Learning Chinese: The Story of "Bole Xiang Ma" (伯乐相马 Bó Lè Xiàng Mǎ - Bole Appraises Horses)

Today, we'll explore a famous Chinese idiom through its origin story, helping you understand both the language and the culture behind it.

Idiom:Bole Xiang Ma (伯乐相马 Bó Lè Xiàng Mǎ - Bole Appraises Horses)

Source:"Strategies of the Warring States · Chu Ce Si" (《战国策·楚策四》Zhàn Guó Cè · Chǔ Cè Sì)

The Story:

Bole (伯乐 Bó Lè), whose real name was Sun Yang (孙阳 Sūn Yáng), was a man from the state of Qin (秦国 Qín Guó) during the Spring and Autumn Period (春秋 Chūn Qiū). He was renowned throughout the land for his extraordinary ability to judge the quality of horses (善于鉴别马匹优劣 shàn yú jiànbié mǎpǐ yōuliè - be good at distinguishing the quality of horses).

One day, as Bole was passing a hillside, he saw a horse pulling a heavy salt cart, struggling to climb the slope (步履蹒跚 bùlǚ pánshān - walk unsteadily). The horse was extremely thin, its bones protruding (瘦骨嶙峋 shòugǔ línxún - skinny and bony), its body drenched in sweat, and it was so tired that it was foaming at the mouth (口吐白沫 kǒutǔ báimò - foam at the mouth).

However, at a single glance, Bole recognized that this horse had an exceptional bone structure (骨骼清奇 gǔgé qīngqí - with unusual bone structure), its ears were as straight and elegant as bamboo (双耳如竹 shuāng'ěr rú zhú - ears like bamboo), and its eyes shone with a piercing light (目光如电 mùguāng rú diàn - eyes like lightning). It was truly a thousand-li horse (千里马 qiānlǐmǎ - a thousand-li horse, a metaphor for a rare talent) – a once-in-a-lifetime find.

His heart ached as if it were being stabbed with a knife (心如刀绞 xīnrú dāojiǎo - heart feels like being twisted by a knife). He rushed forward, hugged the horse's head, and wept bitterly (痛哭流涕 tòngkū liútì - cry bitterly with tears streaming down). He then took off his own linen garment and gently draped it over the horse's back, as if unable to bear seeing such a fine steed suffer such humiliation (不忍良驹受此屈辱 bùrěn liángjū shòu cǐ qūrǔ - cannot bear to see the fine horse suffer such humiliation).

The horse seemed to understand human feelings. Feeling Bole's知己般的怜惜 (zhījǐ bān de liánxī -知己般的怜惜 - the kind of pity a soulmate would have), it suddenly raised its head and neighed loudly. The sound was clear, resonant, and passionate, soaring straight up to the nine heavens (直上九霄 zhí shàng jiǔxiāo - soar straight up to the highest heavens), as if诉说自己的不凡与委屈 (sùshuō zìjǐ de bùfán yǔ wěiqū - telling of its extraordinary nature and its grievances).

This truly印证了 (yìnzhèng le - confirms) the later lament by Han Yu (韩愈 Hán Yù): "世有伯乐，然后有千里马。千里马常有，而伯乐不常有。" (Shì yǒu Bólè, ránhòu yǒu qiānlǐmǎ. Qiānlǐmǎ cháng yǒu, ér Bólè bù cháng yǒu. - "When there is a Bole, then there are千里马 (thousand-li horses). 千里马 (Thousand-li horses) are common, but Bole is not.")

Understanding the Idiom:

"Bole Xiang Ma" (伯乐相马 Bó Lè Xiàng Mǎ) is now used to refer to the act of discovering and appreciating talented people. It emphasizes the importance of discerning mentors or judges in recognizing true ability. So, when you hear someone called a "Bole", it means they are good at spotting talent!