Chinese idiom · 成语
得陇望蜀
Meaning
Having Long to covet Shu; insatiable ambition.
Character by character
Origin and story
Historical accountDongguan Han Ji (東觀漢記) records Emperor Guangwu writing to Cen Peng during the campaign against Wei Xiao. Once the current positions are taken, he says, the army can move south against the ruler of Shu. He reflects on the difficulty of being satisfied: after settling Long, he already looks toward Shu, and each new deployment turns more of his hair white.
The letter, also preserved in the Hou Han Shu tradition, belongs to a ruler’s expanding military undertaking and conveys strain as well as ambition. Later usage becomes chiefly critical: obtaining one thing only produces desire for another. Long and Shu are regions, not people’s names.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
刚买了新手机，他又得陇望蜀，想把平板也换成最新款。
He had barely bought a new phone before wanting more and deciding to replace his tablet with the latest model too.
Critical, sometimes teasing, about dissatisfaction after obtaining something.