Be a villain first, then a gentleman. The literal meaning is to be a villain first and then a gentleman. It means to talk about profit and loss first, and then talk about friendship.
Later, it is extended to the fact that all matters that should be paid attention to before the business is settled should be discussed in advance, so as not to be generous and easy-going at the beginning and agree to all conditions, but fail to do so in the later stage and harm others and not oneself. This is called villain first. A gentleman is right!
Extended information:
From Chapter 49 of "The Story of Awakening Marriage": "Translate this saying. Whenever you first treat the villain first, then the gentleman is good, and before you are the gentleman, the villain will be good." It's not good."
"The Story of Awakening Marriage" is a novel written by Sheng? (the author is controversial) of the Western Zhou Dynasty in the late Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty. There are 100 chapters in the book. The first 23 chapters describe the marriage in the past life, and after the 23rd chapter, the focus is on the marriage in the present life.
Hu Shi said: "This is a realistic novel of the seventeenth century", which can show a broad aspect of social life including family life. "It is the richest and most detailed novel." Cultural and historical materials”. He predicted that in the future, scholars who study the history of social customs, education, and economic history in China in the seventeenth century, as well as scholars who study political corruption, people's suffering, and religious life in seventeenth-century China, must study this book.
In February 1955, Zhang Ailing wrote in a long letter to Hu Shi: "One is written thickly and the other is light, but they are both the best." realistic works. I often feel sorry for them and always feel that they should be world famous... I have always had a wish to translate "Flowers of the Sea" and "Awakening Marriage" into English in the future.
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Reference: Baidu Encyclopedia-First a villain, then a gentleman