滥竽充数Pass Oneself as a Musician Just to Make Up the Number

Pass Oneself as a Musician Just to Make Up the Number（成语 滥竽充数 英文）


King Xuan of the State of Qi loved to listen to the yu(1) being played, but insisted on an ensemble of three hundred players. Now there was a scholar by the name of Nanguo who passing himself as a yu player applied to make up the number. King Xuan was pleased and took him on giving him the same emolument as all the others.

After the decease of King Xuan, his son King Min came to the throne. But he liked solos, and ordered the yu players to entertain him one by one. At this, Nanguo had to take to his heels.

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(1) an ancient wind instrument, something like sheng--a reed or bamboo pipe.

滥竽充数(chinese idioms)

齐宣王让人吹竽，一定要三百人一起吹。南郭处士请求为齐宣王吹竽，宣王很高兴。官仓供养的乐手有好几百人。齐宣王死后，他的儿子王继位。王也喜欢听吹竽，但他喜欢让他们一个一个地吹，南郭处士只好逃走了

滥竽充数,比喻无本领的冒充有本领，次货冒充好货。