Tag: Chinese Allegories

 xiǎo cōng bàn dòu fu – yī qīng èr bái 小葱拌豆腐 – 一清二白 White bean curd and green scallions –

xiā zi diǎn dēng – bái fèi là 瞎子点灯 – 白费蜡 Lighting a candle for a blind man – a

lăo shŭ guò jiē – rén rén hăn dă
老鼠过街 – 人人喊打
A rat runs across the street. – Everybody shouts, "Kill it!"; to be extremely unpopular

fēng chuī qiáng tóu căo – liăng biān dăo
风吹墙头草 – 两边倒
The grass on top of a wall blows either way with the wind – someone who sits on the fence will end up going along with the crowd; to sit on the fence

shí wŭ ge diào tŏng dă shuǐ – qī shàng bā xià
十五个吊桶打水 – 七上八下
Have one’s heart clang like fifteen buckets in one well, seven going up and eight going down – have one’s heart pound with uncertainty, fear or turmoil

jĭng dĭ de há ma – jiàn shi shăo
井底的蛤蟆 – 见识少
Frog in a well – A person with a very limited outlook

dāng yī tiān hé shang zhuàng yī tiān zhōng – dé guò qiĕ guò
当一天和尚撞一天钟 – 得过且过
Go on tolling the bell as long as one is a monk – drift or muddle along; do the least that is expected of one; take a passive attitude towards one’s work.

dà hăi lāo zhēn – wú chù xún
大海捞针 – 无处寻
Fish for a needle in the ocean – one can find it nowhere; be next to impossible