📖 Meaning
Referring to a span of time from the distant past up to the recent present; over a long period of time. It emphasizes continuity across many years, both far and near.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom first appears in the Yuan Dynasty zaju play 'Lao Sheng Er' (《老生儿》) by playwright Wu Hanchen (武汉臣). In the楔子 (prologue), a character named Zhang Lang is ordered to bring out all debt documents 'from distant and recent years' so they can be tallied. The idiom was later reused in Ming Dynasty writer Ling Mengchu's (凌濛初) story collection 'Chuke Paian Jingqi' (《初刻拍案惊奇》), where a similar scene unfolds.
💡 Example Usage
他把远年近岁的账本都翻了出来，一笔一笔核对。
He dug out all the account books from years past and recent, checking them one by one.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 远年近岁
- Pinyin: yuǎn nián jìn suì
- Literal Translation: distant, year, near, year
- Category: Distance
- Characters: 4