Learn Chinese - 杯弓蛇影Mistake the Bow’s Reflection in the Cup for a Snake
杯 bei 弓 gong 蛇 she 影 ying = Mistake a bow's reflection in the bowl for a snake.
A friend saw what he thought was a snake swimming in his bowl of wine. (People do see strange things when they drink, don't they?)
He then refused to have any more drinks with the friend until the friend was able to point out that the 'snake' in the wine was a reflection of the bow hanging on the wall behind him.
As a result, this idiom came to be used as a metaphor for too much suspicion or fear which results in false alarm.
When trying to close a deal that you have been working on for some time, be careful if you hear the other side use this expression.
What's this all about - Learn Chinese with Me
Tags: bow, reflection, snakePOSTED IN: Chinese Idioms
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