You won't help the new plants grow by pulling them up higher.
(Chinese original: 揠苗助长 Chinese Pinyin: Ya4 miao2 zhu4 zhang3.)

Steal a bell with one's ears plugged.
(Chinese original: 掩耳盗铃Chinese Pinyin: Yan3 er3 dao4 ling2.)

A bell is supposed to be ringing when moved and alert the owner. The theft here thought if he covered up his own ears, no one else in the world will hear it either. That is stupid. Sure. This proverb is just to mock someone who takes it for granted that if he thinks others do not know what he is doing and they would surely do not know it.

Don't want others to know what you have done? Better not have done it anyway.
(Chinese original: Chinese Pinyin: Yao4 xiang3 ren2 bu4 zhi1, chu2fei1 ji3 mo4 wei2.)

Todays beneficiary is the incarnation of his preexisting well-doer; the fate of ones next existence lies in his existence today.
(Chinese original: 要知前世， 今生受者是； 要知后世果，今生做者是 Chinese Pinyin: Yao4 zhi1 qian2 shi4 yin1, jin1 sheng1 shou4 zhe3 shi4; yao4 zhi1 hou4 shi4 guo3, jin1 sheng1 zuo4 zhe3 shi4.)

What goes around comes around. Doing good will benefit yourself eventually. Otherwise youll get comeuppance.

Lord Ye's professed love of dragons turned into his worst fear.
(Chinese original: Chinese Pinyin: Ye4gong1 hao4 long2.)

A Lord Ye professed that he loved dragons. To prove it, he drew dragons everywhere. When the real dragons paid him a visit, he was scared to death. One may not do what he claims to be interested in doing.

For a complete story, please read my book Magic Lotus Lantern and Other Tales of the Han Chinese, to be published in spring 2006 by Libraries Unlimited.

The longer the night lasts, the more our dreams will be.
(Chinese original: 夜长梦多 Chinese Pinyin: Ye4 chang2 meng4 duo1.)

The longer we stay in a disadvantageous position, the more risks we'll take.

Approach heaven with a single stride.
(Chinese original: Chinese Pinyin: Yi2 bu4 deng1 tian1.)

Make an extremely fast progress or get a huge promotion.

Each law suit is a fire; you can't avoid its burning flame.
(Chinese original: Chinese Pinyin: Yi1 chang3 guan1si1 yi1 chang3 huo3, ren4 ni3 hao3han4 mei2 chu4 duo3.)

Each sovereign maintains his own courtiers.
(Chinese original: Chinese Pinyin: Yi1 chao2 tian1zi1 yi1 chao2 chen2.)

For instance, each president has his own cabinet.

An inch of time is an inch of gold, but an inch of time cannot be purchased for an inch of gold.
(Chinese original: Chinese Pinyin: Yi1 cun4 guang1yin1 yi1 cun4 jin1; cun4 jin1 nan2 mai3 cun4 guang1yin1.)

Disregard the different use of unit words describing nouns in different cultures. This proverb tells the truth that time is more valuable than money. Money spent or lost can be earned; time lost is lost for good. No money can buy it back. The motto is that we got to make good use of our time.

A single merit cannot make a hundred demerits fade; a hundred merits cannot hide a single demerit.
(Chinese original: 一好遮不了百丑，百好遮不了一丑 Chinese Pinyin: Yi4 hao3 zhe1 bu4 liao3 bai3 chou3; bai3 hao3 zhe1 bu4 liao3 yi4 chou3.)

It is impossible to add much weight with a single morsel; it is hard to travel afar with a single step.
(Chinese original: Chinese Pinyin: Yi4 kou3 chi1 bu1 cheng2 pang4zi3, yi2 bu4 kua4 bu2 dao4 tian1 bian1.)

A deliberate inaction is better than a blind action.
(Chinese original: Chinese Pinyin: Yi1 dong4 bu4 ru2 yi2 jing4.)

Think before you leap.

One monk shoulders water by himself; two can still share the labor between them. When it comes to three, they have to go thirsty.
(Chinese original: 一个和尚挑水喝，两个和尚抬水喝，三个和尚没水喝。Chinese Pinyin: Yi2ge4 he2shang4 tiao1 shui3 he1, liang3ge4 he2shang4 tai2 shui3 he1, san1ge4 he2shang4 mei2 shui3 he1.)

