Literal translation :3 – people – walking – must – have – me – teacher – thus
Category: Chinese Allegories
小题大做 – xiao3ti2da4zuo4
Literal meaning of each character = small – problem – big – do/produceActually, this is basically the same as the English idiom “make a mountain out of a molehill”. The Chinese version doesn’t use the graphic comparison like we do. They simply say the problem is small but the doing or action is big.
不要在一棵树上吊死 – bu2yao4 zai4 yi1 ke1 shu4 shang4 diao4si3
Literal translation : don’t at one (measure word) tree on hang oneselfActual translation : Don’t hang yourself on one tree
萝卜白菜各有所爱 – luo2bo bai2cai4ge4you3suo3ai4
Literal translation – Turnip Chinese Cabbage each has actual loveORTurnip, Cabbage everyone has their own preference
巧妇难为无米之炊 – qiao3fu4nan2wei2wu2mi3zhi1chui1
Literal translation – skilled wife difficult to without rice make good meal.Even the most skilled of wives/women is unable to make a good meal without rice
拔苗助长-ba2miao2zhu4zhang3
Literal meaning of each character = uproot,pull/draw out – young plant/seedling – help – grow
身在曹营心在汉 – shen1 zai4 cao2 ying2 xin1 zai4 han4
Literal translation = body – at – Cao (name) – camp – heart – at – Han (name)
塞翁失马焉知非福 – sai4 weng1 shi1 ma3 yan1 zhi1 fei1 fu2
Literal translation – saiweng (persons name) – lose – horse – how – know – not – blessing
Chinese allegories Lesson 21
tài suì tóu shang dòng tǔ – hăo dà de dăn
太岁头上动土 – 好大的胆
Dig clay near Taisui, a god in Chinese mythology – be reckless. This allegory is always used in the case when one risks offending a person of power and influence.
Chinese allegories Lesson 22
hé shang chī hūn – zhī fă fàn fă
和尚吃荤 – 知法犯法
A Buddhist monk takes meat. – know the law but break it; deliberately flout the law; knowingly violate the law
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