| Proverbs |
Annotation
And Connotations |
- A
speck on a jade stone won't obscure its radiance.
(Chinese
original: 瑕不掩瑜Chinese Pinyin: Xia2 bu4 yan3 yu4.)
|
- A shortcoming
will not write off one's merits.
|
Carry
out an execution before seeking the decree.
(Chinese
original:  Chinese Pinyin: Xian1 zhan3 hou4 zou4.)
|
There
are situations when one has to act before reporting to his superior.
Shouldn't it be avoided as much as possible. |
A dagger can be concealed in a smile.
(Chinese
original:  Chinese Pinyin: Xiao4 li3 cang2 dao1.) |
- Beware
of this "kiss of death."
|
- A
smile makes you ten years younger.
(Chinese
original: 笑一笑十年少 Chinese Pinyin: Xiao4 yi2 xiao4, shi2 nian2 shao4.)
|
|
- It
takes three years to learn to be a man of integrity; it only takes three
days to degrade.
(Chinese
original:  Chinese Pinyin: Xue2 hao3 san1nian2, xue2 huai4 san1tian1.)
|
It
is much easier to become corrupted. |
Butcher
the donkey after it finished his job on the mill.
(Chinese
original:  Chinese Pinyin: Xie4 mo4 sha1 lü2.)
|
Isn't
that ungrateful and mean? There are people who after taking advantage
of you turn their back to you. |
- Sail
when there is favorable wind; strike it when the iron is hot.
(Chinese
original: 行船趁顺风， 打铁趁红火 Chinese Pinyin: Xing2 chuan2 chen4 shun4feng1;
da3tie3 chen4 hong2huo3.)
|
|
- An
image of a bamboo has already been formed in mind before it is committed
to the painting canvas.
(Chinese
original:  or  Chinese Pinyin: Xiong1 you3 cheng2 zhu2, or Cheng2 zhu2 zai4 xiong1.)
|
- One is
certain about something to happen. Incidentally, it was said that there
was once a translator who translated the proverb word for word as "a
bamboo stick in the bosom" that made himself a laughing stock.
|
- Rein
in a horse at the edge of a cliff.
(Chinese
original: 悬崖勒马Chinese Pinyin: Xuan2ya2 le4 ma3.)
|
- Waken
up to a danger at the last moment.
|
- Reshape
one's feet to fit into new shoes.
(Chinese
original: 削足适履Chinese Pinyin: Xue1 zu2 shi4 lü3.)
|
- The logic
should be the other way round. Yet, in life there are people who try
to sacrifice the big for the small, the important for the trivial.
|
- Send
charcoal in a snow storm.
(Chinese
original: 雪里送炭Chinese Pinyin: Xue3 li3 song4 tan4.)
|
- Offer
help when help is needed.
|
- Add
frost to snow.
(Chinese
original:  Chinese Pinyin: Xue3 shang4 jia1 shuang1.)
(Similar proverb: A yellow weasel only victimizes a sick duck. 黄鼠狼单咬病鸭子:
Huang2shu3lang2 dan1 yao3 bing4 ya1zi)
|
- Add insult
to injury.
|
