Chinese Idiom: 点金成铁 (Dian Jin Cheng Tie)
English Translation: Turning Gold into Iron
pīn yīn: diǎn jīn chéng tiě
Idiom Meaning: It refers to the act of ruining someone else’s excellent writing or artwork.
Historical Source: 冯梦龙《古今谭概·苦海部》 (Feng Menglong’s Tales of Ancient and Modern Times: The Bitter Sea)
Idiom Story:
The idiom originates from the story of Wang Ji, a renowned poet during the Southern and Northern Dynasties. His five-character poem “入若邪溪” featured the famous lines “蝉噪林愈静，鸟鸣山更幽” (“As the cicadas buzz, the forest grows quieter; as the birds sing, the mountains grow deeper”). These lines gained immense popularity and were celebrated as masterpieces.
When these lines reached the Song Dynasty, the great writer Wang Anshi admired them but felt they could be improved. He borrowed the phrase “鸟鸣山更幽” (“the birds sing, the mountains grow deeper”) in his own poem “钟山绝句” (A Quatrain on Zhongshan) but altered it to “一鸟不鸣山更幽” (“Not a single bird sings, the mountain grows deeper”). Wang Anshi was pleased with his modification.
Later, his friend Huang Tingjian visited, and they discussed poetry enthusiastically. Wang Anshi proudly shared his new work and the changes he made. After carefully comparing the original and modified lines, Huang Tingjian pointed out that the original was much more profound. The original lines illustrated the harmonious yet contradictory relationship between noise and silence, vibrancy and tranquility in summer mountain forests.
Huang Tingjian humorously remarked, “此点金成铁手也” (“This is like turning gold into iron!”), implying that Wang Anshi’s alterations had tarnished the beauty of the original lines, much like a poor craftsman turning precious gold into worthless iron. This story highlights the dangers of unnecessary modifications in art and literature, leading to the idiom’s meaning of ruining someone else’s work.
