<p>Chinese has an idiom: 害群之马, it refers to the <em>bad apple</em> which spoils the barrel. Literally, it says : a horse that brings trouble to its herd.</p>

<p>“a bad apple spoils the barrel” also has a Chinese counterpart: 一个老鼠屎坏了一锅汤, but it is kinds of rude, maybe. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-15T09:17:59.467Z
2017-02-15T14:52:43.700Z
2017-02-15T14:52:43.700Z
Lengend
<p><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E4%B8%80%E7%B2%92%E8%80%81%E9%BC%A0%E5%B1%8E%EF%BC%8C%E5%A3%9E%E4%BA%86%E4%B8%80%E9%8D%8B%E7%B2%A5" rel="nofollow noreferrer">一粒老鼠屎壞了一鍋粥</a> </p>

<p>one grain of rat feces ruins the whole pot of porridge</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-15T05:48:29.620Z
2017-02-15T05:48:29.620Z
Tang Ho
<p>What is the Chinese equivalent of the English idiom "<strong>a bad apple spoils the barrel</strong>"?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-15T06:19:41.423Z
try web search with "翻译：  a bad apple spoils the barrel"  ->  http://www.ichacha.net/zaoju/bad%20apple.html        One bad apple can spoil the whole barrel    一个烂苹果坏了一桶苹果。  One " bad apple " spoils the whole office
一个坏员工带坏整个办公室
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-15T14:06:33.623Z
also enter "one bad" into jukuu: 2.  One bad boy may infect a whole class.
 一个坏学生可能会影响全班。 16.  One bad deed can blemish a good reputation.
 一次不良的行为可损害好的名声。
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-15T15:42:14.377Z
jukuu:  One corrupt apple corrupts many sound ones.
 一个烂苹果可以使许多好苹果腐烂。 Regarding below answers note:
imperfect analogy: 老鼠屎 seems to be a foreign substance introduced in food item, unlike bad apple among other good apples, 比拟有缺点:老鼠屎好象是放在某种食物里的外来物质，和好苹果中的坏苹果是不一样的
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-15T17:42:27.497Z
**answer is in jukuu!**  enter "rotten apple": 1.  Scott： It just goes to show that one rotten apple spoils the barrel. Now we all have to carry a pass and sign in every evening.
 史考特：这证明了一粒老鼠屎，坏了一锅粥。现在我们每晚都必须带通行证还要签到。
user6065
<translation>
Chinese equivalent of "a bad apple spoils the barrel"
# Chinese equivalent of "a bad apple spoils the barrel"

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-02-15)

What is the Chinese equivalent of the English idiom "**a bad apple spoils the barrel**"?

**Tags:** translation

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: try web search with "翻译：  a bad apple spoils the barrel"  ->  http://www.ichacha.net/zaoju/bad%20apple.html        One bad apple can spoil the whole barrel    一个烂苹果坏了一桶苹果。  One " bad apple " spoils the whole office 一个坏员工带坏整个办公室  
> **username_1**: also enter "one bad" into jukuu: 2.  One bad boy may infect a whole class.  一个坏学生可能会影响全班。 16.  One bad deed can blemish a good reputation.  一次不良的行为可损害好的名声。  
> **username_1**: jukuu:  One corrupt apple corrupts many sound ones.  一个烂苹果可以使许多好苹果腐烂。 Regarding below answers note: imperfect analogy: 老鼠屎 seems to be a foreign substance introduced in food item, unlike bad apple among other good apples, 比拟有缺点:老鼠屎好象是放在某种食物里的外来物质，和好苹果中的坏苹果是不一样的  
> **username_1**: **answer is in jukuu!**  enter "rotten apple": 1.  Scott： It just goes to show that one rotten apple spoils the barrel. Now we all have to carry a pass and sign in every evening.  史考特：这证明了一粒老鼠屎，坏了一锅粥。现在我们每晚都必须带通行证还要签到。  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2017-02-15. Score: 6

Chinese has an idiom: 害群之马, it refers to the *bad apple* which spoils the barrel. Literally, it says : a horse that brings trouble to its herd.

“a bad apple spoils the barrel” also has a Chinese counterpart: 一个老鼠屎坏了一锅汤, but it is kinds of rude, maybe.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2017-02-15. Score: 4

[一粒老鼠屎壞了一鍋粥](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E4%B8%80%E7%B2%92%E8%80%81%E9%BC%A0%E5%B1%8E%EF%BC%8C%E5%A3%9E%E4%BA%86%E4%B8%80%E9%8D%8B%E7%B2%A5)

one grain of rat feces ruins the whole pot of porridge


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