It is a scenario where lack of individual initiative could breed dependence upon each other so that the more people the lesser things are done.

Kill two vultures with one arrow.
(Chinese original: Chinese Pinyin: Yi1 jian4 shuang1 diao1.)

Kill two birds with one stone.

The dragon has nine sons, each different from the others.
(Chinese original: Chinese Pinyin: Yi1 long2 sheng1 jiu3 zhong3, zhong3 zhong3 bu4 tong2.)

Rarely do sibblings have the same temperament and characters.

Once bitten by a snake, one is scared all his life at the mere sight of a rope.
(Chinese original: 一年遭蛇咬，十年怕井绳 Chinese Pinyin: Yi1 nian2 zao1 she2 yao3, shi2 nian2 pa4 jing3 sheng2.)

Once bitten, twice shy.

A year's harvest counts on spring; a man's success counts on his diligence.
(Chinese original: 一年之际在于春，一生之际在于勤 Chinese Pinyin: Yi4nian2 zhi1 ji4 zai4yu2 chun1, yi4sheng1 zhi1 ji4 zai4yu2 qin2.)

One dog snarls at a shadow; a hundred howl at each others barking.
(Chinese original: Chinese Pinyin: Yi1 quan3 fei4 ying3, bai3 quan3 fei4 sheng1.)

Two tigers cannot share one mountain (forest).
(Chinese original: 一山不容二虎 or 一林不二虎 Chinese Pinyin: Yi1 shan1 bu4 rong2 er4 hu3. Or Yi1 lin2 bu2 er4 hu3.)

Two equally talented or able employees cannot work well side by side in one unit . That may not be the case with everyone, but people do become jealous of their peers sometimes.

Force tells weak from strong for a moment; truth tells right from wrong all the time.
(Chinese original: Chinese Pinyin: Yi4shi2 qiang2 ruo4 zai4yu2 li4, wan4gu3 sheng4 fu4 zai4yu2 li3.)

A man of honor will feel ashamed by a single question to which he does not know the answer.
(Chinese original: Chinese Pinyin: Yi1 shi4 bu4 zhi1, jun1zi3 zhi1 chi3.)

This is to encourage people to learn everything he can and be ashamed at not knowing even one bit of what they have learned.

One thing well done is a hundred done; one thing that fails dooms the rest.
(Chinese original: Chinese Pinyin: Yi1 shi4 jing1, bai3 shi4 jing1; yi1 wu2 cheng3, bai3 wu2 cheng2.)

If one is capable of accomplishing one thing, he is likely to accomplish many more or vice versa.

Fruits of the same tree have different tastes; children of the same mother have various qualities.
(Chinese original: 一树之果有酸有甜，一母之子有愚有贤 Chinese Pinyin: Yi2 shu4 zhi1 guo3 you3 suan1 you3 tian2, yi1 mu3 zhi1 zi3 you3 yu2 you3 xian2.)

One failure leads to another; so does success.
(Chinese original: Chinese Pinyin: Yi1 sun3 ju4 sun3, yi1 rong2 ju4 rong2.)

It is usually true among people who share the same interest and lot.

One justice can overpower a hundred evils.
(Chinese original: Chinese Pinyin: Yi1 zheng4 ya1 bai3 xie2.)

We always believe in the power of justice.

When good fortune finally comes, no one can ever stop it.
(Chinese original:一朝时运至，半点不由人 Chinese Pinyin: Yi1 zhao1 shi2 yun4 zhi4, ban4 dian3 bu4 you2 ren2.)

One bee makes no honey; one grain makes no rice soup.
(Chinese original: Yi4zhi1 feng1 niang4 bu4 cheng2 mi4; yi4ke1 mi3 ao2 bu4 cheng2 zhou2.)

Fight poison with poison.
(Chinese original: Chinese Pinyin: Yi3 du2 gong1 du2.)

Use the opponent's tactics to attack the opponent. Similar to "Fight fire with fire."

