▸ 从前cóng qián，有yǒu个人gè rén要yào卖mài一颗yī kē珍珠zhēn zhū。

Long ago, a man wanted to sell a pearl.

▸ 珍珠zhēn zhū很hěn贵guì，也yě很hěn好看hǎo kàn。

The pearl was expensive and very beautiful.

▸ 他tā做了zuò le一个yī ge漂亮piào liang的de盒子hé zi。

He made a beautiful box.

▸ 盒子hé zi上shàng有yǒu花huā，还有hái yǒu好看hǎo kàn的de颜色yán sè。

The box had flowers and pretty colors on it.

▸ 他tā把bǎ珍珠zhēn zhū放进fàng jìn盒子hé zi里lǐ。

He put the pearl inside the box.

▸ 一个人yī gè rén看到kàn dào了le，非常fēi cháng喜欢xǐ huan。

A man saw it and liked it very much.

▸ 他tā买下mǎi xià了le盒子hé zi和hé珍珠zhēn zhū。

He bought the box and the pearl.

▸ 可是kě shì他tā打开dǎ kāi盒子hé zi，把bǎ珍珠zhēn zhū拿ná了le出来chū lái。

But then he opened the box and took the pearl out.

▸ 他说tā shuō：“我wǒ只要zhǐ yào盒子hé zi，珍珠zhēn zhū还给huán gěi你nǐ。”

He said, "I only want the box. Here is your pearl back."

▸ 卖mài珍珠zhēn zhū的de人rén听了tīng le，不知道bù zhī dào说shuō什么shén me好hǎo。

The pearl seller heard this and did not know what to say.

▸ 这个zhè ge成语chéng yǔ是shì“买椟还珠mǎi dú huán zhū”。

This idiom is "buying the box, returning the pearl."

▸ 意思yì si是shì：拿ná了le不bù重要zhòng yào的de，丢diū了le最好zuì hǎo的de。

It means: taking the unimportant thing and losing the best thing.

▸ 例句lì jù：你nǐ只要zhǐ yào盒子hé zi不要bù yào礼物lǐ wù，这是zhè shì买椟还珠mǎi dú huán zhū啊ā！

Example: You want the box but not the gift inside — that's buying the box and returning the pearl!

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