Ever gotten so distracted by trivialities that you've missed the core issue? Haven't we all. 买椟还珠 [pinyin]mai3 du2 huan2 zhu1[/pinyin] means "to trade the pearl for the box it came in", and means 

<h3>Usage Examples</h3>

<ol>
<li>学习上我们要有主次之分，千万不能买椟还珠。 - In our studies we must distinguish between primary and secondary, we certainly mustn't trade the pearl for the box it came in.</li>
</ol>
谢谢

<h3>Pay attention to...</h3>
<strong>动脑筋 [pinyin]ding4 nao3 jin1[/pinyin] - Use your brains</strong>
Yes, do. 

<strong>身份 - [pinyin]shen4 fen4[/pinyin]</strong>
身份 translates directly as "identity", in both the abstract and practical senses. In modern Chinese, "身份证" is your "ID Card", for example. But in this case, the English word "identity" doesn't translate well. 

<h3>His (Dark?) Materials</h3>
A couple of the words in this text don't appear in the dictionary, or if they do, the definitions don't make a ton of sense. 木兰 [pinyin]mu4 lan2[/pinyin], for one example. 桂椒香料 [pinyin]gui4 jiao1 xiang1 liao4[/pinyin] for another. 

The most basic definition of 木兰 is a flower - magnolia, if we're splitting hairs. This is also the given name of 花木兰, the Chinese warrior princess of Disney movie fame (originally a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hua_Mulan" target="_blank">poem</a> from the Northern Dynasties). 



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<div class="chinesetext">
1) 一个楚国人，他有一颗漂亮的珍珠，他打算把这颗珍珠卖出去。为了卖个好价钱，他便<strong>动脑筋</strong>要将珍珠好好包装一下，他觉得有了高贵的包装，那么珍珠的“<strong>身份</strong>”就自然会高起来。

2) 这个楚国人找来名贵的<strong>木兰</strong>，又请来手艺高超的匠人，为珍珠做了一个盒子（即椟），用<strong>桂椒香料</strong>把盒子熏得香气扑鼻。然后，在盒子的外面精雕细刻了许多好看的花纹，还镶上漂亮的金属花边，看上去，闪闪发亮，实在是一件精致美观的工艺品。 

3) 这样，楚人将珍珠小心翼翼地放进盒子里，拿到市场上去卖。

4) 到市场上不久，很多人都围上来欣赏楚人的盒子。一个郑国人将盒子拿在手里看了半天，爱不释手，终于出高价将楚人的盒子买了下来。郑人交过钱后，便拿着盒子往回走。可是没走几步他又回来了。楚人以为郑人后悔了要退货，没等楚人想完，郑人已走到楚人跟前。只见郑人将打开的盒子里的珍珠取出来交给楚人说：“先生，您将一颗珍珠忘放在盒子里了，我特意回来还珠子的。”于是郑人将珍珠交给了楚人，然后低着头一边欣赏着木盒子，一边往回走去。

5) 楚人拿着被退回的珍珠，十分尴尬地站在那里。他原本以为别人会欣赏他的珍珠，可是没想到精美的外包装超过了包装盒内的价值，以致于“喧宾夺主”，令楚人哭笑不得。

6) 郑人只重外表而不顾实质，使他做出了舍本求末的不当取舍；而楚人的“过分包装”也有些可笑。

See the <a href="http://cy.5156edu.com/showzip.php?id=18359" target="_blank">source</a>.

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1) There was a man from the State of Chu, who had a beautiful pearl, which he decided to sell. In order to sell it for a good price, he went all-out packaging it up well, so that the pearl's value seemed naturally increased.

2) This man of Chu called for rare magnolia wood and invited highly skilled craftsmen in order to make a box for the pearl, scenting the box with the finest spices to tickle the nose. Then, on the outside of the box he engraved many lovely patterns inlayed in metal so that it sparkled before one's eyes, truly an exquisitely-wraught work of art.

3) Just so, the man from Chu carefully placed the pearl inside the box, and went off to market to conduct the sale. 

4) Not long after he reached the market, many people gathered around to admire the Man from Chu's box. One man from the State of Zheng held it in his hand and examined it for what seemed like half the day, unable to put it down, and finally bought it for a steep price. After the man from Zheng had paid, he walked away carrying it. But he hadn't gone but a few steps before he headed back [towards the man from Chu] again. The man from Chu thought the man from Zheng regretted his purchase and wished to return it, but before he'd had time to think it through, the man from Zheng was already standing before him. The man from Zheng opened the box, took out the pearl and held it out to him, saying, "Sir, you forgot a jewel inside this box, I came with the particular purpose of returning it." And so the man from Zheng gave the pearl back to the man from Chu, then strolled away, head down, admiring the wooden box. 

5) The man from Chu took the returned pearl, and stood there looking rather embarrassed. He'd thought other would admire his pearl, but he never thought the fine packaging might exceed the value of what was inside, to the extent that "the voice of the guest was louder than the voice of the host", and he wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry.  

6) The man from Zheng looked at the outer appearance and didn't see the true value, causing him to make a choice that placed importance on inessential details rather than on the central issue, and the man from Chu's excessive packaging was also a bit ridiculous. 
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