gè rén jiào Jī Shào. Tā zhăng de yíbiăotángtáng, érqiĕ cáinéng chūzhòng, dānrèn Jìn Huìdì de shìcóngguān. Yí cì, yŏu rén qīnfàn jīngchéng. Jī Shào gēnsuí Huìdì qiánqù zhēngtăo pànluàn, búliào dă le bàizhàng, suíxíng de guānyuán、jiànglĭng yĭjí shìwèi sĭshāng wúshù, hái yŏu hĕnduō rén táopăo le, zhǐyŏu Jī Shào băohùzhe Huìdì,  shĭzhōng bù  lí zuŏyòu. Kàn dào Jī Shào fènyŏng shādí de qíngjĭng rénmen dōu hĕn yŏu gănchù, shuō:”Jī Shào jiù xàng yì zhī hè zhànlì zài jīqún zhōng yí yàng, yíbiăo chūzhòng, qìdù bùfán.”

晋朝时,有一个人叫嵇绍。他长得仪表堂堂, 而且才能出众,担任晋惠帝的侍从官。一次,有人侵犯京城。 嵇 绍跟随惠帝前去征讨叛乱,不料打了 败仗,随行的官员、将领以及侍卫死伤无数,还有很多人逃跑了,只有嵇绍保护着惠帝, 始终不离左右。看到嵇绍奋勇杀敌的情景人们都很有感触,说:“嵇绍就像一只鹤站立在鸡群中一样,仪表出众,气度不凡。”

Ji Shao, an aide to Emperor Jin Hui during the Jin Dynasty, was handsome and talented. Once, when his country was being invaded, he accompanied Emperor Jin Hui in defending the country, but, unfortunately, they lost the war. Most of the soldiers died or deserted, but Ji Shao stayed with the emperor to protect him. Upon seeing this, the people were moved and said:”Ji Shao is like a crane standing among chickens, preeminent and superior.”

This idiom is currently used to describe prominent people with good looks and impressive abilities among a crowd.

Example:

Luó xī tè zài nà gè dìfang xiănshì bù chū  zìjĭ  de cáinéng. Tāmen bù dŏng dé shăngshí tā hé tā de gōngzuò. Qíshí tā dānrèn nà yì zhíwù,   cáilì chuòchuòyŏuyú, yŏu rú hèlìjīqún.

罗西特在那个地方显示不出自己的才能。他们不懂得赏识他和他的工作。其实他担任那一职务,才力绰绰有余,有如鹤立鸡群。

Luo Xi Te was unable to really shine at that place. They didn’t know how to appreciate him, or the work he did. He was really just too good for the job. In fact, he was a crane standing among chickens.

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