Chinese Idiom: 对症下药 (Dui Zheng Xia Yao)
English Translation: Administer the right medicine for the illness
pīn yīn: duì zhèng xià yào
Idiom Meaning: This idiom means to address a problem or situation with a suitable and appropriate solution. It emphasizes the importance of tailoring responses to specific conditions or issues, rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach.
Historical Source: 《三国志·魏书·华佗传》 (Records of the Three Kingdoms, Book of Wei, Biography of Hua Tuo)
Idiom Story:
Hua Tuo, an esteemed physician of the late Eastern Han Dynasty, was renowned for his exceptional medical skills, particularly in surgery. He was well-versed in various fields of medicine, including internal medicine, gynecology, pediatrics, and acupuncture.
One day, two officials from the region visited Hua Tuo with symptoms of headache and fever. Despite their similar symptoms, Hua Tuo prescribed different treatments for each. One was given a purgative (laxative), while the other received a dispersing medicine (to relieve cold symptoms).
Both officials were puzzled and asked Hua Tuo why they received different medications for the same symptoms. Hua Tuo explained that the distinction was due to the underlying cause of their illnesses. One official’s condition was caused by internal issues related to improper digestion, so a purgative was appropriate to cleanse the system. The other’s condition stemmed from external exposure to cold, thus requiring a dispersing medicine to alleviate the cold.
After following Hua Tuo’s prescribed treatments, both officials recovered from their ailments.
The effectiveness of Hua Tuo’s tailored approach led to the idiom “对症下药”, which is now used metaphorically to indicate the practice of addressing specific problems with precise and appropriate solutions.
