| Proverbs |
Annotation
And Connotations |
- Fighting
a wolf with a flex stalk - either side is afraid of the other.
(Chinese
original:  Chinese Pinyin: Ma2gan3 da3 lang2 - liang3tou2 pa4.)
|
- Each
party is fearful of the other: the wolf thought the stalk could be a
fatal weapon while the person fears the consequence of his trick seen
through by the wolf. Are you ever caught in a situation like this?
|
- Like
ants gnawing at a bone.
(Chinese
original:  Chinese Pinyin: Ma3yi3 ken3 gu2tou2.)
|
- A metaphor
describing a situation where people trying an overwhelmingly big task
by doing bit by bit with perseverance.
|
- It
is too late for a galloping horse to stop at a clip; it is useless for
a sinking boat to be mended in the middle of a river.
(Chinese
original:  Chinese Pinyin: Ma3 dao4 xuan2ya2 shou1 jiang1 wan3, chuan2 dao4 jiang1xin1
bu3 lou4 chi2.)
|
- Usually
it is to advise people to quit bad habbits and behaviors before it is
too late.
|
- A
horse cannot gain weight if not fed with extra fodder during the night;
a man cannot become wealthy without earnings apart from his regular
salaries.
(Chinese
original:  Chinese Pinyin: Ma3 wu2 ye4 cao3 bu4 fei2, ren2 wu2 wai4 kuai4 bu2 fu4.)
|
One
needs to find income beyond his regular salary. This proverb is often used
by those who try to justify their efforts to get more wealth through unlawful
means. |
- Return
the jewelry but keep the box.
(Chinese
original:  Chinese Pinyin: Mai3 du2 huan2 zhu1.)
|
- Whoever
does this must lack judgment, appreciating things of lesser value.
|
- There's
no insurmountable Mount of Flames.
(Chinese
original: 没有过不去的火焰山 Chinese Pinyin: Mei2 you3 guo4 bu1 qu4 de huo3yan4shan1.)
|
There
are no insurmountable difficulties. |
- When
people are no longer afraid of death, there is no use
threatening them with it?
(Chinese
original: 民不畏死，奈何以死惧之 Chinese Pinyin: Min2 bu2 wei4
si3, nai4 he2 yi3 si3 ju4 zhi1?)
|
|
- It
is easy to dodge a spear that comes in front of you but hard to avoid
an arrow shot from behind.
(Chinese
original:  Chinese Pinyin: Ming2 qiang1 yi4 duo3, an4 jian4 nan2 fang2.)
|
- It is
easier to guard against the obvious.
|
- Honing
your hatchet will not delay your effort of wood cutting.
(Chinese
original:  Chinese Pinyin: Mo2 dao1 bu2 wu4 kan3 chai2 gong1.)
|
- It seems
to take some time to do a good preparation for doing, but it pays off
in the long run.
|
- Trees
have already been made into a boat.
(Chinese
original: 木已成舟Chinese Pinyin: Mu4 yi3 cheng2 zhou1.)
(Similar proverb: Rice is already cooked. 生米煮成饭: Sheng1 mi3 zhu3 cheng2
fan4.)
|
- What
is done cannot be undone.
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