每天成语
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大浪淘沙

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

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: dà làng táo shā
  • English Translation: Big waves wash away the sand (survival of the fittest)
  • Idiom Composition: 「大」（Big or great）＋「浪」（Waves or billows）＋「淘」（To wash, sift, or weed out）＋「沙」（Sand (representing the common or the weak)）
  • Meaning: Literally describes how powerful waves wash away sand to reveal what lies beneath. Figuratively, it refers to the process where intense competition, social changes, or the passage of time weeds out the weak, fake, or inferior, leaving only the truly valuable or capable.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「大浪淘沙」 contains the following nuances:

  • The Process of Natural Selection: The idiom emphasizes the 'filtering' aspect. The 'Big Waves' (大浪) act as a harsh environment or a sieve that removes the 'Sand' (沙), which represents the mediocre or the false.
  • The Test of Time: It is rarely used for a single, quick event. Instead, it usually refers to a long-term historical transition or a prolonged period of market competition.
  • Positive Outcome: While the process is harsh for those eliminated, the idiom is generally used to state an objective fact or to highlight that the 'gold' (the best elements) has finally been revealed.

3. Usage

「大浪淘沙」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Market Competition & Business: Used to describe a situation where many companies enter a market, but only the high-quality ones survive the pressure of competition.
    • Example:「经过几年的大浪淘沙，只有几家真正有实力的公司活了下来。」
      （After several years of intense market weeding, only a few truly capable companies survived.)
  • Historical Evaluation: Describes how time filters out temporary fads, leaving only people or works of genuine lasting value.
    • Example:「历史是大浪淘沙，那些虚假的名声终究会被遗忘。」
      （History is a process of weeding out the insignificant, and false reputations will eventually be forgotten.)
  • Life Trials: Used when a difficult situation reveals the true character of a person or the sincerity of a friendship.
    • Example:「这场危机就像大浪淘沙，让我们看清了谁才是真正的朋友。」
      （This crisis was like a great sifter, revealing who our true friends really are.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 互联网行业大浪淘沙，跟不上时代的企业都被淘汰了。
    （The internet industry is undergoing a massive shakeout, and companies that can't keep up are being eliminated.）
  2. 大浪淘沙始见金，只有经得起考验的人才能笑到最后。
    （Just as the waves wash away the sand to reveal the gold, only those who withstand the test will have the last laugh.）
  3. 在这个大浪淘沙的时代，我们需要不断学习才能生存。
    （In this era of constant elimination, we must keep learning to survive.）
  4. 时间会大浪淘沙，留下的才是经典。
    （Time will sift the wheat from the chaff, and only the classics will remain.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • The imagery is rooted in classical Chinese poetry, notably the 'Waves Washing Sand' (浪淘沙) series by the Tang Dynasty poet Liu Yuxi (刘禹锡).
  • It is frequently paired with the phrase 'only then is the gold seen' (始见金 - shǐ jiàn jīn), forming the couplet 大浪淘沙始见金 (dà làng táo shā shǐ jiàn jīn). This reflects the belief that true quality is only proven through hardship, similar to the English proverb 'a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.'
  • In modern Chinese, this idiom is a staple of business and social commentary, used to describe the 'shakeout' phase of an industry or the 'survival of the fittest' in a changing society.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

The idiom 大浪淘沙 (dà làng táo shā) uses the imagery of the ocean to describe a process of natural selection. Just as a strong current separates heavy gold from light sand, life's challenges and market forces act as a filter. It is frequently used in business to describe how only the strongest companies survive a crisis, or in historical contexts to describe how only true masterpieces endure the test of time.

Idiom Essay

dà làng táo shā
大浪淘沙
The Great Waves Sifting the Sand
zài在zhè ge这个shì jiè世界shàng上，měi tiān每天dōu都yǒu有wú shù无数de的xīn新shì wù事物chū xiàn出现。

In this world, countless new things appear every day.

xīn新de的liú xíng流行gē qǔ歌曲，xīn新de的wǎng hóng网红chǎn pǐn产品，huò zhě或者shì是yí gè一个tū rán突然bào huǒ爆火de的huà tí话题。

A new pop song, a new viral product, or a topic that suddenly explodes in popularity.

