📖 Meaning
This idiom metaphorically means to sift through a large quantity of things to find the valuable essence, much like panning sand to reveal gold. It is used to describe the process of carefully selecting the best from a vast amount of material. It emphasizes discernment and the effort needed to separate the precious from the ordinary.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from 'Shi Pin' (诗品), a work of literary criticism by Zhong Rong (锺嵘) of the Liang Dynasty. In it, Zhong Rong compared the poetry of Pan Yue and Lu Ji, saying Pan's poetry was like an unrolled brocade—beautiful everywhere—while Lu's writings were like sifting through sand to find gold: often one discovers treasure. The image of panning sand for gold became a metaphor for extracting literary excellence from a large body of work. Over time it broadened to describe selecting the finest from any abundance of material.
💡 Example Usage
编纂这部辞典时，学者们披沙简金，从浩如烟海的古籍中甄选出最精当的释义。
In compiling this dictionary, the scholars sifted through sand to find gold, selecting the most apt definitions from a vast sea of classical texts.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 披沙简金
- Pinyin: pī shā jiǎn jīn
- Literal Translation: sift through sand, sort out gold
- Category: Method
- Characters: 4