English Original
"A courtyard as crowded as a marketplace" describes a gate or courtyard bustling with people.
During the Warring States Period, Zou Ji, the prime minister of Qi, was tall and handsome. To persuade King Qiwei to welcome honest criticism, he shared this story:
One morning, after dressing for court, Zou Ji looked in the mirror and asked his wife, "Who is more handsome, Mr. Xu from the north city or I?"
"You are, of course. How can Mr. Xu compare with you?" she replied.
Mr. Xu was renowned for his looks. Doubting his wife's words, Zou Ji asked his beloved concubine the same question. "How can Mr. Xu compare with you?" she answered.
The next day, a guest visited. Zou Ji posed the question again, and the guest said, "How could Mr. Xu be more handsome than you?"
A few days later, Mr. Xu himself visited. Zou Ji carefully observed him and concluded he was not as handsome as Mr. Xu.
He then told King Qiwei, "I am not actually more handsome than Mr. Xu, but my wife, concubine, and guest all said I was. My wife is partial to me, my concubine fears me, and my guest seeks my favor—so they all flattered me. In Qi, your courtiers are partial to you, your officials fear you, and your subjects seek your favor. You must have even more flatterers and be more deceived than I! Our state is vast with many cities. You meet more people than I do, so the deception must be greater. If you sincerely seek honest advice, it would greatly benefit our state."
The king agreed. He issued a decree: first-class reward for those who criticized him to his face; second-class for written criticisms; third-class for public criticisms. As expected, people flocked to the palace to offer their opinions. The area before the palace gate became as busy as a marketplace.
中文翻译
“门庭若市”形容门口或庭院像集市一样热闹，人来人往。
战国时期，齐国的宰相邹忌身材高大，容貌俊美。为了劝谏齐威王广开言路，鼓励臣民直言进谏，他讲述了这样一个故事：
一天早晨，邹忌穿戴好衣冠后，照着镜子问妻子：“我和城北的徐公相比，谁更英俊？”
妻子答道：“当然是您更英俊，徐公怎么能和您相比呢？”
徐公是齐国著名的美男子。邹忌听了妻子的话并不敢自信，于是去问他的爱妾。爱妾回答说：“徐公怎么能比得上您呢？”
第二天，有客人来访，邹忌又问了客人同样的问题。客人说：“徐公怎么能比您更英俊呢？”
几天后，徐公前来拜访。邹忌仔细端详徐公，又拿自己和他比较，最终诚实地认为自己不如徐公英俊。
于是，他对齐威王说：“我本来不如徐公英俊，但我的妻子、妾室和客人都说我比他英俊。他们说谎是因为妻子偏爱我，妾室惧怕我，客人有求于我，所以都阿谀奉承我。在齐国，朝中大臣都偏爱您，官员们都惧怕您，全国的百姓都有求于您。那么奉承您的人一定比我的更多，您受的蒙蔽也一定更严重！如今齐国疆域辽阔，城邑众多，您接触到的人远比我多，所受的蒙蔽必然更深。如果您能诚心实意地征求批评意见，对国家必定大有裨益。”
齐威王采纳了这个建议，立即颁布诏令：能当面指出国君过失的，授上等奖赏；能上书进谏的，授中等奖赏；能在公共场合批评朝政的，授下等奖赏。果然，人们纷纷前往王宫进言。宫殿门前变得像集市一样热闹。