蚁穴坏堤

Pronunciation: yǐ xuē huài dī
Literal meaning: Ant holes break dike

Origin & Usage

Dating to ancient Chinese agricultural texts, this observation of how tiny ant (蚁) holes (穴) can ultimately destroy (坏) a massive dike (堤) became a powerful metaphor for how small problems can lead to catastrophic failures. The imagery draws from the annual flooding seasons when river management was crucial for civilization's survival. Agricultural records from the Han Dynasty detail how inspectors would specifically check for ant colonies in dikes, recognizing their threat to structural integrity. In modern context, it warns against neglecting minor issues in everything from software security to organizational management, where small vulnerabilities can cascade into system-wide failures.

Examples

English: "A minor oversight in the code led to a critical system failure"

Chinese: 代码中的一个小疏忽导致了系统的重大故障

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