门可罗雀

门可罗雀

汲黯是武帝时的一位名臣。他当官时，每天拜访他的客人很多。后来他辞去官职，回家静养。清晨，他打扫庭院。中午，他打开大门，总见门前许多麻雀在寻觅食物，在那里嬉戏跳跃。他感慨地说：“从前我当官，宾客盈门，现在不当官，我可以张网捉鸟了。”

不久，皇帝又下诏请他回去做官。 过去常来的客人又纷纷来拜访他了。汲黯经过一场贫贱富贵的交替，看清了世态的炎凉。于是他在大门上贴上一张纸条。那班客人望着门上的字，只好腆着脸，悻悻地走了。

成语“门可罗雀”是说大门外可以张网捕鸟，形容门庭冷落。

To Be Able To Catch Sparrows On the Doorstep

Duke Jai was a Han dynasty (hàn cháo 汉朝) government official. Because he held a very high-ranking and pwerful position, many of his friends, relatives, and even acquaintances whom he barely knew often went to call on him. So all day long, horses and chariots were lined up in front of his house; it was really as if "the courtyard was as crowded as a marketplace."
Later, however, Duke Jai had the sad misfortune of being removed from office. His friends and relatives slowly stopped going to see him, and soon the only ones left in front of his house were flock of sparrows which would fly about and stop to rest on his doorstep. If he had net, Duke Jai certainly could have caught quite a few birds.

Not long afterwards, Duke Jai was reinstated. As soon as his friends and relatives heard the news, they all once again began to ride their horses or drive their chariots back to visit him. Duke Jai, however, was now unwilling to see them, and door reproving those who would only associate with people of wealth and status.

Today, we can use this idiom to describe any place which has been deserted, or where people are few.