滔滔不绝

1. Basic Information

• Pinyin: tāo tāo bù jué
• English Translation: Talking like a flowing river (to talk incessantly)
• Idiom Composition: 「滔滔」（the appearance of rushing or overflowing water）＋「不」（not）＋「绝」（to cut off, stop, or end）
• Meaning: To speak fluently and at great length without interruption, like a continuous stream of water. It can be used to praise someone's eloquence or to describe someone who talks too much.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「滔滔不绝」 contains the following nuances:

• Fluency and Continuity: The idiom emphasizes the smoothness of speech, where words flow out without hesitation or stumbling, much like a constant stream of water.
• Contextual Nuance: Depending on the context, it can carry a positive meaning of being 'eloquent' or a negative meaning of being 'verbose' or 'long-winded'.

3. Usage

「滔滔不绝」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

• Positive Evaluation (Eloquence/Knowledge): Used to praise someone who speaks fluently and persuasively during a lecture or debate, backed by extensive knowledge.
  • Example:「教授在讲台上滔滔不绝，向学生们展示了深厚的学术功底。」
    （The professor spoke incessantly at the podium, demonstrating his profound academic expertise to the students.）
• Neutral to Negative Description (Talkativeness): Used to describe someone who talks endlessly about their own interests without considering if the audience is interested.
  • Example:「他一聊起自己的光辉历史就滔滔不绝，完全没注意到大家已经不耐烦了。」
    （Once he started talking about his past glories, he went on and on, completely failing to notice that everyone was already losing patience.）

Additional Examples:

1. 面对记者的提问，这位发言人滔滔不绝地阐述了公司的立场。
   （In response to the reporters' questions, the spokesperson spoke at great length to explain the company's position.）
2. 两个老朋友久别重逢，一见面就滔滔不绝地聊到了深夜。
   （The two old friends reunited after a long time and talked non-stop until late at night as soon as they met.）
3. 别总是滔滔不绝地讲大道理，要多听听别人的意见。
   （Don't just ramble on with grand theories; you should listen more to other people's opinions.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

• Origin: This idiom is derived from the book Kaiyuan Tianbao Yishi (开元天宝遗事) from the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. It originally described the eloquence of Zhang Jiuling (张九龄), a famous chancellor who served Emperor Xuanzong (玄宗) of the Tang Dynasty (唐朝).
• Evolution of Meaning: While it was originally used to praise the brilliant speech of sages like Zhang Jiuling (张九龄), in modern usage, it is more commonly used to describe the sheer volume or duration of someone's speech. Whether it is seen as a compliment or a complaint depends entirely on the listener's perspective.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

• Similar Idioms:
  • 口若悬河 (kǒu ruò xuán hé): Literally 'speaking like a waterfall'; used to describe someone who is extremely eloquent and persuasive.
  • 侃侃而谈 (kǎn kǎn ér tán): To speak with confidence, composure, and logical clarity.
  • 夸夸其谈 (kuā kuā qí tán): To talk boastfully and without substance.link
  • 出口成章 (chū kǒu chéng zhāng): To speak or write eloquently and fluently, with well-formed sentences.link
• Opposite Idioms:
  • 沉默寡言 (chén mò guǎ yán): To be taciturn or a person of very few words.
  • 张口结舌 (zhāng kǒu jié shé): To be tongue-tied or at a loss for words, usually due to shock, nervousness, or being corrected.
  • 一言不发 (yī yán bù fā): Not saying a single word.link
  • 一声不吭 (yī shēng bù kēng): Not saying a word.link

6. Summary

The idiom 滔滔不绝 (tāo tāo bù jué) describes a manner of speaking that is continuous and uninterrupted, much like a rushing river. While it can highlight a person's deep knowledge or eloquence, it is also frequently used to describe someone who talks one-sidedly without stopping to listen to others.