As summer approaches in China, the annual frustration against incessant mosquitoes and other bugs now out in force is just beginning. But in ancient Chinese literature and poems, insects played all manner of roles, form slanderous mosquitoes to sly flies to self-destructive moths. Many sayings and stories involving insects became four-character chengyu, some still in use today to describe, for example, veteran artists and inexperienced workers. Here are some useful chengyu involving insects, and the stories behind them:

聚蚊成雷 jù wén chéng léi
A swarm of mosquitoes makes a noise like thunder

During the Western Han dynasty (206 BCE — 25 CE) (西漢時期, xī hàn shí qī), court officials advised Emperor Wu of Han (漢武帝, hàn wǔ dì) to strengthen the government and weaken regional forces (加強中央集權，削弱諸侯勢力 jiā qiáng zhōng yāng jí quán , xuē ruò zhū hóu shì lì) by taking land from his lords and trumping up charges against other members of the royal family.

Later, Liu Sheng (劉勝, liú shèng), known as the King of Zhongshan, and other lords were invited to a feast with the emperor (皇帝, huáng dì), where Liu shed tears and complained of the unfair treatment and slanderous lies spread by court officials (朝廷官員, cháo tíng guān yuán). "A lot of people blowing can make a mountain move, a crowd of mosquitoes can make murmuring turn into a noise like thunder (夫眾煦漂山，聚蚊成雷 fú zhòng xǔ piāo shān，jù wén chéng léi)," Liu declared to the emperor and assembled guests. "I live in Zhongshan, far from the capital where I don't have many allies in favor of me, which means I get worried when someone constantly speaks ill of me."

Convinced by his words, the emperor asked officials to stop their rumor-spreading, and instead compromised by letting Liu and the other lords divide their lands among their own family members, to reduce their regional strength. This chengyu has since come to indicate that small problems can cause a great deal of disturbance.

來源：The World of Chinese
編輯：萬月英