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Chinese wisdom words of the past - (081)

Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 05-24-12 17:55

中國昔時賢文 Chinese wisdom words of the past - (081)

只有千里的聲名,---Zhi3 you3 qian li3 di2 sheng ming2,
沒有千里的威風.---Mei2 you3 qian li3 di2 wei feng.

Your reputation may be known as far as a thousand miles,
But your power and prestige will not travel that far.
-------------------------------------------

只有上不去的天,---Zhi3 you3 shang4 bu4 qu4 de tian,
沒有過不去的山.---Mei2 you3 guo4 bu4 qu4 de shan.

The only place that we cannot go is the sky,
There are no mountains that we cannot cross.
---------------------------------------------

一瓶子不響,---Yi ping2 zi3 bu4 xiang3,
半瓶子晃蕩.---Ban4 ping2 zi3 huang4 dang4.

The half-filled bottle sloshes,
The full bottle remains still.
(The dabbler in knowledge chatters away
whereas the wise man stays silent
------------------------------------------

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By CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)

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Re: Chinese wisdom words of the past - (082)

Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 05-24-12 18:15

中國昔時賢文 Chinese wisdom words of the past - (082)

用錢能說話,---Yong4 qian2 neng2 shuo hua4,
無前話不靈.---Wu2 qian hua4 bu4 ling2.

With money, people will listen to you what you say,
Without money, what you say is ineffective.
-------------------------------------------------------------------

用心勤讀詩書,---Yong4 xin qin2 du2 shi shu,
方成賢人君子.---Fang cheng2 xian2 ren2 jun zi3.

Study diligently the poetic books,
In order to become a person of virtue and a gentleman.
---------------------------------------------

吃一塹,---Chi yi qian4,
長一智.---Zhang3 yi zhi.

A fall into the pit,
A gain in your wit.
--------------------------------------------------

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Re: Chinese wisdom words of the past - (083)

Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 05-24-12 23:53

中國昔時賢文 Chinese wisdom words of the past - (083)

星星之火,---Xing xing zhi huo3,
可以燎原.---Ke3 yi3 liao3 yuan2

A single spark,
Can kindle a prairie fire.

Similar to

小滴漏可以沉大船
Xiao3 di2 lou4 ke3 yi3 chen2 da4 chuan2

A little leak will sink a great ship.
(Small causes may do great mischief)
--------------------------------------------------

兒不嫌母醜,---Er2 bu4 xian2 mu3 chou3,
犬不嫌家貧.---Quan3 bu4 xian2 jia pin2.

A son will never dislike the ugliness of his mother,
A dog will never dislike the poverty of its master.
(My mother is the most beautiful woman in the world!)
---------------------------------------

開場聚賭,---Kai1 chang3 ju4 du3,
猶如殺人放火.---You2 ru2 sha ren2 fang4 huo3.

Opening a casino to gather people to gamble,
Is like committing murder and arson.
----------------------------------------

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Re: Chinese wisdom words of the past - (084)

Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 05-25-12 00:05

中國昔時賢文 Chinese wisdom words of the past - (084)

好漢不吃窩裡食,---Hao3 han4 bu4 chi wo li3 shi2,
好馬不吃回頭草.---Hao3 ma3 bu4 chi hui2 tou2 cao3.

A gentleman will not eat the stolen food,
A good horse will not turn its head to graze.
----------------------------------------------------

法律治光棍,---Fa3 lu4 zhi4 guang gun4,
惡狗治橫人.---E4 gou3 zhi4 heng2 ren2.

The law is to control the ruffians;
The fierce dog is to go after violent people.
-------------------------------------------------

翻船折桅一時窮,---Fan1 chuan2 zhe2 wei2 yi shi2 qiong2,
討壞老婆一世窮.---Tao3 huai4 lao3 po2 yi shi4 qiong2.

The mast of a boat snapped only once in a blue moon,
Whereas marrying a wrong wife is a life time affair.
---------------------------------------------------

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Re: Chinese wisdom words of the past - (085)

Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 05-25-12 00:14

中國昔時賢文 Chinese wisdom words of the past - (085)

喜是翻身離虎穴,---Xi3 shi4 fan shen li2 hu3 xue2,
誰知失足在鱷潭.---Shui2 zhi shi zu2 zai4 e4 tan2.

With sheer luck I escaped from the tiger den,
But accidentally I fell into the crocodile pond.
---------------------------------------------

半夜裡夢見做皇帝,---Ban4 ye4 li3 meng4 jian4 zuo4 Huang2 Di4,
快活一刻就是一刻.---Kuai4 huo2 yi ke4 jiu4 shi4 yi ke4.

In the middle of the night I dreamed I was an Emperor,
And I enjoyed every minute of it.
---------------------------------------------

飽暖思淫慾,---Bao3 nuan3 si yin2 yu4,
飢寒起盜心.---Ji han2 qi3 dao4 xin.

When a person is full and warm he thinks of having sex,
When a person is hungry and cold he thinks of stealing.
-----------------------------------------------

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By CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)

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Re: Chinese wisdom words of the past - (086)

Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 05-25-12 00:40

中國昔時賢文 Chinese wisdom words of the past - (086)

打鐵先得本身硬,---Da3 tie3 xian de2 ben3 shen ying4,
不然回頭傷自身.---Bu4 ran2 hui4 tou2 shang zi4 shen.

