serve when employed, hide when not
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 4 examplesidiom
to serve in office when one's talents are employed and to live in seclusion when they are not; to act according to circumstances
literaryDerived from the Analects of Confucius (述而篇, 7.11): '用之则行，舍之则藏，唯我与尔有是夫。' This idiom describes the Confucian ideal of flexibility in service. Also written as 用舍行藏 (yòng shě xíng cáng).
Tā他
shēn深
ān谙
yòng用
xíng行
shě舍
cáng藏
zhī之
dào道
，
bù不
wèi为
gōng功
míng名
suǒ所
lèi累
。
He is well-versed in the wisdom of serving when employed and hiding when not, not burdened by fame or fortune.
Gǔ古
rén人
jiǎng讲
jiu究
yòng用
xíng行
shě舍
cáng藏
，
jìn进
tuì退
yǒu有
dù度
。
The ancients valued serving when called upon and withdrawing when not, measuring their advance and retreat with propriety.
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Zài在
nà那
gè个
dòng动
dàng荡
de的
nián年
dài代
，
xǔ许
duō多
zhī知
shí识
fèn分
zǐ子
xuǎn选
zé择
le了
yòng用
xíng行
shě舍
cáng藏
，
guī归
yǐn隐
shān山
lín林
。
In those turbulent times, many intellectuals chose to serve when employed and hide when not, retreating into the mountains and forests.
Zhēn真
zhèng正
de的
zhì智
zhě者
dǒng懂
de得
yòng用
xíng行
shě舍
cáng藏
，
shěn审
shí时
duó度
shì势
。
A true wise person understands how to serve when called upon and hide when not, judging the timing and assessing the situation.