hi,
While collecting the various cultural aspects and traditions of the country, I was wondering if any one could give me some collection of proverbs or some foreword phrases which are generally used by the common man, instead of the km long sentences. Though the collection was not readily available, on reference to the dictionary i went against some quotations and have displayed here some amongst them, which i wish could be worth to the people who are interested to learn about the language and its culture.
Some amongst them are ;-------;
baoshan - konghui = Return empty handed from a treasure mountain.
While collecting the various cultural aspects and traditions of the country, I was wondering if any one could give me some collection of proverbs or some foreword phrases which are generally used by the common man, instead of the km long sentences. Though the collection was not readily available, on reference to the dictionary i went against some quotations and have displayed here some amongst them, which i wish could be worth to the people who are interested to learn about the language and its culture.
Some amongst them are ;-------;
baoshan - konghui = Return empty handed from a treasure mountain.
---fail to benefit from a visit to a great scholar
or a place of learning.
or a place of learning.
bi shang liangshan = be driven to join the liangshan rebels ( a band of peasant rebels of the "Song Dynasty" who had their stronghold on Liangshan mountains)
--- be driven to revolt
bi yi niao = fabulous birds that had only one wing each, and thus had to fly in pairs (used in poetry as an epithet for a loving couple)
bi yi niao = fabulous birds that had only one wing each, and thus had to fly in pairs (used in poetry as an epithet for a loving couple)
"We wish to fly in heaven, two birds with the wings of one,
and to grow together on earth, two branches of one "
chengsheng ji ri = use a long rope to tie the sun
--- try to stop the passage of time.
chenghu - Sheshu
= A fox in the city wall and a rat in the village temple
chenghu - Sheshu
= A fox in the city wall and a rat in the village temple
--- evil doers with strong backing
Chengmen shi huo, yangji chiyu= When the city gate catches fire,
the fish in the moat come to grief .
Chengmen shi huo, yangji chiyu= When the city gate catches fire,
the fish in the moat come to grief .
--- innocent people suffering from what happens to others.
cigongji,yi mao bu ba = A porceilain clock, from which not a
single feather can be plucked
cigongji,yi mao bu ba = A porceilain clock, from which not a
single feather can be plucked
--- A stingy person, miser
cidi wu yin san bai liang = "No 300 taels of silver buried here" (the sign put up by a man in the folk tale over the place where he had hidden some money)
cidi wu yin san bai liang = "No 300 taels of silver buried here" (the sign put up by a man in the folk tale over the place where he had hidden some money)
--- A clumsy denial resulting in self exposure.
chi heizaor = Eat a black date
--- get executed by being shot.
chiyu - longniao = Fish confined in a pond and birds in a cage
chiyu - longniao = Fish confined in a pond and birds in a cage
--- be trapped in a predicament and have no freedom
chiwang - shecun = The tongue remains when the teeth are gone
chiwang - shecun = The tongue remains when the teeth are gone
--- the soft and flexible lasts longer than the hard.
chongdao-fuzhe = take the road/track where carts have overturned
chongdao-fuzhe = take the road/track where carts have overturned
--- follow the same old road to ruin.
chongxin - zuoren = Turn over a new life
chongxin - zuoren = Turn over a new life
---starts one's life afresh
Dongchuang = Eastern bed
Dongchuang = Eastern bed
--- a son in law ( from an anecdote about the celebrated calligrapher Wangxizhi (321 - 379), who as a young an remained lying in the eastern bed with his belly naked when a man came to his family to choose a son in law for the tutor of the crown prince and who was chosen for his independence of mind in preference to his well behaved brother.)
Du mu bu cheng lin = One tree doesn't make a forest
Du mu bu cheng lin = One tree doesn't make a forest
---One person alone cant save the situation.
