偷梁换柱

Pronunciation: tōu liáng huàn zhù
Literal meaning: Steal beam swap pillar

Origin & Usage

This idiom refers to the cunning act of stealing (偷) beams (梁) and swapping (换) pillars (柱), derived from a Warring States period tale of architectural deception. The story involves a craftsman who gradually replaced a building's support structure while maintaining its appearance, ultimately compromising its integrity. Originally describing physical sabotage, it evolved to represent any subtle substitution intended to undermine foundations while preserving surface appearances. In modern usage, it often describes corporate espionage, intellectual property theft, or any situation where essential elements are surreptitiously replaced with inferior alternatives.

Examples

English: "The investigation revealed that key data had been subtly altered"

Chinese: 调查显示关键数据被巧妙地篡改了

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