During the Spring and Autumn period, a high-ranking official from the Jin state named Yang Chufu traveled to the Wei state, and on his way back, he passed through Ningyi and stayed at a guesthouse.
春秋时期，晋国的大夫阳处父出使卫国，回程途经宁邑，住进了一家客店。
The innkeeper, whose surname was Ying, saw that Yang Chufu had an impressive appearance and demeanor, and he was deeply impressed.
店主姓赢，看到阳处父仪表堂堂，举止不凡，深感钦佩，
He quietly told his wife, "I have always wanted to follow a person of noble character, but I have not found a suitable one over the years. Now, seeing Yang Chufu, I have decided to follow him."
悄悄对妻子说：“我一直想跟随品德高尚之人，但多年来没有找到合适的。现在看到阳处父，我决定跟随他。”
The innkeeper received Yang Chufu's consent and bid farewell to his wife before setting out with him.
店主得到了阳处父的同意，于是告别妻子，跟随他上路。
Along the way, Yang Chufu and the innkeeper talked about various topics, but their conversations were quite ordinary.
一路上，阳处父与店主谈天说地，但谈话内容平淡无奇。
The innkeeper quickly realized that Yang Chufu was merely impressive in appearance but lacked true talent and respectable character.
店主很快发现阳处父只是表面风光，实则没有真正的才华和值得尊敬的品德。
As soon as they left Ningyi, the innkeeper decided to part ways with Yang Chufu.
刚离开宁邑，店主便决定与阳处父分手了。
When the innkeeper's wife saw her husband suddenly returning, she was puzzled and asked, "You just met such a person; why are you not continuing with him? Didn't you have a strong resolve? You can rest assured about the matters at home."
当店主的妻子看到丈夫突然回头，感到困惑，问道：“你刚遇到这样一个人，为什么不继续跟随他呢？你不是决心很大的嘛，家里的事你可以放心。”
The innkeeper replied, "I saw that he had a good exterior and thought he was trustworthy, but after listening to his conversation, I was very disappointed. I feared that following him would bring no benefit and might even be harmful, so I decided to change my mind."
店主回答说：“我看到他外表光鲜，以为他值得信赖，但听了他的谈话后，我感到非常失望。我担心跟随他会没有收获，反而遭受祸害，所以决定改变主意。”
To the innkeeper, Yang Chufu was nothing more than a "flashy but hollow" person, all show but lacking substance.
在店主看来，阳处父不过是一个“华而不实”的人，只是表面光鲜，内里却空虚无物。
Therefore, the innkeeper decisively parted ways with him.
因此，店主毫不犹豫地与他分开了。
Later, people summarized this story into the idiom
后人据此典故概括出成语“华而不实”。
It originates from the Spring and Autumn period in the "Zuo Zhuan," written by Zuo Qiuming.
出自于春秋·左丘明《左传·文公五年》。
The original meaning of "Hua Er Bu Shi" is that flowers may look beautiful but bear no fruit. “
华而不实”的原义是花开得好看，但不结果实。
It metaphorically describes something that looks impressive but lacks practical value.
比喻外表华丽却没有实际用处。
