拉关系

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拉关系 [2025/08/03 23:20] – created xiaoer拉关系 [Unknown date] (current) – removed - external edit (Unknown date) 127.0.0.1
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-====== lā guānxi: 拉关系 - To Curry Favor, To Build Connections (for personal gain) ====== +
-===== Quick Summary ===== +
-  * **Keywords:** la guanxi, 拉关系, build connections in Chinese, Chinese networking, guanxi, curry favor, pulling strings in China, Chinese business culture, 走后门, social connections +
-  * **Summary:** "Lā guānxi" (拉关系) is a fundamental Chinese concept that literally means "to pull a relationship." It refers to the act of actively building connections, often with influential people, for personal or professional gain. Unlike simply making friends, lā guānxi is a strategic, and often transactional, process used to navigate social, business, and bureaucratic landscapes in China. Understanding this term is crucial for anyone looking to grasp the nuances of Chinese culture and the importance of the "guanxi" network. +
-===== Core Meaning ===== +
-  * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** lā guānxi +
-  * **Part of Speech:** Verb-Object Phrase +
-  * **HSK Level:** HSK 5 +
-  * **Concise Definition:** To actively establish a connection with someone, usually for personal benefit or to gain an advantage. +
-  * **In a Nutshell:** Think of "lā guānxi" as the Chinese equivalent of "currying favor," "schmoozing," or "pulling strings." It’s the process of deliberately getting to know someone useful—a boss, a government official, a key client—not out of genuine friendship, but to create a relationship that can be leveraged later. While networking exists everywhere, "lā guānxi" often carries a slightly cynical or negative connotation, implying a calculated effort to get ahead through personal ties rather than pure merit. +
-===== Character Breakdown ===== +
-  * **拉 (lā):** The most common meaning is "to pull" or "to drag." Imagine physically pulling a rope or dragging someone closer to you. +
-  * **关 (guān):** This character often means "gate," "pass," or "to close." In a relationship context, it represents a point of connection or a barrier to overcome. +
-  * **系 (xì):** This means "to tie," "to connect," or a "system." It signifies the link or bond between people. +
-  * **How they combine:** The characters `关系 (guānxi)` together mean "relationship" or "connection." Adding the action verb `拉 (lā)` at the beginning turns it into the act of *pulling* or *forging* that connection. You are actively trying to pull someone into your network of relationships, often by overcoming a social barrier (the "gate"). +
-===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== +
-  * "Lā guānxi" is a practical strategy born from the immense cultural importance of `关系 (guānxi)`. In Chinese society, a strong network of personal relationships can often be more effective than rules, regulations, or formal procedures. Therefore, actively building this network—"lā guānxi"—is seen by many as a necessary skill for success. +
-  * **Comparison to "Networking":** In Western culture, "networking" is a standard professional activity, often done openly at conferences and industry events. It's generally viewed as a positive, legitimate skill. "Lā guānxi," however, frequently operates in a gray area. It can be more private and is often accomplished through dinners, gift-giving, and doing favors, which creates a debt of `人情 (rénqíng)`—a social obligation to repay the favor. While not always corrupt, the practice can be viewed with suspicion as a way to "go through the back door" (`走后门 (zǒu hòumén)`), bypassing fairer, merit-based systems. +
-  * **Related Values:** The act is tied to the collective nature of Chinese society, where "who you know" is often as important as "what you know." However, being someone who is seen as *always* trying to "lā guānxi" can be a negative trait, suggesting a person is insincere and opportunistic. +
