Chinese Idiom: 见怪不怪 (Jian Guai Bu Guai)
English Translation: See something strange and not be surprised
pīn yīn: jiàn guài bù guài
Idiom Meaning: This idiom describes a situation where someone encounters something unusual or strange and remains unfazed or indifferent. It signifies a level of familiarity or resignation to oddities, implying that one has become accustomed to encountering strange phenomena.
Historical Source: The idiom originates from 夷坚三志 (Yijian San Zhi or Records of the Strange, Volume Three) by the Song Dynasty scholar Hong Mai.
Idiom Story:
During the Song Dynasty, there was a man named Jiang Qi who ran a tavern in a certain city. He often heard a mournful crying coming from his backyard but could never find its source. Over time, he grew indifferent to the strange sound.
One spring, five merchants stayed at Jiang Qi’s inn. That night, they also heard the eerie crying. They went to investigate and discovered that the sound came from a pigpen, where an old sow was crying. To their astonishment, the sow spoke and revealed, “I am Jiang Qi’s grandmother. In my previous life, I raised pigs and sold them. After my death, I was reborn as a pig, and now I deeply regret it.”
The merchants reported the strange occurrence to Jiang Qi and advised him to treat the old sow well. Jiang Qi dismissed their concerns, saying, “I noticed something strange two months ago. When you see something odd and don’t react to it, the strangeness will fade away on its own. Even if it is my grandmother reborn as a pig, so what? Just leave it alone.”
Despite the merchants’ insistence, Jiang Qi continued to disregard their advice and argued with them, leading to an unpleasant situation.
A few days later, Jiang Qi fell ill and suspected that the old sow’s curse might be the cause. He had the pig slaughtered, but his condition worsened rapidly, eventually leading to his death. In his final moments, he cried out with a sound similar to that of a pig being slaughtered.
From this story, the phrase “见怪不怪” emerged, emphasizing how Jiang Qi’s indifference to the bizarre phenomena led to an unfortunate end.