Du pi xi jing = Open a new road for oneself
Du pi xi jing = Open a new road for oneself
--- develop a new style or a method of ones own
dansi - piaoyin = Live on a bowlful of rice and a ladleful of water
dansi - piaoyin = Live on a bowlful of rice and a ladleful of water
--- live in poverty
dengtang - rushi = Pass through the hall into the inner chamber
dengtang - rushi = Pass through the hall into the inner chamber
--- Reach a higher level in ones studies or become
more proficient in one's profession.
more proficient in one's profession.
diu zu bao ju = Give up a pawn to save a chariot
--- Sacrifice minor things to save major ones.
fengkou - langjian= Where the wind and the waves are highest
fengkou - langjian= Where the wind and the waves are highest
---where the struggle is fiercest.
fegli lai yuli qu = come in the wind and go in the rain
---Carry out ones tasks in the teeth of wind and rain
fengliu-yunsan = Dispersed by the wind and scattered like the clouds
fegli lai yuli qu = come in the wind and go in the rain
---Carry out ones tasks in the teeth of wind and rain
fengliu-yunsan = Dispersed by the wind and scattered like the clouds
--- Separated and scattered.
fu di chou xi =take away the firewood from under the Cauldron
---take drastic measures to deal with an emergency
fu di youyu = a fish swimming in the bottom of a cauldron
--- a person whose fate is sealed
fu zhu dongliu = thrown into the eastward flowing stream
---all ones efforts wasted, irrevocably lost
fujing qingzui = Proffer a birch and ask for a flogging
--- offer humble apology
futang - dao huo = go through fire and water
--- defy all difficulties and dangers
fu shui nan shou = spilt water can't be gathered up
--- what is done can't be undone
geshan = Separation by a mountain
fu di chou xi =take away the firewood from under the Cauldron
---take drastic measures to deal with an emergency
fu di youyu = a fish swimming in the bottom of a cauldron
--- a person whose fate is sealed
fu zhu dongliu = thrown into the eastward flowing stream
---all ones efforts wasted, irrevocably lost
fujing qingzui = Proffer a birch and ask for a flogging
--- offer humble apology
futang - dao huo = go through fire and water
--- defy all difficulties and dangers
fu shui nan shou = spilt water can't be gathered up
--- what is done can't be undone
geshan = Separation by a mountain
--- relationship between half brothers or half sisters
by the same father.
ge you yiben namian de jing
= Each has a difficult scripture to recite
---Each has his/her own troubles.
by the same father.
ge you yiben namian de jing
= Each has a difficult scripture to recite
---Each has his/her own troubles.
Guxue = Flesh and blood
---ones offspring
guatian - lixia = In a melon patch or under a plum tree.
guatian - lixia = In a melon patch or under a plum tree.
---In suspicious circumstances or surroundings
guankui-lice = look at the sky through a bamboo tune and
measure the sea with a Calabash
guankui-lice = look at the sky through a bamboo tune and
measure the sea with a Calabash
--- be restricted in vision and shallow in understanding
guan zhong kui bao, ke jian yiban
= Look at one spot on a leopard and you can
vizualise the whole animal
---Conjure up the whole thing through seeing a part of it.
guan zhong kui bao, ke jian yiban
= Look at one spot on a leopard and you can
vizualise the whole animal
---Conjure up the whole thing through seeing a part of it.
gan dalei bu xiayu = All thunder but no rain
---much noise but no action
gannao tu di = spill ones liver and brains on the ground
---lay down ones own life ( in fighting or ones sovereign)
gan yazi shang jia = Drive a duck into a perch
--- try to make somebody or something entirely beyond him
ganmianzhang chui huo, yi qiao bu tong
=Try to blow the fire with a rolling pin
---know nothing about something
gaowu jian ling = Pour water of a steep roof
---sweep down irresistably from a commanding height
ge xue saoyang = Scratch an itch from outside ones boot.
