伯樂一顧

Chinese

		Bo Le
trad. (伯樂一顧)		伯樂	一顧
simp. (伯乐一顾)		伯乐	一顾
Literally: “one glance from Bo Le”.

Etymology

From the Zhan Guo Ce:

蘇代為燕說齊，未見齊王，〈鮑本閔。〉先說淳于髡曰：「人有賣駿馬者，比〈鮑本比，猶連。〉三旦立市，人莫之知。往見伯樂曰：『臣有駿馬，欲賣之，比三旦立於市，人莫與言，願〈鮑本無「願」字。○〉子還而視之，去而顧之，〈鮑本顧，反視。補曰：還，當音旋，義同。〉臣請獻一朝之賈。』〈鮑本「賈」作「費」。○　補曰：疑「費」字。〉伯樂乃還而視之，去而顧之，一旦而馬價十倍。今臣〈鮑本「臣」下有「之」字。○　補曰：一本無。姚同。〉欲以駿馬〈鮑本馬，自喻也。〉見於王，莫為臣先後者，〈鮑本為之助也。〉足下有意為臣伯樂乎？臣請獻白璧一雙，黃金千鎰，以為馬食。」〈鮑本自喻為馬，則此所獻，馬之食也。正曰：獻此以為馬之食。〉淳于髡曰：「謹聞命矣。」入言之王而見之，齊王大說蘇子。 [MSC, trad.]

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苏代为燕说齐，未见齐王，〈鲍本闵。〉先说淳于髡曰：「人有卖骏马者，比〈鲍本比，犹连。〉三旦立市，人莫之知。往见伯乐曰：『臣有骏马，欲卖之，比三旦立于市，人莫与言，愿〈鲍本无「愿」字。○〉子还而视之，去而顾之，〈鲍本顾，反视。补曰：还，当音旋，义同。〉臣请献一朝之贾。』〈鲍本「贾」作「费」。○　补曰：疑「费」字。〉伯乐乃还而视之，去而顾之，一旦而马价十倍。今臣〈鲍本「臣」下有「之」字。○　补曰：一本无。姚同。〉欲以骏马〈鲍本马，自喻也。〉见于王，莫为臣先后者，〈鲍本为之助也。〉足下有意为臣伯乐乎？臣请献白璧一双，黄金千镒，以为马食。」〈鲍本自喻为马，则此所献，马之食也。正曰：献此以为马之食。〉淳于髡曰：「谨闻命矣。」入言之王而见之，齐王大说苏子。 [MSC, simp.]

From: 500–300 BCE, Liu Xiang, 戰國策黃丕烈札記/燕/二

Sū Dài wèi Yàn shuō Qí, wèi jiàn Qí Wáng, ‘Bào běn Mǐn.’ Xiān shuō Chúnyú Kūn yuē: “Rén yǒu mài jùnmǎ zhě, bǐ ‘Bào běn bǐ, yóu lián.’ Sān dàn lì shì, rén mò zhī zhī. Wǎng jiàn Bó Lè yuē: ‘Chén yǒu jùnmǎ, yù mài zhī, bǐ sān dàn lì yú shì, rén mò yǔ yán, yuàn ‘Bào běn wú “yuàn” zì. ○’ zǐ hái ér shì zhī, qù ér gù zhī, ‘Bào běn gù, fǎn shì. Bǔ yuē: hái, dāng yīn xuán, yì tóng.’ Chén qǐng xiàn yīcháo zhī gǔ.’ ‘Bào běn “gǔ” zuò “fèi”. ○, bǔ yuē: yí “fèi” zì.’ Bó Lè nǎi hái ér shì zhī, qù ér gù zhī, yīdàn ér mǎ jià shí bèi. Jīn chén ‘Bào běn “chén” xià yǒu “zhī” zì. ○, bǔ yuē: yīběn wú. Yáo tóng.’ Yù yǐ jùnmǎ ‘bào běn mǎ, zì yù yě.’ Jiàn yú Wáng, mò wèi chén xiānhòu zhě, ‘Bào běn wèi zhī zhù yě.’ Zúxià yǒu yì wèi chén Bó Lè hū? Chén qǐng xiàn bái bì yī shuāng, huángjīn qiān yì, yǐwèi mǎ shí.” ‘Bào běn zì yù wèi mǎ, zé cǐ suǒ xiàn, mǎ zhī shí yě. Zhèng yuē: xiàn cǐ yǐwèi mǎ zhī shí.’ Chúnyú Kūn yuē: “Jǐn wén mìng yǐ.” Rù yán zhī Wáng ér jiàn zhī, Qí Wáng dà shuō Sūzǐ. [Pinyin]

