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Synopsis
A Chinese idiom about a man who loved dragon decorations but was terrified when a real dragon appeared.
Source
From Liu Xiang's "Xin Xu" (新序)
Meaning
Ye Gong Hao Long (叶公好龙): Lord Ye loved dragons — until a real one showed up. A metaphor for someone who claims to love something but only in theory.
The Story
A man named Lord Ye loved dragons so much that he decorated his entire house with dragon images. A real dragon, touched by this devotion, came to visit. But when Lord Ye saw the actual dragon peering through his window, he fainted from terror. He only loved the idea of dragons, not real dragons.
Moral
Don't confuse superficial interest with genuine passion.
References
- Baidu Baike: https://baike.baidu.com/item/叶公好龙
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