tā men它们chū xiàn出现de的shí hòu时候，wǎng wǎng往往shēng shì hào dà声势浩大，hǎo xiàng好像měi gè rén每个人dōu都zài在tǎo lùn讨论。

When they appear, they often come with great momentum, as if everyone is talking about them.

kě shì可是，nǐ你yǒu méi yǒu有没有fā xiàn发现？

But have you noticed?

nǎ pà哪怕dāng shí当时zài再rè nào热闹，guò过shàng上yī duàn一段shí jiān时间——yě xǔ也许shì是yī nián一年，yě xǔ也许zhǐ shì只是jǐ gè几个yuè月——tā men它们zhōng中de的jué dà duō shù绝大多数，dōu都huì会xiāo shī消失dé得wú yǐng wú zōng无影无踪。

No matter how lively it was at the time, after a while—maybe a year, maybe just a few months—the vast majority of them will disappear without a trace.

zuì hòu最后néng能bèi被rén men人们jì zhù记住、liú cún留存xià lái下来de的，wǎng wǎng往往shǎo zhī yòu shǎo少之又少。

In the end, those that can be remembered and preserved by people are often very few.

zhōng wén中文lǐ里，yǒu有yí gè一个fēi cháng非常yǒu有huà miàn画面gǎn感de的chéng yǔ成语，zhuān mén专门yòng lái用来xíng róng形容zhè zhǒng这种“shí jiān时间shāi xuǎn筛选yī qiè一切”de的guò chéng过程，jiào叫“dà làng táo shā大浪淘沙”。

In Chinese, there is a very vivid idiom used specifically to describe this process of "time filtering everything" called 大浪淘沙.

bì shàng闭上yǎn jīng眼睛，nǐ你kě yǐ可以xiǎng xiàng想象zhè yàng这样yí gè一个huà miàn画面：yī tiáo一条bēn téng奔腾de的dà hé大河，huò zhě或者bō tāo xiōng yǒng波涛汹涌de的dà hǎi大海。

Close your eyes and imagine this scene: a surging river or a turbulent sea.

jù dà巨大de的làng tou浪头dǎ打guò lái过来，bǎ把hé dǐ河底de的ní tǔ泥土hé和shā shí沙石quán dōu全都juǎn卷le了qǐ lái起来。

Huge waves crash down, churning up all the mud and sand from the riverbed.

shuǐ liú水流fēi cháng非常jí急。

The current is very fast.

nà xiē那些qīng piāo piāo轻飘飘de的、méi yǒu没有fèn liàng分量de的shā zi沙子，yī xià zi一下子jiù就bèi被shuǐ水chōng zǒu冲走le了。

Those light, weightless grains of sand are washed away by the water instantly.

dàn shì但是，shā zi沙子lǐ里rú guǒ如果hùn混zhe着chén diàn diàn沉甸甸de的jīn zi金子，huò zhě或者jiān yìng坚硬de的bǎo shí宝石，tā men它们bú huì不会bèi被chōng zǒu冲走。

However, if the sand is mixed with heavy gold or hard gemstones, they will not be washed away.

yīn wèi因为tā men它们yǒu有fèn liàng分量，fǎn ér反而huì会zài在shuǐ làng水浪de的chōng shuā冲刷xià下，màn màn慢慢chén diàn沉淀xià lái下来，xiǎn lù chū显露出yuán běn原本de的guāng zé光泽。

Because they have weight, they will instead slowly settle down under the washing of the waves, revealing their original luster.

zhè这jiù shì就是“dà làng táo shā大浪淘沙”。

This is 大浪淘沙.

“dà làng大浪”，dài biǎo代表zhe着jù liè剧烈de的dòng dàng动荡、shí jiān时间de的liú shì流逝，huò zhě或者shì是mǒu zhǒng某种yán jùn严峻de的kǎo yàn考验；ér而“táo淘”，jiù shì就是yí gè一个shāi xuǎn筛选de的guò chéng过程。

大浪 represents violent upheaval, the passage of time, or some kind of severe test; and 淘 is a process of screening.

wǒ men我们shén me shí hòu什么时候huì会yòng用dào到zhè ge这个cí词ne呢？

When do we use this term?

wǎng wǎng往往shì是zài在huí kàn回看yī duàn一段lì shǐ历史，huò zhě或者píng jià评价yī zhǒng一种xiàn xiàng现象de的shí hòu时候。