Su Dai, working on Yan's behalf, went to exercise his persuasions in Qi, but before seeking an audience with the King, (Min in the Bao version.) he first tried his arguments on Chunyu Kun, saying, "There was a person who want to sell a thoroughbred, so he went to the market with it three mornings in a row (In a row is as if repeatedly in the Bao version. ) but no one recognized its quality. He then went and sought an audience with Bo Le and said, 'I have a thoroughbred I wish to sell. I went to the market three mornings in a row but none of the people there have come to speak to me about it. I would like (The words "would like" do not exist in the Bao version. ○) you to return with me to look at it. Then, when you go to leave, glance backwards as you do so. (Glance backwards is look back in the Bao version. The supplement says that return is equal to return in pronunciation and their meanings are the same.) Your servant begs to offer you one day's expenses for this.' ("Expenses" is written as "fees" in the Bao version. ○ The supplement says that it is doubtful the word "fees" was used.) Accordingly, Bo Le returned with him and looked at the horse. Then he left, glancing backwards as he did so. The next morning, the horse's price was ten times what it had been. Now I (The word "of" exists under "I" in the Bao version. ○ The supplement says that another version does not have it. It is the same as the Yao.) have a quality horse (Horse is refer to myself as in the Bao version.) that I wish to show to the King, but I have no one to assist me. (To help me in the Bao version.) Would you consider being your servant's Bo Le? I beg permission to offer a pair of jade disks and a thousand yi of gold to cover your own expenses." (I refer to myself as a horse, so these things that are offered are to feed your horses in the Bao version. The correction says that I offer these to serve as food for your horses.) Chunyu Kun said, "I will listen attentively to your instructions." He thus entered the court and spoke to the King, securing an audience for Su Dai. The King of Qi was delighted with Master Su.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): Bó Lè yī gù

  (Zhuyin): ㄅㄛˊ ㄌㄜˋ ㄧ ㄍㄨˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): baak³ lok⁶ jat¹ gu³

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: Bó Lè yī gù
    • Zhuyin: ㄅㄛˊ ㄌㄜˋ ㄧ ㄍㄨˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: Bó Lè yi gù
    • Wade–Giles: Po² Lê⁴ i¹ ku⁴
    • Yale: Bwó Lè yī gù
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: Bor Leh i guh
    • Palladius: Бо Лэ и гу (Bo Lɛ i gu)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pu̯ɔ³⁵ lɤ⁵¹ i⁵⁵ ku⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: baak³ lok⁶ jat¹ gu³
    • Yale: baak lohk yāt gu
    • Cantonese Pinyin: baak⁸ lok⁹ jat⁷ gu³
    • Guangdong Romanization: bag³ log⁶ yed¹ gu³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /paːk̚³ lɔːk̚² jɐt̚⁵ kuː³³/

Idiom

伯樂一顧

1. To instantly raise the ask price of something

References

• “伯樂一顧 [One glance from Bo Le]”, in Baidu Baike [Baidu Encyclopedia] (in Chinese) (wiki), 2019 June 1, retrieved January 2, 2024
• “蘇代為燕説齊 [Su Dai, Working on Behalf of Yan, Went to Exercise His Persuasions in Qi]”, in Baidu Baike [Baidu Encyclopedia] (in Chinese) (wiki), 2012 December 8, retrieved January 2, 2024
• “The Stratagems of Yan II (A)”, in Stratagems of the Warring States‎^[1], 2022 December 3, retrieved January 4, 2024