-===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== +
-  * **Business:** A salesperson might spend weeks taking a potential client to expensive dinners and KTV (karaoke) to `拉关系` before even starting to discuss the business deal. +
-  * **Bureaucracy:** To speed up a permit or official document, one might try to `拉关系` with a low-level government official by finding a mutual acquaintance to make an introduction. +
-  * **Personal Life:** A classic example is parents trying to `拉关系` with a school principal or influential teacher to help their child get into a good school or receive better treatment. +
-  * **Connotation:** The term is most often used with a negative or cynical tone. Saying "他很会拉关系" (tā hěn huì lā guānxi) means "He's very good at schmoozing," which is not a compliment. However, it can occasionally be used in a neutral, pragmatic way, as in "没办法，我们得去拉拉关系" (méi bànfǎ, wǒmen děi qù lāla guānxi), meaning "There's no other way, we have to go and build some connections." +
-===== Example Sentences ===== +
-  * **Example 1:** +
-    * 他为了得到那个项目，整天都在**拉关系**。 +
-    * Pinyin: Tā wèile dédào nàge xiàngmù, zhěng tiān dōu zài **lā guānxi**. +
-    * English: In order to get that project, he spends all day currying favor. +
-    * Analysis: This is a classic example of using connections for business advantage. The connotation is negative, implying his success might not be based on merit alone. +
-  * **Example 2:** +
-    * 我不喜欢他，因为他总是想方设法地跟老板**拉关系**。 +
-    * Pinyin: Wǒ bù xǐhuān tā, yīnwèi tā zǒngshì xiǎng fāng shè fǎ de gēn lǎobǎn **lā guānxi**. +
-    * English: I don't like him because he's always trying every possible way to suck up to the boss. +
-    * Analysis: Here, `拉关系` is clearly used to describe sycophantic, "sucking up" behavior in the workplace. It's a criticism of someone's character. +
-  * **Example 3:** +
-    * 在中国办事，有时候不**拉关系**真的不行。 +
-    * Pinyin: Zài Zhōngguó bànshì, yǒu shíhòu bù **lā guānxi** zhēn de bùxíng. +
-    * English: When getting things done in China, sometimes it's really impossible if you don't build connections. +
-    * Analysis: This sentence expresses a pragmatic, almost reluctant, acceptance of the practice. It frames `拉关系` as a necessary evil for navigating the system. +
-  * **Example 4:** +
-    * 你应该靠自己的实力，而不是总想着去**拉关系**。 +
-    * Pinyin: Nǐ yīnggāi kào zìjǐ de shílì, ér búshì zǒng xiǎngzhe qù **lā guānxi**. +
-    * English: You should rely on your own abilities, not always be thinking about pulling strings. +
-    * Analysis: This is a piece of advice, contrasting `拉关系` with `实力 (shílì)`, or true ability/merit. It positions the two as opposites. +
-  * **Example 5:** +
-    * 为了孩子上学的事，他不得不去跟校长**拉关系**。 +
-    * Pinyin: Wèile háizi shàngxué de shì, tā bùdébù qù gēn xiàozhǎng **lā guānxi**. +
-    * English: For the matter of his child's schooling, he had no choice but to go and build a connection with the principal. +
-    * Analysis: The phrase `不得不 (bùdébù)`—"have no choice but to"—highlights the reluctant nature of the act. He's doing it out of necessity, not desire. +
-  * **Example 6:** +
-    * 他刚到新公司，很会**拉关系**，很快就跟同事们都熟了。 +
-    * Pinyin: Tā gāng dào xīn gōngsī, hěn huì **lā guānxi**, hěn kuài jiù gēn tóngshìmen dōu shú le. +
-    * English: He just arrived at the new company and is very good at building rapport; he got to know all his colleagues very quickly. +
-    * Analysis: This shows a more neutral, though still instrumental, usage. It's less about corruption and more about being a savvy social operator. It's close to "good at networking" but still implies a calculated approach. +
-  * **Example 7:** +
-    * 他们请官员吃饭送礼，目的就是为了**拉关系**。 +
-    * Pinyin: Tāmen qǐng guānyuán chīfàn sònglǐ, mùdì jiùshì wèile **lā guānxi**. +
-    * English: The purpose of them inviting officials to dinner and giving gifts is precisely to curry favor. +
