"Borrowing a Corpse to Revive the Soul" literally means using someone else's corpse to resurrect one's own soul. It is a metaphor for something that has already died or declined reappearing in another form or under another name. This idiom comes from the fourteenth stratagem in The Thirty-Six Stratagems. It was originally a military strategy, referring to the use of seemingly useless or already defeated forces, through clever disguise and repackaging, to serve one's own side and thereby achieve a surprise effect. In its deeper meaning, it emphasizes that although a thing has lost its original vitality, by changing its outward form or attaching itself to a new carrier, it can still continue its essence. It is often used to describe old ideas, old systems, or old forces reappearing in a new guise, or some outdated thing becoming popular again after changing its appearance. In terms of cultural background, it reflects the wisdom in ancient Chinese military science of the mutual generation of the substantial and the insubstantial and of using force by borrowing the strength of others. Its emotional coloring is mostly derogatory and often carries a tone of sarcasm and criticism, condemning phenomena that should have been eliminated but have revived in disguised forms.
📝 Example
1. After this company went bankrupt, the boss pulled a "borrowing a corpse to resurrect a soul" move, reopening under a different brand name to continue deceiving consumers. (A metaphor for reviving something old in a new form.)
2. Feudal superstitious ideas have "borrowed a corpse to resurrect a soul" in certain regions, spreading again under the guise of science. (A metaphor for old ideas reappearing in a new guise.)