骇人听闻

• Pinyin: hài rén tīng wén
• Desglose de hanzi: 骇 = 马 (horse) + 亥 (startled) — a startled horse, to frighten; 人 = person; 听 = 口 + 斤 = hearing; 闻 = 耳 (ear) + 门 (gate) — to hear news

Significado

Espeluznante; atroz; tan horroroso que cuesta creerlo.

A four-character idiom (成语) used for atrocities, scandals, or disasters that inspire deep moral shock. Stronger than 令人震惊 and carries an element of disbelief. Frequently appears in journalism, legal proceedings, and historical accounts of crimes or disasters.

Ejemplos

1. 法庭上披露的种种骇人听闻的证据，令在场所有旁听者不寒而栗。
2. 这起涉及多名未成年人的骇人听闻的拐卖案件，引发了全社会对儿童安全保护问题的深刻反思。
3. 历史课本对那段骇人听闻的战争暴行进行了详尽记录，以警示后人不忘历史教训。

Guía de uso

Contexto: journalism, law, history, social commentary

Tono: indignant

Correcto

• 检察官在起诉书中详细列举了被告实施的一系列骇人听闻的罪行，要求法院依法予以严惩。(The prosecutor detailed in the indictment a series of appalling crimes committed by the defendant, demanding that the court impose severe punishment in accordance with the law.)
• 这起骇人听闻的食品安全丑闻曝光后，监管部门立即展开全面调查，并对涉事企业实施了停业整顿。(After this appalling food safety scandal came to light, regulators immediately launched a comprehensive investigation and ordered the implicated company to suspend operations for rectification.)

Incorrecto

• 用骇人听闻描述轻微的不快 — 骇人听闻 is reserved for genuinely shocking moral atrocities; for mild disappointments use 令人遗憾 or 令人不满

Origen e historia

骇 (terrify, shock) + 人 (people) + 听 (hear) + 闻 (news) — so shocking it terrifies all who hear of it

Contexto cultural

Época: Classical → Modern

Generación: All ages

Contexto social: Universal