If you want to work with iron,
you must see that you are a tough man,
(one must be ideologically sound and professionally competent to do arduous
work)
----------------------------------------------

朋友千個好,---Peng2 you3 qian ge4 hao3,
怨家一個少.---Yuan4 jia yi ge4 shao3.

It is good to have a thousand friends,
To have one enemy is more than enough.
-----------------------------------------

父母恩深終有別,---Fu4 mu3 en shen zhong you3 bie2,
夫妻義重也分離.---Fu4 qi yi4 zhong4 ye3 fen li2.

The affection of parents for their children will come to an end,
The love between the husband and wife will eventually be parted.

與父母恩情再深終究會离開的，
夫妻之間感情再重也不會永遠在一起。
-------------------------------------------------------------

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By CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)

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Re: Chinese wisdom words of the past - (087)

Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 05-25-12 00:51

中國昔時賢文 Chinese wisdom words of the past - (087)

老人不講古,---Lao3 ren2 bu4 jiang3 gu3,
后生會失譜.---Hou4 sheng hui4 shi pu3.

If the old people don't talk about the past,
The young people might forget about the genealogies.
-----------------------------------------

國家興亡,---Guo2 jia xing wang2,
匹夫有責.---Pi3 fu you3 ze2.

Every man has a share of responsibility,
For the rise and fall of his country.
-------------------------------------------

人善被人欺,---Ren2 shan4 bei3 ren2 qi,
馬善被人騎.---Ma3 shan4 bei3 ren2 qi2.

A virtuous man is likely to be fooled.
A good horse is always being ridden.

人善良了會被人欺負，
馬老實了，誰都可以騎。
(意指不要太老實，老實人受欺負).
---------------------------------------------------------

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By CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)

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Re: Chinese wisdom words of the past - (088)

Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 05-25-12 02:04

中國昔時賢文 Chinese wisdom words of the past - (088)

只要自家上進,---Zhi3 yao zi4 jia shang4 jin4,
那怕人家看輕.---Na4 pa4 ren2 jia kan qing.

Only if you have the desire to do better,
You wouldn't be afraid of people looking down upon you.
---------------------------------------------------

好男不當兵.---Hao3 nan2 bu4 dang bing,
好鐵不打釘,---Hao3 tie3 bu4 da4 ding,

A good son will not become a soldier.
Good iron will not be made into a nail,
-------------------------------------------------

不是好漢不出鄉,---Bu4 shi4 hao3 han4 bu4 chu xiang,
不是肥土不栽薑.---Bu4 shi4 fei2 tu3 bu4 zai jiang.

Unless you are a brave man, don't leave your village.
Unless the soil is fertile don't plant ginger.
-------------------------------------------------

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By CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)

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Re: Chinese wisdom words of the past - (089)

Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 05-25-12 02:32

中國昔時賢文 Chinese wisdom words of the past - (089)

飢不擇食,---Ji bu4 ze2 shi2,
寒不擇衣,---Han2 bu4 ze2 yi,
慌不擇路,---Huang bu4 ze2 lu4,
貧不擇妻.---Pin2 bu4 ze2 qi

A hungry person is not choosy about his food,
A person in cold is not choosy about his clothes,
When a person is in a great rush he is not choosy about
which road he takes as long as it leads to his destination.
An impoverished person is not choosy in marrying a wife
--------------------------------------------------

雞蛋裡挑骨頭,---Ji dan4 li3 tiao3 gu3 tou2,
他硬著找麻煩.---Ta ying4 zhao2 zhao3 ma2 fan2.

Poking for bones in chicken egg,
He is dead set on making trouble.
----------------------------------------------------

雞蛋碰石頭,---Ji1 dan4 peng4 shi2 tou2,
蛋黃王外流.---Dan4 huang2 wang3 wai4 liu2.

Strike an egg against a stone,
And the yolk runs out at once.
(attack somebody far stronger than oneself).
------------------------------------

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By CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)

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Re: Chinese wisdom words of the past - (090)

Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 05-25-12 05:44

中國昔時賢文 Chinese wisdom words of the past - (090)

不怕餓死,---Bu4 pa4 e4 si3,
誰肯做賊.---Shui2 ken3 zuo4 zei2.

If people are not afraid of starving to death,
No one will want to become a thief.
--------------------------------------------

龍游淺水遭蝦戲,---Long2 you2 qian3 shui3 zao xia xi4,
虎落平陽被犬欺.---Hu3 luo4 ping2 yang2 bei3 quan3 qi.

Swimming to the shallow water the dragon is made fun of by the crabs,
Venturing to the plains the tiger is bullied by dogs.

龍到淺水里會遭蝦戲弄，
虎落平原狗都會去欺負，
(形容人倒運時在不利環境的遭遇).
------------------------------------------------------

只有千人做賊,---Zhi3 you3 qian ren2 zuo4 zei2, (090)
沒有千人防賊.---Mei2 you3 qian ren2 fang zei2.

There are thousand people wanting to become thefts,
Yet, there are no thousand people guarding against thefts.
------------------------------------------------------

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By CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)

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