每天成语
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面目全非

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

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: miàn mù quán fēi
  • English Translation: Changed beyond recognition (completely disfigured)
  • Idiom Composition: 「面目」（Appearance, features, or face）＋「全」（Completely or entirely）＋「非」（Not (the same as before) or wrong）
  • Meaning: A state where the original appearance or condition has been completely lost or ruined. It is typically used in a negative context to describe destruction, deterioration, or corruption, implying that the current state is far worse than the original.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「面目全非」 contains the following nuances:

  • Negative Transformation: This idiom does not simply mean 'change.' it specifically refers to undesirable shifts, such as something beautiful becoming ugly, something orderly being destroyed, or an original purpose being distorted.
  • Total Alteration: The word 全非 (quán fēi) emphasizes that the change is absolute; not a single trace of the former appearance remains.

3. Usage

「面目全非」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Physical Destruction: The most common usage, describing buildings, landscapes, or objects that have been ruined by war, disasters, or accidents until they are unrecognizable.
    • Example:「那场大火之后，原本繁华的街道变得面目全非。」
      （After that massive fire, the once-bustling street was changed beyond recognition.）
  • Abstract Distortion: Used critically to describe plans, articles, or cultural traditions that have been modified or corrupted so much that the original intent or quality is lost.
    • Example:「经过多次随意的修改，这个剧本已经面目全非，失去了原著的精髓。」
      （After numerous careless revisions, the script has been altered beyond recognition, losing the essence of the original work.）
  • Physical Disfigurement: Describes a person's face or appearance being severely altered due to injury, illness, or violence.
    • Example:「他在车祸中受了重伤，被救出时已经面目全非。」
      （He was seriously injured in the car accident and was completely unrecognizable by the time he was rescued.）

Additional Examples:

  1. 多年的战乱让这座古城面目全非。
    （Years of war have left this ancient city in a state of total ruin.）
  2. 如果不加以保护，这里的生态环境很快就会面目全非。
    （If we do not protect it, the ecological environment here will soon be completely destroyed.）
  3. 这个传统的节日习俗在商业化的冲击下，早已面目全非。
    （Under the impact of commercialization, this traditional holiday custom has long since lost its original form.）
  4. 原来的方案被改得面目全非，大家都认不出来了。
    （The original proposal was modified beyond recognition, to the point where no one could identify it anymore.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • The idiom originates from the story 'Lu Pan' (陆判) in the Qing Dynasty collection of supernatural tales, Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio (聊斋志异), written by Pu Songling (蒲松龄). In the story, a judge from the underworld replaces a man's wife's head with a more beautiful one, a scene where the term was used literally to describe a face being changed.
  • In modern usage, while it can still describe physical disfigurement, it is more frequently used metaphorically to criticize the degradation of things. It is the polar opposite of 焕然一新 (huàn rán yī xīn), which describes a positive, refreshing change like a brand-new renovation.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

面目全非 (miàn mù quán fēi) is used to describe something that has changed so drastically for the worse that it no longer resembles its former self. Whether it refers to physical destruction caused by a disaster or the corruption of a text or plan, it carries a strong negative connotation. It should not be used for positive transformations, such as a beautiful renovation.

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