成語故事: 刻舟求劍 Cut the Boat to Find the Lost Sword
刻舟求劍
kè zhōu qiú jiàn
刻 means 'to cut', 舟 means 'boat', 求 means 'to find' or 'to ask for', 劍means 'sword'. The idiom is used to mock people who stick to rituals or habits when the circumstances have changed. Anyone who rigidly adheres to the old ways without regard for changes in circumstances, is doing the same as the man who 刻舟求劍.
Literal meaning: Cut the Boat to Find the Lost Sword
Explanation: Circumstances alter cases
