每天成语
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触景生情

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

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: chù jǐng shēng qíng
  • English Translation: The sight of a scene stirs up emotions
  • Idiom Composition: 「触」（To touch, encounter, or be triggered by）＋「景」（Scenery, scene, or circumstances）＋「生」（To produce, arise, or give birth to）＋「情」（Emotion, feeling, or sentiment）
  • Meaning: To be moved by the sight of a particular scene or situation, causing certain emotions—such as nostalgia, sadness, or deep reflection—to arise naturally. It is often used when revisiting places tied to past memories.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「触景生情」 contains the following nuances:

  • External Stimulus as a Trigger: This idiom emphasizes that the emotion is not spontaneous but is specifically triggered by 'touching' (触) or encountering a visual 'scene' (景).
  • Emotional Nuance: While it can apply to any emotion, it is most frequently used for sentimental, nostalgic, or melancholic feelings associated with the passage of time or loss.

3. Usage

「触景生情」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Revisiting a hometown or place of memories: Most commonly used when visiting a former home or school and feeling a surge of emotion upon seeing how things have or haven't changed.
    • Example:「回到阔别多年的母校，看着操场上的孩子们，我不禁触景生情。」
      （Returning to my alma mater after many years and seeing the children on the playground, I couldn't help but be moved by the scene.）
  • Seeing mementos or keepsakes: Used when an object or a specific visual detail triggers a memory of the past or a person who is no longer there.
    • Example:「翻开那本旧相册，每一张照片都让他触景生情，想起了往日的时光。」
      （Opening that old photo album, every picture stirred up his emotions, reminding him of days gone by.）
  • Avoiding triggers of grief: Often used in the negative sense (怕触景生情) to describe avoiding a place so that one does not become overwhelmed by painful memories.
    • Example:「自从妻子去世后，他搬离了那座房子，以免触景生情。」
      （Since his wife passed away, he moved out of that house to avoid being constantly reminded of her by his surroundings.）

Additional Examples:

  1. 走在秋天的落叶中，诗人触景生情，写下了一首感伤的诗。
    （Walking through the autumn leaves, the poet was moved by the scenery and wrote a sentimental poem.）
  2. 为了不让母亲触景生情，我们把父亲生前的用品都收了起来。
    （To prevent our mother from becoming overwhelmed by memories, we put away all of our father's belongings.）
  3. 这部电影的场景太真实了，让很多经历过那个年代的观众触景生情。
    （The movie's sets were so realistic that they evoked deep emotions in many viewers who had lived through that era.）
  4. 虽然是故地重游，但他并没有触景生情，反而觉得一切都很陌生。
    （Although he was revisiting an old haunt, he did not feel any particular connection to the scene; instead, everything felt quite foreign.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • In Chinese literary theory, the relationship between 景 (jǐng - scenery) and 情 (qíng - emotion) is fundamental. A perfect piece of writing is often described as 情景交融 (qíng jǐng jiāo róng), where the scene and the emotion are perfectly blended.
  • The idiom appears in historical works such as the Ming Dynasty text A Book to Burn (诗经 - Fén Shū) by Li Zhi (李挚). It reflects a long-standing tradition in Chinese poetry of using nature to reflect human transience.
  • While similar to 睹物思人 (dǔ wù sī rén), which specifically means 'seeing an object and thinking of a person,' 触景生情 (chù jǐng shēng qíng) is broader and can refer to general reflections on life, history, or one's own fate.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

触景生情 (chù jǐng shēng qíng) describes the spontaneous arising of feelings triggered by one's external environment. It is a common expression for the 'sentimental' or 'moved' feeling one gets when returning to a hometown or seeing a place that has changed over time. It can also be used in the context of avoiding certain places to prevent painful memories from being triggered.

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