每天成语
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一劳永逸

*The explanations on this page are generated by AI. Please note that they may contain inaccurate information.

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: yī láo yǒng yì
  • English Translation: To do something once and for all (a permanent solution)
  • Idiom Composition: 「一」（One; a single time）＋「劳」（Labor; toil; effort）＋「永」（Forever; eternally）＋「逸」（Ease; leisure; freedom from toil）
  • Meaning: To put in the effort once so that one can enjoy ease and comfort forever. It refers to achieving a result through a single, decisive effort that eliminates the need for further work or worry in the future.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「一劳永逸」 contains the following nuances:

  • Root Cause Resolution: The idiom emphasizes cutting off the root of a problem so that it never recurs, rather than just treating the symptoms.
  • Justifying Initial Toil: It is often used to encourage people to endure temporary hardship or high costs for the sake of future peace and stability.
  • Realistic Limitations: While it represents an ideal state, it is frequently used in negative sentences to remind people that life usually requires continuous maintenance.

3. Usage

「一劳永逸」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Proposing Solutions: Used when suggesting infrastructure, systems, or medical procedures that have high upfront costs but provide permanent long-term benefits.
    • Example:「虽然这套系统的初期投入很大，但能一劳永逸地解决数据管理混乱的问题。」
      （Although the initial investment for this system is high, it can permanently solve the problem of data management chaos.)
  • Cautionary Advice: Used to negate the idea that a single effort is sufficient for things that require ongoing maintenance or lifelong dedication.
    • Example:「学习是一辈子的事，没有一劳永逸的方法。」
      （Learning is a lifelong journey; there is no once-and-for-all method.)
  • Medical or Repairs: Used when choosing a radical cure or a full replacement over temporary patches or symptomatic treatment.
    • Example:「医生建议做个小手术，这样可以一劳永逸地治好他的背痛。」
      （The doctor suggested a minor surgery so he could permanently cure his back pain.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 与其每次出问题都修修补补，不如换台新机器一劳永逸。
    （Rather than patching it up every time a problem arises, it is better to replace it with a new machine to solve the issue once and for all.）
  2. 想要一劳永逸地保持身材是不可能的，必须坚持锻炼。
    （It is impossible to maintain your physique with a single effort; you must exercise consistently.）
  3. 修筑这座大坝是为了防洪，希望能起到一劳永逸的作用。
    （This dam was built for flood control in the hope that it would serve as a permanent solution.）
  4. 这种杀毒软件可以一劳永逸地保护你的电脑不受病毒侵害。
    （This antivirus software can permanently protect your computer from virus infections.）
  5. 别指望有什么一劳永逸的捷径。
    （Do not expect any shortcuts that will solve everything forever.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • The phrase originates from the *Inscription on Sealing Mount Yanran* (封燕然山铭) by the Han Dynasty historian Ban Gu (班固), where he described a decisive military victory that would bring long-term peace.
  • It also appears in the ancient agricultural text *Essential Techniques for the Peasantry* (齐民要术), referring to the long-term benefits of planting certain crops.
  • While 一劳永逸 (yī láo yǒng yì) is generally positive, it is often contrasted with 一了百了 (yī liǎo bǎi liǎo). While both mean 'once finished, all is finished,' 一了百了 (yī liǎo bǎi liǎo) often carries a nihilistic or negative tone, such as 'death ending all troubles' or 'cutting ties completely,' whereas 一劳永逸 (yī láo yǒng yì) is used for constructive, permanent solutions.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

The idiom 一劳永逸 (yī láo yǒng yì) describes the concept of a 'permanent solution.' It is frequently used when proposing long-term fixes in business or technology to justify high initial costs. Conversely, it is often used in a cautionary sense to remind others that certain things, like education or personal growth, require continuous effort and cannot be solved **once and for all**.

Idiom Essay

yì láo yǒng yì
一劳永逸
Once and for All
shēng huó生活zhōng中，wǒ men我们cháng cháng常常huì会yù dào遇到zhè zhǒng这种má fán麻烦：tóng同yí gè一个wèn tí问题，jiě jué解决le了yī cì一次，guò过jǐ tiān几天yòu又chū xiàn出现le了。

In life, we often encounter this kind of trouble: the same problem is solved once, but it reappears a few days later.

xiū修bù hǎo不好de的shuǐ guǎn水管，zǒng shì总是zhǎo bú dào找不到de的wén jiàn文件，huò zhě或者zěn me怎么bèi背yě也jì bú zhù记不住de的dān cí单词。

A leaky pipe that never gets fixed, files that can never be found, or words that you can't remember no matter how much you memorize them.

zhè zhǒng这种chóng fù重复de的zhē teng折腾，zuì最ràng让rén人xīn lèi心累。

This repetitive tossing and turning is the most exhausting thing.

zhè shí hòu这时候，wǒ men我们xīn lǐ心里zuì最kě wàng渴望de的zhuàng tài状态，jiù shì就是zhōng wén中文lǐ里shuō说de的——“yì láo yǒng yì一劳永逸”。

At this time, the state we desire most in our hearts is what is called in Chinese—一劳永逸.

tā它de的zì miàn字面yì si意思fēi cháng非常xī yǐn rén吸引人。

Its literal meaning is very attractive.

