Flies
never infest an egg without cracks.
(Chinese
original:  Chinese Pinyin: Cang1ying2 bu4 ding1 wu2 feng4 dan4.)
|
Cracked
eggs that yield odors are as vulnerable to flies as problem children
to gangs or bad company. |
Hidden
dragons, crouching tigers.
(Chinese
original:  Chinese Pinyin: Cang2 long2 wo4 hu3.) |
When
you say some place has "hidden dragons and crouching tigers" you mean
that that place has able people who are kept willingly or unwillingly
in a low profile. The proverb is usually used to advise people not to
take a place like that lightly. |
A
minimal error at the start leads to a wide divergence in the distance.
(Chinese
original: Chinese Pinyin: Cha4 zhi1 hao2 li2, miu4 yi3 qian1 li3.) |
As in
the launch of a rocket, a small error can lead to a serious result. |
One
who walks along a river frequently cannot avoid getting his shoes wet.
(Chinese
original:  Chinese Pinyin: Chang2 zai4 he2bian1 zou3, na3
neng2 bu4 shi1 xie2.) |
It
happens. |
Drinking
the water of a well, one should never forget who dig it.
(Chinese
original:  Chinese Pinyin: Chi1 shui3 bu1 wang4 jue1 jing3 ren2.) |
One should
always be grateful to those who helped him succeed. |
A
fall into a ditch, a gain in your wit.
(Chinese
original:  Chinese Pinyin: Chi1 yi2 qian4 zhang3 yi2 zhi4.) |
People
learn from their mistakes. |
A
feet can be shorter while an inch can be longer.
(Chinese
original:
尺短寸长 Chinese Pinyin: Chi3 duan3 cun4 chang2.) |
Compared
with something longer, a feet may be shorter; compared with something
shorter, an inch seems longer. Things are relative: everything has its
merits and demerits. |
Notoriety
travels farther away.
(Chinese
original:  Chinese Pinyin: Chou4ming2 yuan3 yang2.) |
|
Riddance
of evil must be thorough.
(Chinese
original: 除恶务尽Chinese Pinyin: Chu2 e4 wu4 jin4.) |
|
If
the lips are gone, the teeth will grow cold.
(Chinese
original:  Chinese Pinyin: Chun2 wang2 chi3 han2.) |
Two
parties share a common interest. If one is hurt, the other will, too. |
There
is no silver here: three hundred taels.
(Chinese
original: 此地无银三百两 Chinese Pinyin: Ci3 di4 wu2 yin2 san1bai3 liang3.) |
This proverb is to tease those who say
or do things blatantly self contradictory and consequently become an
object of ridicule.
see the story in my book The Magic Lotus Lantern and Other Tales from the Han Chinese. |
Thick
branches and big leaves.
(Chinese
original: 粗枝大叶Chinese Pinyin: Cu1 zhi1 da4 ye4.) |
To say
is "Thick branches and big leaves" is to accuse him of being
careless, failing to attend to details. |
