濫竽充數

See also: 滥竽充数

Chinese

	filling a position without having the necessary qualifications	to add unqualified members to a group of experts; to pad the numbers
trad. (濫竽充數)	濫竽	充數
simp. (滥竽充数)	滥竽	充数
Literally: “to pretend to play the yu in order to make up the numbers”.

Etymology

A story in Han Feizi:

齊宣王使人吹竽必三百人。
南郭處士請為王吹竽，宣王說之，廩食以數百人。
宣王死，湣王立，好一一聽之，處士逃。 [Classical Chinese, trad.][▼ expand/hide]
齐宣王使人吹竽必三百人。
南郭处士请为王吹竽，宣王说之，廪食以数百人。
宣王死，湣王立，好一一听之，处士逃。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Han Feizi, circa 2^nd century BCE

Qí Xuānwáng shǐ rén chuī yú bì sān bǎi rén.
Nánguō chǔshì qǐng wèi wáng chuī yú, Xuānwáng yuè zhī, lǐnshí yǐ shù bǎi rén.
Xuānwáng sǐ, Mǐnwáng lì, hào yīyī tīng zhī, chǔshì táo. [Pinyin]

Whenever King Xuan of Qi had men play the yu [a musical instrument], there had to be 300 men playing simultaneously.
A reclusive scholar, by the name of Nanguo [lit. southern wall of a city], who was unable to play the instrument, asked if he could join the ensemble and play the yu for the king. King Xuan was delighted by this, and dispensed enough food rations for several hundred musicians.
Then, King Xuan died, and King Min took the throne. He preferred to listen to the yu players one-by-one, so the reclusive scholar fled. (Wiktionary translation)

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): lànyúchōngshù

(Zhuyin): ㄌㄢˋ ㄩˊ ㄔㄨㄥㄕㄨˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): laam⁶ jyu⁴ cung¹ sou³, laam⁵ jyu⁴ cung¹ sou³, laam⁵ jyu¹ cung¹ sou³

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Pinyin: lànyúchōngshù
  - Zhuyin: ㄌㄢˋ ㄩˊ ㄔㄨㄥㄕㄨˋ
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: lannyuchongshuh
  - IPA ^(key): /la̠n⁵¹ y³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰʊŋ⁵⁵ ʂu⁵¹/
- (Standard Chinese, erhua-ed)⁺
  - Pinyin: lànyúchōngshùr
  - Zhuyin: ㄌㄢˋ ㄩˊ ㄔㄨㄥㄕㄨˋㄦ
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: lannyuchongshull
  - IPA ^(key): /la̠n⁵¹ y³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰʊŋ⁵⁵ ʂuɻ⁵¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: laam⁶ jyu⁴ cung¹ sou³, laam⁵ jyu⁴ cung¹ sou³, laam⁵ jyu¹ cung¹ sou³
  - Yale: laahm yùh chūng sou, láahm yùh chūng sou, láahm yū chūng sou
  - Cantonese Pinyin: laam⁶ jy⁴ tsung¹ sou³, laam⁵ jy⁴ tsung¹ sou³, laam⁵ jy¹ tsung¹ sou³
  - Guangdong Romanization: lam⁶ yu⁴ cung¹ sou³, lam⁵ yu⁴ cung¹ sou³, lam⁵ yu¹ cung¹ sou³
  - IPA ^(key): /lɑːm²² jyː²¹ t͡sʰʊŋ⁵⁵ sou̯³³/, /lɑːm¹³ jyː²¹ t͡sʰʊŋ⁵⁵ sou̯³³/, /lɑːm¹³ jyː⁵⁵ t͡sʰʊŋ⁵⁵ sou̯³³/

Idiom

濫竽充數

(figuratively, pejorative) to fill a position without having the necessary qualifications; to be a token member of a group; to masquerade as having an ability; to sell seconds at best-quality prices

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