cantostories

刮目相看

刮目相看 gwaat3 muk6 soeng1 hon3

This idiom means to rub your eyes and take a fresh look at somebody after not seeing them for a while. Usually denotes an improvement in the person, so now you must reassess them.

三國時代嘅吳國 ﹐ 有一位大將軍叫呂蒙。呂蒙細個個陣屋企好窮 ﹐無　受過好嘅教育。

saam1 gwok3 si4 doi6 ge3 ng4 gwok3, jau5 jat1 wai2 daai6 gun1 giu3 leoi5 mung4. leoi5 mung4 sai3 go3 go3 zan6 uk1 kei5 hou2 kung4, mou4 sau6 gwo3 hou2 ge3 gaau5 juk6.

In the Three Kingdom’s Period’s Ng (Wu) kingdom, there was a general named Leoi Mung. Leoi Mung was born into a very poor family, and so never had a good education.

吳國國王孫權覺得呂蒙生為一個大官 ﹐ 需要有良好　嘅　知識 ﹐ 所以請佢讀書增進學問。呂蒙每日就撥出一啲時間來睇書。

ng4 gwok3 gwok3 wong4 syun1 kyun4 gok3 dak1 leoi5 mung4 sang1 wai4 jat1 go3 daai6 gun1, seoi1 jiu3 jau5 loeng4 hou2 ge3 zi1 sik1, so2 ji3 cing2 keoi5 duk6 syu1 zang1 zeon3 hok6 man6. leoi5 mung4 mui5 jat6 zau6 but6 ceot1 jat1 se1 si4 gaan3 loi4 hon3 syu1.

The king of Ng, Syun Kyun, felt that being a general, Leoi Mung ought to have good knowledge of things, and so asked him to further his studies and understanding. Leoi Mung then started to set aside some time everyday to read books.

有一次 ﹐ 大臣魯肅揾呂蒙傾野 ﹐ 發現佢講野好有道理 ﹐ 比以前有好大嘅進步 ﹐於是就對佢講﹕“你已唔係以前嘅吳下阿蒙啦。 ”

jau5 jat1 ci3, daai6 san4 lou5 suk1 wan2 leoi5 mung4 king1 je5, faat3 jin6 keoi5 gong2 je5 hou2 jau5 dou6 lei5, bei2 ji5 cin4 jau5 hou2 daai6 ge3 zeon3 bou6, deoi3 keoi5 gong2: “nei5 ji5 ng4 hai6 ji5 cin4 ge3 ng4 haa6 aa3 mung4 laa1/3.”

One day, the lord Lou Suk came to have a discussion with Leoi Mung, and discovered that he had logic in his speech, and was much improved from before. He said to Leoi Mung, “You are no longer A-Mung under the Ng now.”

呂蒙就答話 ﹕ “士別三日 ﹐ 就要刮目相睇呀 ﹗”

leoi5 mung4 zau6 daap3 waa6: “si6 bit6 saam1 jat6, zau6 jiu3 gwaat3 muk6 soeng1 hon3 aa3!”

Leoi Mung replied, “Having separated three days, one should rub one’s eyes and take a fresh look!

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