Often when looking back at a period of history or evaluating a phenomenon.

bǐ rú比如，shì chǎng市场shàng上tū rán突然chū xiàn出现le了hěn很duō多lèi sì类似de的gōng sī公司，dà jiā大家dōu都shuō说zì jǐ自己zuì hǎo最好。

For example, many similar companies suddenly appear on the market, and everyone says they are the best.

zhè shí hòu这时候nǐ你hěn很nán难fēn qīng分清shuí谁shì是zhēn de真的hǎo好。

At that time, it is difficult for you to distinguish who is truly good.

zhǐ yǒu只有dāng当jīng jì经济huán jìng环境biàn chà变差le了，huò zhě或者rè dù热度tuì qù退去le了——yě也jiù shì就是“dà làng大浪”lái来le了de的shí hòu时候，nà xiē那些méi yǒu没有shí lì实力de的gōng sī公司cái才huì会dǎo xià倒下，zhēn zhèng真正yōu xiù优秀de的qǐ yè企业cái才huì会liú xià留下lái来。

Only when the economic environment worsens or the hype fades—that is, when the 大浪 comes—will those companies without strength fall, and truly excellent enterprises remain.

zhè shí hòu这时候，wǒ men我们jiù就huì会shuō说：zhè这shì是“dà làng táo shā大浪淘沙”de的jié guǒ结果。

At this time, we would say: this is the result of 大浪淘沙.

zhè这jiù就hǎo xiàng好像zài在gào sù告诉wǒ men我们：hùn luàn混乱hé和kùn nán困难，yǒu shí hòu有时候bìng并bú shì不是huài shì坏事。

It is as if it is telling us: chaos and difficulties are sometimes not a bad thing.

tā它xiàng像shì是yī bǎ一把shāi zi筛子。

It is like a sieve.

tā它huì会wú qíng无情dì地dài zǒu带走nà xiē那些xū jiǎ虚假de的、zàn shí暂时de的、còu rè nào凑热闹de的dōng xī东西。

It ruthlessly takes away those things that are fake, temporary, or just joining the crowd.

dàn但tóng shí同时，tā它yě也bāng帮wǒ men我们liú xià留下le了nà xiē那些zhēn zhèng真正yǒu有jià zhí价值、jīng dé qǐ经得起kǎo yàn考验de的dōng xī东西。

But at the same time, it also helps us keep those things that are truly valuable and can stand the test.

suǒ yǐ所以，“dà làng táo shā大浪淘沙”zhè ge这个cí词，suī rán虽然tīng qǐ lái听起来dài带zhe着yī zhǒng一种jī liè激烈de的dòng dàng动荡gǎn感，dàn但tā它de的nèi hé内核qí shí其实shì是hěn很lěng jìng冷静de的。

Therefore, although the term 大浪淘沙 sounds like it carries a sense of intense upheaval, its core is actually very calm.

tā它tí xǐng提醒wǒ men我们，bú yào不要bèi被yī shí一时de的rè nào热闹mí huò迷惑。

It reminds us not to be deceived by temporary excitement.

zhēn zhèng真正de的jià zhí价值，bù不zài yú在于nǐ你chū xiàn出现de的shí hòu时候yǒu有duō多dà shēng大声，ér而zài yú在于làng cháo浪潮tuì退qù去zhī hòu之后，nǐ你shì fǒu是否hái还zài在nà lǐ那里。

True value lies not in how loud you are when you appear, but in whether you are still there after the tide recedes.

xià cì下次，dāng当nǐ你kàn dào看到mǒu zhǒng某种liú xíng流行qū shì趋势tū rán突然xiāo shī消失，huò zhě或者zài在jīng lì经历kùn nán困难hòu后fā xiàn发现shuí谁cái才shì是zhēn zhèng真正de的péng yǒu朋友shí时，nǐ你yě xǔ也许huì会xiǎng qǐ想起zhè ge这个cí词。

Next time, when you see a trend suddenly disappear, or discover who a true friend is after going through difficulties, you might think of this term.

yīn wèi因为nà那yī kè一刻，shēng huó生活gāng gāng刚刚wèi为nǐ你wán chéng完成le了yī cì一次“dà làng táo shā大浪淘沙”。

Because at that moment, life has just completed a 大浪淘沙 for you.

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