枕石漱流

Pronunciation: zhěn shí shù liú Literal meaning: Pillow stone rinse stream

Origin & Usage

To pillow (枕) on stone (石) and rinse (漱) in the stream (流) is the standard image of the recluse who has declined office and lives off the mountain. Its fame, however, comes from a slip: the New Account of Tales of the World records Sun Chu, meaning to say it, getting it out as 漱石枕流 — rinsing with stone and pillowing on the stream, and then defending the mistake on the spot — he pillowed on the current to wash out his ears, and rinsed with stone to sharpen his teeth. Both forms are now current, and both appear in this collection.

Examples

English: "The researcher lived modestly while dedicating everything to his work"

Chinese: 研究员过着简朴的生活，把一切都投入到研究工作中