Learn Chinese – 负荆请罪 Proffer a Birch, Ask for a Flogging
Submitted by Bill Belew on Thursday, 31 January 2008No Comment
负 fu 荆 jing 请 qing 罪 zui Proffer a birch, ask for a flogging.
Two generals found themselves in competition after one was promoted and the other one wasn't.
One general did all he could do subvert promoted general while the promoted general showed great tolerance for "considering the nation over his personal feelings."
When the evil general learned this, he went to the promoted counterpart to offer of birches and asked to be flogged by them.
The meaning – to acknowledge one's error and make an apology.
To be sure, there are lots of 'generals' at each other's throats in the work place with no one too concerned about the benefit of the company overall, except for the stockholders and owners.
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