1. What are the four-character idioms in "Water Margin"
Not knowing Mount Tai, one horse leading the way, people trapped and horses exhausted, one stone's throw away, correcting evil and returning to the right path
1. Don't know Mount Tai [ bù shí tài shān ]
Explanation: Don't know Mount Tai. It means that one's knowledge is too narrow and one cannot recognize people with high status or great ability.
From: Chapter 2 of Ming Shi Naian's "Water Margin": "The master is so powerful that he must be a teacher. A child cannot see Mount Tai."
2. Lead the way [ yī mǎ dāng xiān ]
Explanation: Originally refers to riding a horse to charge forward in battle. Describe leading. It also means working in front of the masses and actively taking the lead.
From: Chapter 96 of "Water Margin" by Shi Naian of the Ming Dynasty: "Even if the troops are drawn up in formation, one horse leads the way, galloping down the mountain, it is like the sky is collapsing and the earth is collapsing."
3. People are tired and horses are tired [rén kùn mǎ fá]
Explanation: People and horses are very tired. Describes a tiring journey.
From: Chapter 77 of "Water Margin" by Shi Naian of the Ming Dynasty: "The horse and foot armies have lost their strength, and the men and horses are trapped."
4. A stone's throw away [ yī jiàn zhī yáo ]
Explanation: The distance equivalent to the range of an arrow. Metaphors are not far apart.
From: Chapter 90 of "Water Margin" by Shi Naian of the Ming Dynasty: "The horses came from the Songjiang River. The leaders who were going forward had already reached a stone's throw away and saw Songjiang and Guanzhong. Speak, and all the horses will wait."
5. To correct evil and return to the right [gǎi xié guī zhèng]
Explanation: Xie: improper, unrighteous; return: return. Return from the evil path to the right path and stop doing bad things.
From: Chapter 91 of "Water Margin" by Shi Naian of the Ming Dynasty: "The general has given up his evil ways and returned to the right path, and he has contributed to the country as much as Song, so the court should use him seriously.