As summer approaches in China, the annual frustration against incessant mosquitoes and other bugs now out in force is just beginning. But in ancient Chinese literature and poems, insects played all manner of roles, form slanderous mosquitoes to sly flies to self-destructive moths. Many sayings and stories involving insects became four-character chengyu (成語, chéng yǔ), some still in use today to describe, for example, veteran artists and inexperienced workers. Here are some useful chengyu involving insects, and the stories behind them:

飛蛾撲火 fēi é pū huǒ
A moth flies into flames

First mentioned in the Book of Liang (《梁書》liáng shū), the idiom was coined by the emperor Gaozu of Liang in the fifth century to persuade Dao Ji (到溉 dào jì), his respected court official (朝廷官員, cháo tíng guān yuán), to retire and let his talented grandson Dao Jin (到藎 dào jìn) take over. The emperor said to Dao Ji: "Don't burn yourself like a moth flying into the fire. (如飛蛾之赴火，豈焚身之可吝 rú fēi é zhī fù huǒ , qǐ fén shēn zhī kě lìn)" The phrase was first used to refer to one who makes relentless efforts toward a goal even when there is a risk of death in the process. Later, however, the expression came to refer to a fatal attraction—a warning against temptations like wealth or fame, that could become dangerous.

來源：The World of Chinese
編輯：萬月英