一鳴驚人

See also: 一鸣惊人

Chinese

		one; single; a one; single; a; (before verbs) as soon as, once; (before a noun) entire (family, etc.)	to cry (of birds)	surprising; astonishing; scary surprising; astonishing; scary; frightening
trad. (一鳴驚人)		一	鳴	驚人
simp. (一鸣惊人)		一	鸣	惊人

Etymology

From Han Feizi, Chapter 21 (《韓非子·喻老》):

楚莊王蒞政三年，無令發，無政為也。右司馬御座而與王隱曰：「有鳥止南方之阜，三年不翅不飛不鳴，嘿然無聲，此為何名？」王曰：「三年不翅，將以長羽翼。不飛不鳴，將以觀民則。雖無飛，飛必沖天；雖無鳴，鳴必驚人。子釋之，不穀知之矣。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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楚庄王莅政三年，无令发，无政为也。右司马御座而与王隐曰：「有鸟止南方之阜，三年不翅不飞不鸣，嘿然无声，此为何名？」王曰：「三年不翅，将以长羽翼。不飞不鸣，将以观民则。虽无飞，飞必冲天；虽无鸣，鸣必惊人。子释之，不谷知之矣。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Han Feizi, circa 2^nd century BCE, translated based on W. K. Liao's version

Chǔ Zhuāng wáng lì zhèng sān nián, wú lìng fā, wú zhèng wèi yě. Yòusīmǎ yù zuò ér yǔ wáng yǐn yuē: “Yǒu niǎo zhǐ nánfāng zhī fù, sān nián bù chì bù fēi bù míng, hēirán wú shēng, cǐ wèi hé míng?” Wáng yuē: “Sān nián bù chì, jiāng yǐ zhǎng yǔyì. Bù fēi bù míng, jiāng yǐ guān mín zé. Suī wú fēi, fēi bì chōngtiān; suī wú míng, míng bì jīngrén. Zǐ shì zhī, bùgǔ zhīzhī yǐ.” [Pinyin]

King Zhuang, for three years after he took the reins of government, issued no decree and formulated no policy. Therefore, one day the Right Commissioner of the Army, when attending on the Throne, made before the King an intimation, saying: "There is a bird which has perched or a hill-top in the south. For three years it has neither fluttered nor flown nor sung but kept silent without making any sound. What is the name of that bird?" In reply the King said: "For three years it has not fluttered in order thereby to grow its wings and feathers, and has neither flown nor sung in order thereby to look at the conditions of the people. Though it has not flown, yet once it starts flying, it will soar high up into the sky. Though it has not sung, yet once it starts singing, it will surprise everybody. Leave it as it has been. I, the King, understand what you mean."

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yīmíngjīngrén

  (Zhuyin): ㄧ ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄐㄧㄥ ㄖㄣˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): jat¹ ming⁴ ging¹ jan⁴
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): it-bêng-keng-jîn / it-bêng-keng-lîn

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yīmíngjīngrén [Phonetic: yìmíngjīngrén]
    • Zhuyin: ㄧ ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄐㄧㄥ ㄖㄣˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yimíngjingrén
    • Wade–Giles: i¹-ming²-ching¹-jên²
    • Yale: yī-míng-jīng-rén
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: imingjingren
    • Palladius: иминцзинжэнь (iminczinžɛnʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ miŋ³⁵ t͡ɕiŋ⁵⁵ ʐən³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: jat¹ ming⁴ ging¹ jan⁴
    • Yale: yāt mìhng gīng yàhn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jat⁷ ming⁴ ging¹ jan⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: yed¹ ming⁴ ging¹ yen⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɐt̚⁵ mɪŋ²¹ kɪŋ⁵⁵ jɐn²¹/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: it-bêng-keng-jîn
    • Tâi-lô: it-bîng-king-jîn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: itbengkengjiin
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /it̚³²⁻⁴ biɪŋ²³⁻³³ kiɪŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ zin²³/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /it̚³²⁻⁵ biɪŋ¹³⁻²² kiɪŋ⁴⁴⁻²² d͡zin¹³/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: it-bêng-keng-lîn
    • Tâi-lô: it-bîng-king-lîn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: itbengkengliin
    • IPA (Xiamen): /it̚³²⁻⁴ biɪŋ²⁴⁻²² kiɪŋ⁴⁴⁻²² lin²⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /it̚⁵⁻²⁴ biɪŋ²⁴⁻²² kiɪŋ³³ lin²⁴/
    • IPA (Taipei): /it̚³²⁻⁴ biɪŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ kiɪŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ lin²⁴/

Idiom

一鳴驚人

1. to amaze the world with a single brilliant feat; to become famous overnight; to set the world on fire; a bolt from the blue

   • 可比賽的過程卻是讓人大跌眼鏡，與之前輿論的低調相比，兩只隊伍的表現可謂不鳴則已一鳴驚人。 [MSC, trad.]
     可比赛的过程却是让人大跌眼镜，与之前舆论的低调相比，两只队伍的表现可谓不鸣则已一鸣惊人。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 2006: anon, 《ESWC ——“梦，开始的地方》 (Electronic Sports World Cup -- "A dream is the starting place")

     Kě bǐsài de guòchéng què shì ràng rén dàdiēyǎnjìng, yǔ zhīqián yúlùn de dīdiào xiāngbǐ, liǎng zhī duìwǔ de biǎoxiàn kěwèi bù míng zé yǐ yīmíngjīngrén. [Pinyin]

     But as the game progressed, everybody had to take off their glasses in disbelief. Compared to the previous low expections in public opinion polls, the performance of the two teams was literally a bolt from the blue.

Derived terms

• 不鳴則已，一鳴驚人／不鸣则已，一鸣惊人 (bù míng zé yǐ, yīmíngjīngrén)