-    * Analysis: This sentence explicitly links the common methods (dinners, gifts) to the goal of `拉关系`. +
-  * **Example 8:** +
-    * 你能不能帮我**拉一拉**和王经理的**关系**？ +
-    * Pinyin: Nǐ néng bu néng bāng wǒ **lā yi lā** hé Wáng jīnglǐ de **guānxi**? +
-    * English: Can you help me build a connection with Manager Wang? +
-    * Analysis: This shows how the verb `拉 (lā)` and the object `关系 (guānxi)` can be separated. The `拉一拉` form softens the request, making it sound a bit more casual. +
-  * **Example 9:** +
-    * 我觉得这种靠**拉关系**得来的机会不长久。 +
-    * Pinyin: Wǒ juéde zhè zhǒng kào **lā guānxi** dé lái de jīhuì bù chángjiǔ. +
-    * English: I feel that opportunities obtained by pulling strings don't last long. +
-    * Analysis: This sentence passes a moral judgment, suggesting that achievements based on `拉关系` are unstable and not sustainable. +
-  * **Example 10:** +
-    * 他这个人不抽烟不喝酒，也不懂**拉关系**，所以升职很慢。 +
-    * Pinyin: Tā zhè ge rén bù chōuyān bù hējiǔ, yě bù dǒng **lā guānxi**, suǒyǐ shēngzhí hěn màn. +
-    * English: This person doesn't smoke or drink, nor does he know how to cultivate connections, so his promotions are very slow. +
-    * Analysis: This illustrates the perceived consequences of *not* engaging in `拉关系`, linking it to social rituals like smoking and drinking that are often part of the process. +
-===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== +
-  * **False Friends: "Making Friends" or "Building a Relationship"** +
-    * A beginner might confuse `拉关系` with `交朋友 (jiāo péngyou)`, which means "to make friends." The latter is based on genuine affection and companionship. `拉关系` is instrumental. +
-    * **Incorrect:** 我想和我的新同学**拉关系**。 (Wǒ xiǎng hé wǒ de xīn tóngxué lā guānxi.) This sounds very strange and calculating, as if you want to use your classmate for something. +
-    * **Correct:** 我想和我的新同学**交个朋友**。 (Wǒ xiǎng hé wǒ de xīn tóngxué jiāo ge péngyou.) +
-  * **It's Not Always Illegal Bribery** +
-    * While `拉关系` can lead to corruption, the act itself often exists in a social gray area. Buying someone a nice dinner is `拉关系`, but it isn't necessarily bribery. It's about building social capital and creating a sense of obligation (`人情 rénqíng`), which is a very different concept from a direct, illegal quid pro quo. +
-  * **Using it to Describe Yourself** +
-    * You would almost never say "我正在拉关系" (I am currently currying favor) in a serious, positive way. It's an action that is often acknowledged but rarely praised. It's a term used more often to describe others or to refer to the practice in a detached, pragmatic way. +
-===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== +
-  * `[[关系]] (guānxi)` - The foundational network of relationships. `拉关系` is the act of building that network. +
-  * `[[走后门]] (zǒu hòumén)` - "To go through the back door." This is often the goal or result of a successful `拉关系` effort. +
-  * `[[人情]] (rénqíng)` - The currency of `关系`. It's the social favor or human feeling that creates an obligation to be repaid. +
-  * `[[面子]] (miànzi)` - "Face," or social prestige. One common way to `拉关系` is to give someone `面子` through respect, gifts, or praise. +
-  * `[[应酬]] (yìngchou)` - A social engagement or obligation, typically a dinner or drinking event. These are the primary venues for `拉关系`. +
-  * `[[拍马屁]] (pāi mǎpì)` - "To pat the horse's butt." A more specific and purely negative term for flattery or sucking up, which is one tactic used to `拉关系`. +
-  * `[[攀关系]] (pān guānxi)` - "To climb onto a relationship." Very similar to `拉关系` but with a stronger connotation of social climbing and trying to associate with someone of a much higher status. +
-  * `[[打交道]] (dǎ jiāodao)` - A neutral term meaning "to deal with" or "to have contact with." You `打交道` with anyone you interact with, but you only `拉关系` with people you strategically want to get closer to.+