Drinking Poison to Quench Thirst

Chinese Idioms and Their Stories

In five thousand years of traditional Chinese culture, the Chinese idiom is a shining pearl in the treasure of the Chinese language. It is concise, vivid, expressive and an accumulation of historical facts and rich ethnic cultures. The formation of each phrase reflects historical truth, which mirrors the politics, military, culture, folk customs, ethics and ideals. These idioms make us better understand the long history of China, its superior wisdom and timeless language.

飲鴆止渴

飲(yin) - drink 鴆(zhen) - poison止( zhi ) - quench 渴(ke) - thirst

During the Eastern Han Dynasty there was a man named Huo Xu who was very intelligent. When he was 15 years old someone made a false accusation that his uncle altered the emperor’s edict. His uncle, Song Huang, was later arrested and severely tortured in jail.

Huo Xu wrote a letter to defend his uncle. He said his uncle was a born courtier and his career was very stable. He was already the highest official in his area and would be recruited into the royal palace very soon. In addition, his character was outstanding. Huo Xu asked why would such a person risk his life by changing the emperor’s edict? Even if his uncle was uneasy with the edict, he would certainly choose a proper and reasonable way to resolve the situation. Huo Xu went on to say that the behavior he was accused of is like eating poisoned food to fight hunger and drinking poison to quench thirst. It is impossible for anyone to do such a thing.

General Liang Shang read the letter and wrote a letter to the emperor defending Song Kuang.

Today people use the phrase “Drinking poison to quench thirst” to describe someone who wants to resolve a problem immediately while ignoring the disaster the immediate solution would bring.