断章取义

1. Basic Information

• Pinyin: duàn zhāng qǔ yì
• English Translation: Taking things out of context
• Idiom Composition: 「断」（To break off, sever, or cut.）＋「章」（A chapter, section, or a stanza of a poem.）＋「取」（To take, extract, or adopt.）＋「义」（Meaning, intent, or significance.）
• Meaning: To isolate a segment of a text or speech from its original context and interpret it in a way that distorts the original meaning, often to suit one's own agenda. In modern usage, it is a critical term used to condemn intellectual dishonesty or media manipulation.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「断章取义」 contains the following nuances:

• Ignoring Context: This refers to the act of extracting a single sentence or phrase without considering the surrounding text or background, which results in a meaning entirely different from the speaker's true intent.
• Intentional Distortion: Unlike a simple misunderstanding, this idiom often implies a deliberate attempt to twist meanings to justify one's own position or to unfairly attack an opponent.

3. Usage

「断章取义」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

• Media and Journalism: Used to criticize media outlets that extract small portions of an interview or report to create sensationalist headlines that mislead the public.
  • Example:「这家媒体经常断章取义，误导读者。」
    （This media outlet often takes things out of context to mislead its readers.）
• Arguments and Debates: Used as a rebuttal when an opponent focuses on a single phrase to attack you, ignoring the overall point you were making.
  • Example:「请你不要断章取义，听我把话说完。」
    （Please don't quote me out of context; let me finish what I was saying.）
• Academic Study and Reading: A warning against focusing on isolated sentences in classical or theoretical works without understanding the broader historical or textual background.
  • Example:「理解经典著作不能断章取义，必须结合当时的时代背景。」
    （To understand classic works, one must not interpret them out of context but must consider the historical background of the time.）

Additional Examples:

1. 网络上的谣言往往是通过断章取义的方式传播的。
   （Online rumors are often spread by taking information out of context.）
2. 他指责对方断章取义，歪曲了他的原意。
   （He accused the other party of quoting him out of context and distorting his original intent.）
3. 如果不看全文只看标题，很容易断章取义。
   （If you only read the headlines without the full text, it is easy to misinterpret things out of context.）
4. 这种断章取义的做法是不负责任的。
   （This practice of taking words out of context is irresponsible.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

• Origin: This idiom comes from the Commentary of Zuo (左传), specifically the 28th year of Duke Xiang (襄公二十八年).
• Historical Context: Originally, 断章取义 (duàn zhāng qǔ yì) was not a negative term. It described a sophisticated diplomatic practice where officials would quote stanzas from the Book of Songs (诗经) to elegantly express their own thoughts or intentions during meetings.
• Evolution of Meaning: Over centuries, the focus shifted from the 'creative expression' aspect to the 'ignoring the original source' aspect. In modern Chinese, it is used almost 100% pejoratively to describe distortion, misinterpretation, or 'cherry-picking' in media and debate.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

• Similar Idioms:
  • 望文生义 (wàng wén shēng yì): Interpreting a phrase literally based on the characters without understanding the actual meaning or context.
  • 穿凿附会 (chuān záo fù huì): Giving a strained, far-fetched, or forced interpretation to make something fit a preconceived idea.
  • 生吞活剥 (shēng tūn huó bō): To learn or use something without understanding its true meaning or context.link
  • 不求甚解 (bù qiú shèn jiě): Not seeking a thorough understanding.link
• Opposite Idioms:
  • 实事求是 (shí shì qiú shì): To seek truth from facts; to be practical and realistic.link
  • 融会贯通 (róng huì guàn tōng): To achieve a comprehensive and deep understanding by integrating various pieces of knowledge or parts of a text.
  • 一五一十 (yī wǔ yī shí): To explain something in full detail, item by item.link

6. Summary

断章取义 (duàn zhāng qǔ yì) is a four-character idiom used to criticize the act of cherry-picking words while ignoring their surrounding context. While it originated as a sophisticated diplomatic technique for quoting poetry, it is now used almost exclusively to describe the unfair distortion of someone's words, similar to the English concept of "quoting out of context."