“yī láo一劳”，shì是xīn kǔ辛苦yī cì一次；“yǒng yì永逸”，shì是yǒng yuǎn永远ān yì安逸。

一劳 means to work hard once; 永逸 means to be at ease forever.

hé qǐ lái合起来jiù shì shuō就是说：zhǐ yào只要zhè这yī cì一次bǎ把shì qíng事情chè dǐ彻底zuò做hǎo好，yǐ hòu以后jiù就zài yě再也bù yòng不用cāo xīn操心le了。

Put together, it means: as long as you do the job thoroughly this time, you will never have to worry about it again.

zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语qí shí其实shì是zài在jiào教wǒ men我们suàn算yī bǐ zhàng一笔账。

This idiom is actually teaching us how to calculate the cost.

hěn很duō多rén人wèi le为了shěng shì省事，xǐ huān喜欢zuò做jiǎn dān简单de的xiū bǔ修补。

Many people like to do simple repairs to save trouble.

bǐ rú比如，wū dǐng屋顶lòu yǔ漏雨le了，zhǐ只ná拿gè个pén盆jiē zhù接住。

For example, if the roof is leaking, they just use a basin to catch the water.

zhè yàng这样zuò做suī rán虽然dāng shí当时qīng sōng轻松，dàn但yǐ hòu以后měi cì每次xià yǔ下雨dōu都yào要máng luàn忙乱。

Although this is easy at the time, you will be busy and messy every time it rains in the future.

ér而“yì láo yǒng yì一劳永逸”de的zuò fǎ做法shì是：nǎ pà哪怕xiàn zài现在yào要pá爬shàng上wū dǐng屋顶，huā花jǐ tiān几天shí jiān时间chóng xīn重新pù铺wǎ瓦，lèi累dé得mǎn tóu dà hán满头大汗，dàn但zhǐ yào只要zuò wán做完le了zhè这yī cì一次，yǐ hòu以后de的měi每yí gè一个xià yǔ下雨tiān天，nǐ你dōu都kě yǐ可以ān wěn安稳dì地shuì jiào睡觉。

The 一劳永逸 approach is: even if you have to climb onto the roof now, spend a few days re-tiling, and sweat profusely, as long as you finish this one time, you can sleep soundly every rainy day in the future.

suǒ yǐ所以，zhè ge这个cí词tīng qǐ lái听起来xiàng像shì是zài在shuō说“tōu lǎn偷懒”，qí shí其实tā它yāo qiú要求de的shì是gèng更dà大de的jué xīn决心。

So, while this word sounds like it's about being lazy, it actually requires greater determination.

tā它yì wèi zhe意味着nǐ你yào要kè fú克服xiàn zài现在de的duò xìng惰性，qù去jiě jué解决zuì最gēn běn根本de的wèn tí问题，ér而bú shì不是zhǐ只zuò做biǎo miàn gōng fu表面功夫。

It means you have to overcome your current laziness to solve the most fundamental problem, rather than just doing surface work.

dāng rán当然，zài在zhēn shí真实de的shēng huó生活lǐ里，hěn很nán难yǒu有shén me什么shì qíng事情shì是zhēn de真的kě yǐ可以“zuò做yī cì一次guǎn管yī bèi zi一辈子”de的。

Of course, in real life, it is difficult for anything to truly be done once and last a lifetime.

shì jiè世界zǒng shì总是zài在biàn变，xīn新de的wèn tí问题zǒng总huì会chū xiàn出现。

The world is always changing, and new problems will always arise.

dàn但“yì láo yǒng yì一劳永逸”yī rán依然shì是yí gè一个měi hǎo美好de的mù biāo目标。

But 一劳永逸 is still a beautiful goal.

tā它tí xǐng提醒wǒ men我们：bú yào不要zǒng shì总是bèi dòng被动dì地yìng fù应付má fán麻烦。

It reminds us: don't always deal with trouble passively.

xià cì下次，dāng当nǐ你miàn duì面对yí gè一个jí shǒu棘手de的nán tí难题，xiǎng yào想要suí biàn随便yìng fù应付yī xià一下de的shí hòu时候，bù fáng不妨wèn问wèn问zì jǐ自己：wǒ我shì是xiǎng想yǐ hòu以后yì zhí一直má fán麻烦xià qù下去，hái shì还是yǎo咬yǎo yá咬牙，zhēng qǔ争取zuò dào做到“yì láo yǒng yì一劳永逸”ne呢？

Next time, when you face a thorny problem and want to just get by, you might as well ask yourself: do I want to keep having trouble in the future, or should I grit my teeth and strive for 一劳永逸?

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