Idiom Explanation:
Although the whip is long, it should not be used to hit the horse’s belly, it will hurt the horse.
The original meaning of this idiom is that even if one has the strength, it is better not to use it because it will cause excessive injury. But now it’s a metaphor for not being able to finish something because your strength is not up to it.
Pronunciation:
鞭长莫及
biān cháng mò jí
Origin book:
《左传·宣公十五年》：宋人使乐婴齐告急于晋。晋侯欲救之。伯宗曰：“不可。古人有言曰：‘虽鞭之长，不及马腹。’天方授楚，未可与争。虽晋之强，能违天乎。”
Origin Story:
At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty in China, the dynasty was full of relatives and in-laws, and the great general Liang Ji was in power. Emperor Shun dispatched eight ministers, including Zhou Ju and Zhang Gang, to inspect the states and counties to investigate and collect corrupt officials. Among these eight men, Zhang Gang was the youngest and had the smallest official position, but he was an upright and outspoken man who was extremely dissatisfied with the current situation of political corruption and the emperor’s dimness and incompetence within the imperial court. He believed that in order to rectify the officials, the first thing to do was to severely punish the big officials in the court who were corrupt and bent the law. If this could be done, the small local officials would not dare to do anything wrong; otherwise, it would never solve much of the problem. For this reason, he was not interested in this visit and did not make it immediately. Only after repeated urging, he reluctantly left the capital.
Before Zhang Gang’s vehicle left the capital city of Luoyang, he ordered to stop at the Dujeong and ordered his men to dismantle the car they were riding in, bury the wheels in the ground, and not to go forward. His men were puzzled, so they asked him why he was doing this. Zhang Gang said indignantly, “The wolves are on the road, ask the foxes!” The surface meaning was that the wolves were in the middle of the road, so why bother to ask the foxes? Zhang Gang’s meaning is very clear: those big officials who run amok hold great power in the court, so why bother to inquire about those small officials who break the law? The implication is that the lawless officials should be punished first.
Zhang Gang returned to the capital and submitted a letter to Emperor Shun, exposing the crimes of the general Liang Ji and others who had collaborated with the party, victimized the people and framed the loyalists, and requested Emperor Shun to punish them severely. Since Emperor Shun favored Liang Ji’s sister, Empress Liang, he did not follow Zhang Gang’s request, although he knew it was justified.
Similar Idioms:
- 爱莫能助
- 力所不及
