语言镜像：成语折射的谣言传播哲学
China has fought against rumors for thousands of years, and many old Chinese chengyus show this long tradition. These short phrases, still widely used today, teach people to think wisely about information. Though times have changed, the problems they describe seem familiar in today’s world of fast-spreading online messages. Let’s explore how ancient stories about facing rumors connect to modern life.
Three people make a tiger
Pang Gong was from the State of Wei. He was sent as a hostage (人质) to the State of Zhao. Before he left, Pang talked to the king of Wei, cautioning him against potential rumors of Pang’s betrayal (背叛) that Pang felt sure would spread once he was gone.
“If one says they saw a tiger in the streets, would you believe it?” Pang asked the king.
“No,” the king responded.
“What if a second person claims the same?” Pang inquired.
“Still having doubts,” the king said.
“And if a third person asserts (断言) it?”
“Then I’d believe it’s true,” the king answered.
Pang’s warning coined the idiom “three people make a tiger.” The phrase is still commonly used today to describe how repeated lies can become accepted truths.
A shortcut in Zhongnan Mountain
Lu Cangyong, a scholar during the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907), was a talented man who received little recognition for his work in the government. Lu decided to become a hermit (隐士), a role respected for learning and wisdom. He settled in Zhongnan Mountain near the capital Chang’an while spreading his reputation as a hermit.
Lu’s reputation soon soared, and later the court promoted him. Years later, Lu met Sima Chengzhen, a genuine Daoist hermit from Zhongnan Mountain. Sima humorously remarked that the mountain’s greatest value lay in offering a shortcut to official positions.
Nowadays, fake short videos have become the new “shortcut in Zhongnan Mountain” to gain traffic and exposure online.
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