---fail to get to the root of the matter,
take totally ineffective measures.
ge chui gede hao, ge chang gede diao :
= Each blows his own bugle and sings his own song
---Each does things in his own way
haidi lao yue = Try to fish out the moon from the bottom of the sea
hebao zhimu, shengyu haomo
= a tree that can fill the span of a mans arms grows from a downy tip
hubei-xiongyao = Have a back like a tiger and a waist like a bear
--- Tough and stocky
hukou ba ya = Pull a tooth from the tigers mouth
--- dare the greatest danger
hukou yu sheng = be saved from the tigers mouth
--- have a narrow escape from death
hulang = tiger and wolf
--- Cruel and ruthless
hutou - shewei = A tigers head and a snakes tail
--- a fine start and a poor finish
( in like a lion and out like a lamb)
huwei - chunbing = treading on the tail of a tiger or
walking on the ice in spring time
--- In a precarious position
hua hu lei gou
= Try to draw a tiger and end with the likeness of a dog
--- attempt something over ambitious and end in failure
Huangtian bu fu ku xin ren
= Providence doesn't let down a man who does his best.
Huangliang meimeng - Golden millet dream ( from the story of a poor scholar who dreamt he had become an official but awoke to find the pot of millet still cooking on the fire ) --- a pipe dream
jin wu zuchi, ren wu wan ren
= No gold can be pure and none can be perfect
---look on somebody's trouble with indifference
yao qian shu =A legendary tree that sheds coins when shaken
--- a ready source of money
---much noise but no action
gannao tu di = spill ones liver and brains on the ground
---lay down ones own life ( in fighting or ones sovereign)
gan yazi shang jia = Drive a duck into a perch
--- try to make somebody or something entirely beyond him
ganmianzhang chui huo, yi qiao bu tong
=Try to blow the fire with a rolling pin
---know nothing about something
gaowu jian ling = Pour water of a steep roof
---sweep down irresistably from a commanding height
ge xue saoyang = Scratch an itch from outside ones boot.
---fail to get to the root of the matter,
take totally ineffective measures.
ge chui gede hao, ge chang gede diao :
= Each blows his own bugle and sings his own song
---Each does things in his own way
haidi lao yue = Try to fish out the moon from the bottom of the sea
--- strive for the impossible or illusory.
haidi lao zhen = fish for a needle in the ocean
haidi lao zhen = fish for a needle in the ocean
handan xue bu = learn the handan walk
--- in trying to acquire a new trick, lose the ability one already has.
(from the parable in zhuang zi about the young boy of the state of Yan, who went to Handan ( capital of zhao) to learn the handan way of walking but who, before mastering what the handan people had to teach him, forgot his own way of walking and had to crawl all the way back home)
Hepu Zhu Huan = pearls returned to Hepu
Hepu Zhu Huan = pearls returned to Hepu
---said for regaining something lost or the return
of somebody after a long abscence .
of somebody after a long abscence .
hebao zhimu, shengyu haomo
= a tree that can fill the span of a mans arms grows from a downy tip
--- great oaks from little acorns grow.
he dong shi hou
= The roar of the lioness from the last side of the river
he dong shi hou
= The roar of the lioness from the last side of the river
--- said of somebody's dominating wife in a temper.
hubei-xiongyao = Have a back like a tiger and a waist like a bear
--- Tough and stocky
hukou ba ya = Pull a tooth from the tigers mouth
--- dare the greatest danger
hukou yu sheng = be saved from the tigers mouth
--- have a narrow escape from death
hulang = tiger and wolf
--- Cruel and ruthless
hutou - shewei = A tigers head and a snakes tail
--- a fine start and a poor finish
( in like a lion and out like a lamb)
huwei - chunbing = treading on the tail of a tiger or
walking on the ice in spring time
--- In a precarious position
hua hu lei gou
= Try to draw a tiger and end with the likeness of a dog
--- attempt something over ambitious and end in failure
Huangtian bu fu ku xin ren
= Providence doesn't let down a man who does his best.
Huangliang meimeng - Golden millet dream ( from the story of a poor scholar who dreamt he had become an official but awoke to find the pot of millet still cooking on the fire ) --- a pipe dream
jin wu zuchi, ren wu wan ren
= No gold can be pure and none can be perfect
--- to err is human
ye an guan huo = Watch a fire from the other side of the river---look on somebody's trouble with indifference
yao qian shu =A legendary tree that sheds coins when shaken
--- a ready source of money
