半路（上）出家
Bàn lù (shàng) chū jiā
To learn something from the beginning when one is grown up


用法说明

"出家"的意思是离开家庭去当僧尼或道士，如果是人生走到一半才去出家，对于佛教就不如从小出家的人修行深。后来比喻中途改换了行业，从头学起。
"出家" is a phrase that means to leave home and become a monk or priest. If someone were to do so only after entering middle age, the depth of one's experience may not match that of someone who began years before. Hence, "半路（上）出家" is a metaphor for changing one's profession later in life and learning from the beginning.




例句

1. 甲：我是新人，以后要多向你学习。
Jiǎ：Wǒ shì xīnrén, yǐhòu yào duō xiàng nǐ xuéxí.
A: I'm new here, and I have a lot of things to learn from you.


乙：哪里哪里，我也是半路（上）出家。
B: Please, please, I'm not that much of an expert. I changed my profession later in life.


2. 甲：我想换个行业工作。
Jiǎ：Wǒ xiǎng huàn ge hángyè gōngzuò.
A: I want to change my job to a different field.


乙：如果你要半路（上）出家，最好早点儿做打算。
Yǐ：Rúguǒ nǐ yào bàn lù (shàng) chū jiā, zuìhǎo zǎodiǎnr zuò dǎsuàn.
B: If you want to enter a new profession, you'd better make plans early.


图片来源：http://zensoul.org/index/readnews.asp?newsid=3040

• beginning [bi´giniŋ]   n.开始，开端；起源   (初中英语单词)
• phrase [freiz]   n.短语；词组；措词   (初中英语单词)
• priest [pri:st]   n.教士；牧师；神父   (初中英语单词)
• profession [prə´feʃən]   n.职业；声明；表白   (初中英语单词)
• learning [´lə:niŋ]   n.学习；学问；知识   (初中英语单词)
• expert [´ekspə:t]   n.&a.专家；内行   (初中英语单词)