不絕如縷

Chinese

		to be continuous; to be unceasing; to be ceaseless to be continuous; to be unceasing; to be ceaseless; to be unending; to be uninterrupted	as (if); such as	state in detail; strand; thread
trad. (不絕如縷)		不絕	如	縷
simp. (不绝如缕)		不绝	如	缕
Literally: “hanging by only thin threads”.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): bùjuérúlǚ

  (Zhuyin): ㄅㄨˋ ㄐㄩㄝˊ ㄖㄨˊ ㄌㄩˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): bat¹ zyut⁶ jyu⁴ leoi⁵

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: bùjuérúlǚ
    • Zhuyin: ㄅㄨˋ ㄐㄩㄝˊ ㄖㄨˊ ㄌㄩˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: bùjyuérúlyǔ
    • Wade–Giles: pu⁴-chüeh²-ju²-lü³
    • Yale: bù-jywé-rú-lyǔ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: bujyueruleu
    • Palladius: буцзюэжулюй (buczjuežuljuj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pu⁵¹ t͡ɕy̯ɛ³⁵ ʐu³⁵ ly²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: bat¹ zyut⁶ jyu⁴ leoi⁵
    • Yale: bāt jyuht yùh léuih
    • Cantonese Pinyin: bat⁷ dzyt⁹ jy⁴ loey⁵
    • Guangdong Romanization: bed¹ jud⁶ yu⁴ lêu⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pɐt̚⁵ t͡syːt̚² jyː²¹ lɵy̯¹³/

Idiom

不絕如縷

1. in a desperate situation
2. (of sounds) faint and long

   • 其聲嗚嗚然，如怨、如慕、如泣、如訴，餘音嫋嫋，不絕如縷。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     其声呜呜然，如怨、如慕、如泣、如诉，余音袅袅，不绝如缕。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: 1082, Su Shi, Former Ode on the Red Cliffs

     Qí shēng wūwūrán, rú yuàn, rú mù, rú qì, rú sù, yú yīn niǎoniǎo, bùjuérúlǚ. [Pinyin]

     The sound [of the xiao] was like that of whistling; it was like whining, like admiring, like crying, like complaining. It was lingering in the air, faint and long.

3. (proscribed) to be continuous; to be unceasing

   • 隨後，這樣的捐款不絕如縷、漸成常態：[…] [MSC, trad.]
     随后，这样的捐款不绝如缕、渐成常态：[…] [MSC, simp.]

     From: 2010 April 2, 《57年行善不绝如缕》, in 《京江晚报》, page 7

     suíhòu, zhèyàng de juānkuǎn bùjuérúlǚ, jiàn chéng chángtài: […] [Pinyin]

     Afterwards, such donations came in a constant stream, and people were soon accustomed to it: […]

   • 自然法為何不絕如縷？ [MSC, trad.]
     自然法为何不绝如缕？ [MSC, simp.]

     From: 2011 November 2, 《自然法为何不绝如缕》, in 《法制日报》, page 10

     Zìránfǎ wèihé bùjuérúlǚ? [Pinyin]

     Why won't natural law cease to exist?

   • 在魏晉南北朝隋唐五代這一歷史時期，詞源學的發展不絕如縷。 [MSC, trad.]
     在魏晋南北朝隋唐五代这一历史时期，词源学的发展不绝如缕。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 2020 October 5, 曾昭聪 (Zeng Zhaocong), 《建设中国特色汉语词源学》, in 《光明日报》 [Guangming Daily], →ISSN, page 06

     Zài Wèi-Jìn Nán-Běi Cháo Suí-Táng Wǔdài zhè yī lìshǐ shíqī, cíyuánxué de fāzhǎn bùjuérúlǚ. [Pinyin]

     In the five dynasties of Wei, Jin, Northen and Southern, Sui and Tang, etymology had been undergoing continuous development.