📖 Meaning
The virtue, grace, and meritorious achievements left behind by predecessors or ancestors. It refers to the enduring positive influence and legacy that former rulers or elders bequeath to later generations. The phrase emphasizes how the accumulated goodwill and accomplishments of the past continue to benefit those who come after.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the 'Book of Later Han' (后汉书), specifically in the commentary on the biographies of Wang Chang and Liu Yong. The passage reflects on the transition period of Gengshi (更始), the short-lived Han restoration regime, observing that the lingering grace and merit of the Liu imperial family—founders of the Han dynasty—were so powerful that no hero could withstand or oppose them. It illustrates how the accumulated virtues and achievements of an illustrious lineage cast a long shadow over subsequent political events.
💡 Example Usage
这家百年老店能延续至今，全凭历代先辈的遗恩余烈。
This century-old shop has survived to this day entirely thanks to the enduring legacy of its successive founders.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 遗恩余烈
- Pinyin: yí ēn yú liè
- Literal Translation: left-behind grace, remaining meritorious deeds
- Category: Power
- Characters: 4