"One Day of Sun, Ten Days of Frost" literally means exposing something to the sun for one day and freezing it for ten. Here, "暴" is interchangeable with "曝," meaning to expose to the sun. This idiom comes from Mencius, Book of Gaozi I, where Mencius criticized King Xuan of Qi for lacking perseverance and listening to slanderous advice. Using plant growth as a metaphor, he noted that even a plant that grows easily will not survive if it is exposed to the sun for one day and frozen for ten. The deeper meaning is a metaphor for lacking perseverance in doing things, with little effort and much neglect, being hot and cold by turns, and unable to persist to the end. It is mostly used to criticize the attitude of "three days of fishing and two days of drying nets" in study, work, or self-cultivation. In terms of cultural background, it reflects the Confucian emphasis on perseverance and single-minded dedication. Its emotional tone is derogatory, often carrying a sense of regret or criticism.
📝 Example
1. Learning a foreign language requires daily persistence. If one works for one day and slacks off for ten, it is very difficult to make progress. (A metaphor for putting in little effort while slacking off much, lacking perseverance.)
2. He always exercises by fits and starts, so the results have never been obvious. (Describes being hot and cold, unable to persist.)