to be in one 's declining year

to be in one 's declining year

It is a Chinese idiom. The Pinyin is zh ōō NGM í NGL ò UJ ì n, which means that the morning bell has been rung and the leaking pot will be dripping. It's a metaphor for old age. It also means late at night. From political commentary.

Analysis of Idioms

In the dead of night

The origin of Idioms

In his political commentary, Cui Shi of Han Dynasty said, "when the bell rings, there is no traveler in Luoyang."

Idiom usage

It's late at night. Example: in the biography of Tian Yu in the annals of the Three Kingdoms, Wei Zhi, it is said that "it is a sinner to live in a place over 70 years old, for example, when the bell is still ringing and the night goes on." Liu Yuxi of the Tang Dynasty wrote in his pilgrimage table: "never sneer at the missing bell, and show the respect of Wei sang and Zi." Qian Qianyi of the Qing Dynasty wrote in the song of yuchuanzi: "the struggle for fame and wealth is endless, but the bell is ringing and the line is not finished." Wei Shu · you Minggen biography: "in the year of minister Sangyu, the bell is missing." "The biography of Liu Yu in the book of Sui Dynasty:" he is eighty years old, and the bell rings out until ～, it's time to be drunk. The fourth chapter of Zeng Pu's the flowers of the evil sea in Qing Dynasty

Idioms and allusions

Tian Yu was born in Yuyang county during the Three Kingdoms period. When Tian Yu helped Gongsun Zan defend Dongzhou County, Gongsun Zan's Department betrayed Gongsun Zan and led 10000 people to capture Dongzhou for Yuan Shao. Everyone was scared and ready to surrender. Tian Yu went up to the city building and said to Wang men, "you must have had to leave general Gongsun because of his kindness. Today, you come back to work for the thief. From this we can see that you are a heartless man. Even those who only have the intelligence to carry a bottle of water know how to protect their own bottle. I have accepted the appointment of general Gongsun. Why don't you attack immediately? " The king retreated in shame. Tian Yu went to Nanyang as the prefect. Previously, Hou Yin, a native of the county, led thousands of people to be bandits in the mountains and became a disaster in Nanyang. The former prefect captured more than 500 members of Hou Yin's party. Please put them all to death. Tian Yu summoned the prisoners, expressed the leniency of the imperial court to them, gave them a new way, opened the instruments of torture and released them all. When the bandits in the mountain knew it, they all broke up in one day. The imperial court greatly appreciated Tian Yu's explanation of this matter. When Tian Yu was 70 years old, the imperial court promoted him to Zhonglang general and led the governor of Bingzhou. Tian Yu asked for resignation many times, but the imperial court thought he was in good health and disagreed. Tian Yu said: "after the age of 70, you still occupy an official position. It's just like that the dripper (ancient night timer) has been leaked out, and the morning bell has been rung, but you still travel at night. This is a crime against the people." He eventually resigned.