肖翹

肖翹

1. (literary, ideophonic, of living things) small and tenuous; tiny; petty

   • 故上悖日月之明，下爍山川之精，中墮四時之施，惴耎之蟲，肖翹之物，莫不失其性。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     故上悖日月之明，下烁山川之精，中堕四时之施，惴耎之虫，肖翘之物，莫不失其性。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Zhuangzi, circa 3^rd – 2^nd centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Gù shàng bèi rìyuè zhī míng, xià shuò shānchuān zhī jīng, zhōng duò sìshí zhī shī, zhuìnuò zhī chóng, xiàoqiào zhī wù, mòbù shī qí xìng. [Pinyin]

     It is just as if, above, the brightness of the sun and moon were darkened; as if, beneath, the productive vigour of the hills and streams were dried up; and as if, between, the operation of the four seasons were brought to an end: in which case there would not be a single weak and wriggling insect, nor any plant that grows up [lit: nor any tiny thing], which would not lose its proper nature.