指鹿为马

Pronunciation: zhǐ lù wéi mǎ Literal meaning: Point deer call horse

Origin & Usage

Zhao Gao, holding the Qin court after the First Emperor's death, brought a deer (鹿) before the young emperor and, pointing (指) at it, called it (为) a horse (马). The emperor laughed; the officials divided. Those who said deer, Zhao Gao later had killed. The Records of the Grand Historian tells it, and the point is not that anyone was deceived — everyone in the hall could see a deer. It was a loyalty test conducted in public, and Chinese uses the phrase for exactly that: an obvious falsehood that power requires you to affirm.

Examples

English: "The corrupt official deliberately misrepresented facts to protect his allies"

Chinese: 腐败官员故意歪曲事实以保护他的盟友