小心翼翼

1. Basic Information

• Pinyin: xiǎo xīn yì yì
• English Translation: To act with great care, cautiously, and timidly
• Idiom Composition: 「小」（Small, fine, careful）＋「心」（Heart, attention）＋「翼」（Careful, cautious manner）＋「翼」（Careful, cautious manner）
• Meaning: Describes acting with extreme caution and carefulness. It refers to approaching matters with meticulous attention, fearing mistakes or failure.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「小心翼翼」 contains the following nuances:

• Attention to detail: Expresses paying close attention to small details to avoid mistakes.
• Cautious behavior: Means avoiding rash actions and performing each movement carefully.
• Sense of tension: Implies acting with a sense of tension due to fear of failure.
• Delicacy: Can also describe delicate movements or care when handling fragile or important items.

3. Usage

「小心翼翼」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

• Description of behavior: Used to objectively describe someone acting cautiously.
  • Example:「他小心翼翼地把婴儿抱起来。」
    （He carefully picked up the baby.）
• Psychological state: Describes a psychological state where someone approaches matters cautiously with a sense of tension.
  • Example:「第一次上台演讲，她小心翼翼地走上讲台。」
    （For her first speech, she timidly walked onto the stage.）
• Situation description: Indicates the need to act cautiously in dangerous or failure-intolerant situations.
  • Example:「在拆除炸弹的过程中，工程师们小心翼翼地操作着。」
    （During the bomb disposal process, the engineers operated with great care.）

Additional Examples:

1. 她小心翼翼地把玻璃杯放在桌子上，生怕打碎了。
   （She carefully placed the glass on the table, afraid of breaking it.）
2. 医生小心翼翼地为病人缝合伤口。
   （The doctor carefully stitched the patient's wound.）
3. 孩子们小心翼翼地走过独木桥。
   （The children cautiously crossed the narrow bridge.）
4. 他小心翼翼地打开盒子，里面是一件珍贵的礼物。
   （He carefully opened the box, inside was a precious gift.）
5. 面对这个复杂的局面，我们必须小心翼翼地应对。
   （Facing this complex situation, we must respond with great caution.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

• Emphasis on caution: In Chinese culture, caution has long been regarded as a virtue. The idiom '小心翼翼' reflects this cultural value.
• Origin from the Book of Songs: '小心翼翼' originates from the 'Book of Songs,' the oldest collection of Chinese poetry. The phrase 'like approaching a deep abyss, like treading on thin ice' expresses a similarly cautious attitude.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

• Similar Idioms:
  • 谨小慎微 (jǐn xiǎo shèn wēi): Extremely cautious and attentive to small details.
  • 谨言慎行 (jǐn yán shèn xíng): Being careful with words and actions.
• Opposite Idioms:
  • 粗心大意 (cū xīn dà yì): Careless and negligent.
  • 鲁莽行事 (lǔ mǎng xíng shì): Acting rashly without careful thought.

6. Summary

'小心翼翼' is a historically rich idiom originating from Chinese classics. It not only means being careful but also conveys the underlying tension and fear of failure. When using this idiom, it is important to understand its cultural background and apply it appropriately according to the situation.