冷酷无情

1. Basic Information

• Pinyin: lěng kù wú qíng
• English Translation: Ruthless and heartless, cold and unfeeling
• Idiom Composition: 「冷」（Cold）＋「酷」（Cruel, harsh）＋「无」（Without）＋「情」（Emotion, compassion）
• Meaning: Describes being extremely cold and lacking compassion or sympathy towards people or matters. It refers to being indifferent to others' pain and suffering, and adopting a ruthless attitude.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「冷酷无情」 contains the following nuances:

• Lack of emotion: Expresses a complete absence of empathy or compassion for others.
• Ruthlessness: Means adopting a cold and merciless attitude towards others' suffering and sorrow.
• Indifference: Suggests showing no interest at all in others' situations or fates.
• Severity: Sometimes refers to an unsparingly harsh attitude or merciless treatment.

3. Usage

「冷酷无情」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

• Describing personality: Used to describe a person's character or nature.
  • Example:「他是一个冷酷无情的人，从不关心别人的感受。」
    （He is a ruthless and heartless person who never cares about others' feelings.）
• Evaluating actions: Used to critically evaluate a person's actions or attitude.
  • Example:「他对员工的冷酷无情，导致了公司内部的矛盾。」
    （His cold and unfeeling attitude towards employees led to internal conflicts within the company.）
• Explaining a situation: Can be used to describe a merciless situation or a harsh environment.
  • Example:「在这个冷酷无情的社会里，弱者往往被淘汰。」
    （In this ruthless society, the weak are often eliminated.）

Additional Examples:

1. 面对灾民的困境，他竟然冷酷无情地拒绝提供帮助。
   （Faced with the plight of the disaster victims, he ruthlessly refused to offer help.）
2. 这部电影展现了战争的冷酷无情，让人感到震撼。
   （This film depicts the ruthlessness of war, leaving people shocked.）
3. 尽管她外表看起来冷酷无情，但内心深处却隐藏着脆弱的一面。
   （Although she appears cold and unfeeling on the outside, deep down she hides a vulnerable side.）
4. 那个冷酷无情的杀手，最终受到了法律的制裁。
   （That ruthless killer was eventually punished by law.）
5. 在商场上，他以冷酷无情的手段击败了竞争对手。
   （In the business world, he defeated his competitors with ruthless tactics.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

• Emphasis on 'Ren' (benevolence): In traditional Chinese culture, the spirit of '仁爱' (rén'ài), meaning benevolence and compassion, has been highly valued. '冷酷无情' is viewed negatively as it stands in stark contrast to these values.
• 'Renqingwei' (human touch): In Chinese, the term '人情味' (rénqíngwèi), meaning human touch or warmth, is often used. '冷酷无情' can sometimes be rephrased as '没有人情味' (lacking human touch).
• Strong criticism: '冷酷无情' is a very strong term of criticism. Using it lightly can deeply hurt the other person, so caution is advised.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

• Similar Idioms:
  • 铁石心肠 (tiě shí xīn cháng): Heart of stone, ruthless and unfeeling.
  • 无情无义 (wú qíng wú yì): Lacking both human feelings and righteousness, disregarding human kindness and morality.
• Opposite Idioms:
  • 热情洋溢 (rè qíng yáng yì): Full of passion, very enthusiastic.
  • 温情脉脉 (wēn qíng mò mò): Full of warm affection, deeply loving.

6. Summary

'冷酷无情' is an idiom with a very negative connotation, contrasting with the traditional Chinese values of '仁爱' (benevolence) and '人情味' (human touch). When using this term, it is crucial to fully understand its strong critical nature and to carefully assess the person or situation. Furthermore, since there are many other Chinese expressions for 'cold' or 'lacking compassion', it is important to choose the appropriate word according to the context.