Hit a stone with an egg.
(Chinese original: Chinese Pinyin: Yi3 luan3 tou2 shi2.)

Overrate one's power and gets defeated because of it.

Tears cannot put out a fire.
(Chinese original: 眼泪救不了火 Chinese Pinyin: Yan3lei4 jiu4 bu4 liao3 huo3.)

Weakness will lead to nowhere.

The longer the night lasts, the more our dreams will be.
(Chinese original: 夜长梦多 Chinese Pinyin: Ye4 chang2 meng4 duo1.)

The longer we stay in a disadvantageous position, the more risks we'll take.

One cannot refuse to eat just because there is a chance of being choked.
(Chinese original: Chinese Pinyin: Yin1 ye4 fei4 shi2.)

You can't refuse to do the thing you need to just because there is a slight chance to fail.

Don't suspect your employee. If one is suspicious, don't employ him.
(Chinese original: Chinese Pinyin: Yong4 ren2 bu4 yi2, yi2 ren2 bu2 yong4.)

A flower you plant may not necessarily bloom; but the seed of a tree you happen to drop may grow into a forest.
(Chinese original: Chinese Pinyin: You3 yi4 zai1 hua1 hua1 bu4 kai1, wu2 yi4 cha1 liu3 liu3 cheng2 yin1.)

This irony happens often in real life. For instance, one's spouse may not be the sweetheart one used to spent so much time and energy to woo. Some discoveries and inventions happen in the same manner: Coca Cola is for one.

"The Foolish Old Man" Removes a Mountain.
(Chinese original: Chinese Pinyin: Yu2gong1 yi2 shan1.)

The legend goes that an old man was leading his family in picking away at a mountain in front of his house. When asked how he could accomplish this feat, the "Foolish Old Man" replied that if his family worked ceaselessly generation after generation, the mountain would eventually be leveled. He said, "An inch removed, it has an inch lesser." This proverb was once quoted by Mao Tse-tung to encourage the Chinese to fight the formidable Japanese invaders during WWII. The moral is, in dealing with a seemingly very difficult task, keep on working at it without fear, and you will eventually succeed.
For the full story, please read my book Magic Lotus Lantern and Other Tales of the Han Chinese, to be published in spring 2006 by Libraries Unlimited.

Pass off a fish eye for a pearl.
(Chinese original: 鱼目混珠Chinese Pinyin: Yu2 mu4 hun4 zhu1.)

Sell, use or present the fake or sham instead of the genuine.

Like bamboo shoots after rain.
(Chinese original: Chinese Pinyin: Yu3 hou4 chun1 sun3.)

A jade stone is useless before it is processed; a man is good-for-nothing until he is educated.
(Chinese original: Chinese Pinyin: Yu4 bu4 zhuo1 bu4 cheng2 qi4, ren2 bu2 jiao4 nan2 cheng2 cai2.)

It is an emphasis on the need of education.

As a snipe and a clam are entangled in a fight, a fisherman catch them both.
(Chinese original: Chinese Pinyin: Yu4 bang4 xiang1 zheng1, yu2 weng1 de2 li4.)

When two dogs fight for a bone, a third runs always with it. The proverb tells us that all parties in a dispute may end up being losers to the benefit of others.

The more you try to cover things up, the more exposed they will be.
(Chinese original: Chinese Pinyin: Yu4 gai4 mi2 zhang1.)

To enjoy a grander sight, climb to a greater height.
(Chinese original: 欲穷千里目，更上一层楼 Chinese Pinyin: Yu4 qiong2 qian1li3 mu4, geng4 shang4 yi4 ceng2 lou2.)

To make a greater achievement on the basis of previous successes.

Seek fish on a tree.
(Chinese original: 缘木求鱼Chinese Pinyin: Yuan2 mu4 qiu2 yu2.)

Apparently it is a fruitless effort.

Distant water won't help to put out a fire close at hand.
(Chinese original: Chinese Pinyin: Yuan3 shui3 jiu4 bu4 liao3 jin4 huo3.)

Distant water won't quench your immediate thirst.
(Chinese original: Chinese Pinyin: Yuan3 shui3 jie3 bu4 liao3 jin4 ke3.)