📖 Meaning
Literally meaning 'ears and eyes blocked,' this idiom describes someone who is poorly informed and isolated from the outside world. It implies a lack of awareness about current events and worldly affairs due to limited exposure, often caused by living in a remote or underdeveloped area.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom has no specific literary origin or associated historical anecdote. It is a descriptive compound formed from common Chinese vocabulary, combining '耳目' (ears and eyes, referring to one's channels of perception and information) with '闭塞' (blocked or cut off). The phrase is commonly used in modern Chinese to characterize people or communities that lack access to information, education, and cultural exchange, typically due to geographic or social isolation.
💡 Example Usage
住在边远山区的居民耳目闭塞，对外界的变化知之甚少。
Residents in remote mountainous areas are isolated and poorly informed, knowing very little about changes in the outside world.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 耳目闭塞
- Pinyin: ěr mù bì sāi
- Literal Translation: ear, eye, blocked, closed
- Category: Knowledge
- Characters: 4