Meaning of the Idiom
lan yu chong shu
Be there just to make up the number
During the Warring States Period (475-221BC), the King of the State of Qi was very fond of listening to Yu ensembles. He often got together 300 Yu players to form a grand music. The king treated his musician very well.
A man named Nanguo heard about that and he managed to become a member of the band, even though he was not good at playing the instrument at all. Whenever the band played for the king, Nanguo just stood in the line and pretended to play. Nobody realized he was making no sound at all. As a result, he enjoyed his treatment just as the other musician did.
When the king died, his son became the new king who also liked the music played on the Yu. However, he preferred solos so that he ordered the musicians to play the Yu one by one. Therefore, Nanguo had to run out of the palace.
The idiom “Be there just to make up the number” is used to mock someone who passes for a specialist. You can also hear people saying it about themselves to show their modesty.
滥竽充数
làn yú chōng shù，意思是不会吹竽的人混在会吹竽的队伍里充数。比喻无本领的冒充有本领，或次货冒充好货。
出自先秦《韩非子·内储说上》。
例句
傍晚爷爷在路边买了两斤橘子，回家却发现被骗了，里面有好多坏的。这个小贩真是滥竽充数！
学习不能滥竽充数，也不能不懂装懂，认识到这点才能进步。
每当媒体夸火箭队没有姚明不行时，他总说谦虚的说自己是滥竽充数。
Reading The Paragraphs!
Meaning of Words
| 词语 | 华文解释 | 英文解释 |
|---|---|---|
| 善于 | 指的是在某方面具有特长。 例句：他这个人非常善于和孩子们打交道。 | be good at; have genius for |
| 排场 | 意思指场面铺张，举行活动的规模大而过度。 例句：今年女王生日庆典参加人数少了很多，没有以前那么大的排场了。 | ostentation and extravagance |
| 有机可乘 | 意思是有机会可以利用，有空子可钻。 例句：我们要时刻保持警惕，不要让坏人有机可乘！ | there is an opportunity to take advantage of |
| 吹嘘 | 意为夸张地宣扬或编造优点、长处；或为对人和事过份吹捧。 例句：小刚总爱在大家面前吹嘘自己。 | brag; crack up; oversell |
| 翩翩(piān piān)起舞 | 形容轻快地跳起舞来。 例句：在美妙舒缓的音乐声中，一只白天鹅开始翩翩起舞。 | dance |
| 绝技 | 指人所具有的独一无二或者超出常人的技艺。 例句：经过十年苦练，小雨终于掌握了这项织花的绝技。 | unique skill; consummate skill |
| 爽（shuǎng）快 | 意思是舒适畅快，或形容做事或性格干脆直率。 例句：微风里摇曳的荷花，悠悠飘来的一股清香令人心神爽快。 | frank; refreshed; comfortable |
| 待遇 | 意思是物质上的报酬或政治上所给予的权利、地位；或指对待人的情形、态度、方式。 例句：你们职员的待遇多好，比我们公务员强多了！ | pay; wages; salary |
| 压根儿 | 口头词语，可解释为根本；从来。 例句：他是个老单身，压根儿就没有过恋爱。 | thoroughly; radically |
| 动情忘我 | 形容（人）的一种忘我的热忱心态。由于真心真情的投入，而忘记了自我的存在。 例句：孩子们合唱的如此动情忘我，舞台下的观众们完全被打动了。 | inebriate |
| 投入 | 指置身其中；或将感情或东西放进去；可用来形容全身心地做一件事情。 例句：自从了解到毕业考试的重要性，我更加认真地投入到了学习当中。 | to put in; to throw in; to plunge into; to join |
| 蒙骗 | 指骗人者通过模糊、扰乱受骗者等手段以达到自己骗人的目的。 例句：这个骗子专门蒙骗老人，警察终于将他绳之以法。 | blindfold, cheat, deceive |
| 不劳而获 | 意思是自己不劳动而占有别人的劳动成果。 例句：世界上唯一可以不劳而获的就是贫穷，唯一可以不付出就不断增长的就是年龄。 | reap where one has not sown |
| 好景不长 | 意思是美好的光景不能永远存在。 例句：他曾有过美满幸福的家庭，但是好景不长，随着妻子的病逝，经济的拮据，使他的生活陷入痛苦的深渊。 | all good things must come to an end |
| 惶惶（ huáng huáng）不可终日 | 惶惶，亦作“皇皇”，指急躁、慌乱、心神不定的样子。词语指心慌意乱，神不守舍，一天也过不下去了。 例句：自从伏地魔获得重生以来，背叛过他的食死徒担惊受怕，惶惶不可终日。 | to be on tenterhooks; to be in a constant state of anxiety |
| 不学无术 | 意思是指没有学问因而没有办法，现指没有学问，没有本领。 例句：这个暴发户不学无术，他的发财完全是靠投机。 | ignorant and incompetent |
| 露出马脚 | 比喻暴露了隐蔽的事实真相或内情无意中泄露出来。 例句：他绝不会轻易地露出马脚，承认自己是一名伪善者。 | give oneself away |
| 自欺欺人 | 意思是欺骗自己，也欺骗别人。现指“就是明明知道真相，却骗自己也骗别人，一般指不肯面对事实。 例句：她那满不在乎的样子实际是在自欺欺人。 | deceive oneself and [as well as] others |
| 逃之夭夭（yāo yāo） | 本意是形容桃花茂盛艳丽。后借用“逃之夭夭”表示逃跑。 例句：那辆宝马车撞倒了这个指示牌，竟然不做任何事就逃之夭夭了。 | ran away |
Daily Language 