点铁成金

指高明的作者用平常词句或化用前人的词句创造性地表达出神奇精妙的意蕴。亦指高手修改文章，善于从平凡文字中提炼出闪光点。

Turning a Crude Poem or Essay into a Literary Gem

The term "turning a crude poem or essay into a literary gem" means creatively expressing novel and exquisite meaning through the use of simple language or by transforming old phrases from past masters. The expression also can be used to describe the way that an accomplished man of letters edits writings. By minor adjustment, he can bring out the splendor in an otherwise ordinary piece.

引例

古之能为文章者，真能陶冶万物，虽取古人之陈言入于翰墨，如灵丹一粒，点铁成金也。（黄庭坚《答洪驹父书》）（古代那些擅长写作的大家，确实能够将各种文字和物象融为一体，即使是采用前人的陈旧辞句，也像用一颗灵丹就能点铁成金那样表达出神奇精妙的意蕴。）

In ancient times the most capable writers could render excellent images of virtually anything mentioned in their writing. Even if old expressions or sentences from former masters entered into their writing, they could transform them like an alchemist who, with a single touch, could turn lead into gold. (Huang Tingjian: Letter in Reply to Hong Jufu)