借 + 人 + 之口 + 说出／感叹…
to say something through someone else’s mouth; to voice … in another’s words
Structure
作者 借 人物／古人 之口 说出／表达／感叹 …
What it means
To say something through someone else's mouth: a writer lets a character, narrator or quoted poet voice what the writer means, which can be more moving, or safer.
How it is built
Writer + 借 + character + 之口 + 说出／道出／表达／感叹 + …: 作者借主人公之口说出了自己的看法 (the author voices his own view through the hero). 之 is the classical 的.
When to use it
A staple of reviews and literary criticism. In everyday speech say 借…的话 or 让…说出来. 出自…之口 (to come from the mouth of) only says who said something.
Watch out
In writing keep 之: ✗借白居易口 ✓借白居易之口. Don't confuse it with the noun 借口, an excuse (以工作忙为借口).
Examples
接着借白居易之口感叹：“世间好物不坚牢，彩云易散琉璃脆。”
Then she sighs, in words borrowed from Bai Juyi: “The good things of this world do not last; bright clouds soon scatter, and glass is brittle.”
作者借主人公之口，说出了自己对那个时代的看法。
Through the mouth of the hero, the author voices his own view of the age.
这部电影借一个孩子之口，讲出了大人们不敢说的话。
The film lets a child say what the grown-ups dare not.
Learn this in Lesson 253 · HSK 9+: 杨绛《我们仨》 (Yang Jiang’s We Three)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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