yǐng​shū​yān​shuō

misinterpret original meaning; distorted interpretation

  1. Ying
    (bound form) Ying, the ancient capital city of the kingdom of chǔ during the Zhou Dynasty; located in modern-day Jiangling, Hubei Province
  2. letter
    a letter; mail or correspondence
  3. Yan state
    a vassal state during the Zhou dynasty and one of the seven warring states, located in present-day northern Hebei and western Liaoning
  4. to explain
    to explain; to illustrate; to clarify a point or reasoning