Chinese Idioms

Sarah · Joined: 01 Aug 2006 Posts: 98 Location: London

"得意忘形 de yi wang xing":

used in the past to describe forgetting one's self in happiness, now used to satirize arrogant attitudes.

"望梅止渴 wang mei zhi ke":

It refers to getting comfort out of unrealistic fantasies.

"因势利导 yin shi li dao":

It means to positively steer something along the direction of its natural course.

"约法三章 yue fa san zhang":

To establish terms and conditions to be followed by all parties.

"愚公移山 yu gong yi shan":

It refers to not fearing difficulties and having a strong will and perseverance.

Changjinglu · Joined: 11 Aug 2006 Posts: 66 Location: London

我也很喜欢中文的成语。以下我选了其中我最喜欢的成语/短语。

酒肉朋友，英语说 fair-weather friends, they only like you when the sun is shining but when times are bad, in the grey weather, they run.
The Chinese idion expresses a similar situation - when the food and drink are plentiful they are around but in hard times they flee!

画蛇添足 - drawing legs on a snake, it spoils the picture, In English you can say "over-egging the pudding" so that it tastes disgusting as opposed to sweet!

治病救人 pointing out the illness to save the person. Sometimes a person needs to hear the hard truth in order to be saved! "Being cruel to be kind"

对牛弹琴 Playing a violin or other instrument to a cow - wasting your breath or efforts on someone who will not appreciate your efforts! My father's great aunt used to say "feeding strawberries to a donkey"!

开卷有益 - Reading broadens the mind! I agree.

敢做敢当 - Stand up a be counted ! Yes, it's important in life.

走马观/看花 riding so fast on a horse that you don't notice the beautiful flowers around you. Similarly, joining a tour group who whizz through all the sights not stopping to really appreciate them!

井底之蛙 - The frog at the bottom of the well who only sees a small corner of the sky. Perhaps describing an ignorant person unaware of the world, but I feel sorry for the frog! It needs a chance to explore! 需要机会开拓眼界.

良药苦吃 good medicine is bitter to the taste. We need to eat it but it tastes horrible! Sometimes we need to accept something that is at first repugnant but later good for us...

... 忠言逆耳 "the truth hurts"

对不起以上看来不高兴的。下一次好一点儿，

桃李满天下 "Peaches and Plums scattered under heaven"
It means all my former students who I once taught now scattered throughout their country far and wide. A nice thought for a teacher.

JuliaYang · Joined: 26 Jul 2006 Posts: 67 Location: London

Obove are all nice ideoms. could you tell us where did you get these idoems? I am thinking of making a whole list of nice idoems, which English people also use.

Changjinglu · Joined: 11 Aug 2006 Posts: 66 Location: London

这些成语从不同一地方学的，有的从跟别人谈话，有的从阅读，有的从电影，有的从词典。我敢说 I just collected them over the last few years. Also some of my friends taught me in letters.

Yes, I can think of some English proverbs or phrases. A lot come from Biblical, Roman or Greek legends or myths.
例如： "Achilles Heel" (weakness), or "Beware of Greeks bearing gifts"
(No, it's not discrimination against Greeks! It refers to the story of the
Trojan Horse).

还有很多有趣的expressions. 我读了“太阳从西边出来了”。
(看了在一本哆啦A梦的漫画书)
哈哈哈 When someone does something "out of character".
In English you can say "Has the world gone mad?"
或者如果有一各很懒的学生，突然、，一天还给我作业。我可以说：
It's a miracle! 太阳从西边出来了！

Guest · Posted: Sun Aug 20, 2006 4:57 pm Post subject:

Why English has less idioms than Chinese? I like idioms! Seldom see English people use idioms. Crying or Very sad

Changjinglu · Joined: 11 Aug 2006 Posts: 66 Location: London

英语的 idioms 存在着, 但是不是常用的。
那要看英国老百姓的习惯。对成语，英国的张三李四不常用，
我跟你同意，应该用。为语言发展/用法很好。
哈哈哈，现在，我觉得对语言，很多人的态度很懒。
应该有复兴吧。
而且，我觉得英国人需要更学语言，包括外语和英语。
如我们说英语是“全球语言“ - 各有利弊。现在英国的毕业生
没有利因为别的国家毕业生是双语的，三语的。
然后通过学习一门外语，你再发现你的母语。
很多英国人没有这个经历。
所以 native speaker 不总是等于语法知识。
今天有一个报告说很多英国公司招收部很不满意
因为很多毕业生的写作和数学能力不是标准的。
有的时候，仿佛在英国存在一个 "反对学习" 的态度。不好。
每个人应该尽力学习，无论他的等级 I mean class or status.
在英国的学校，学习英语总是有这个 class problem。
甚至他们觉得学习不是 "cool". 其实，说话/写作/阅读能力很重要的。

(You can tell I am a teacher from my rant!)

haha · Joined: 18 Aug 2006 Posts: 17

English people should learn foreign languages otherwise they will have less advantages, and their ablity to learn a foreign language will decrease.

Changjinglu · Joined: 11 Aug 2006 Posts: 66 Location: London

打草惊蛇
Beating the grass to alert the snake.

(To give someone warning of your coming or next move).

这个例子好。我知道怎么使用。
别的人可以出个例子吗？用中文。
给你们试验。

JuliaYang · Joined: 26 Jul 2006 Posts: 67 Location: London

Also about 蛇

画蛇添足

蛇本来没有脚,可画画的人偏要给它画上脚,比喻做多余的事,反而不恰当,弄巧成拙.

A snake originally does not have feet, but the painter draw feet for it!

The fable compares to people doing extra work which is improper and cumbrous.

Any body can give another word or idiom having '蛇'with it? Cool

xiaoqian · Joined: 20 Aug 2006 Posts: 16

bei gong she ying
杯弓蛇影 mistaking the reflection of a bow in the cup for a snake ---extremely suspicious
中国晋朝有一个叫乐广的人请客吃饭，挂在墙上的弓映在酒杯里，有一个客人以为是蛇，回去疑心中了蛇毒，就生病了。比喻疑神疑鬼，妄自惊谎。

xiaoqian · Joined: 20 Aug 2006 Posts: 16

Changjinglu · Joined: 11 Aug 2006 Posts: 66 Location: London

很好，你的中文很好！
Wink

Changjinglu · Joined: 11 Aug 2006 Posts: 66 Location: London

Hello everyone,
大家好 Dajia hao.

Here are some English sayings/proverbs
这里英语的短语/成语。 Zheli yingyu de duanyu/chengyu.

Can anybody find the Chinese equivalents?
能告诉我们中文的等于句子吗?
neng gaosu women zhongwen de dengyujuzi ma?

...and then show us how they are used? (a context)
... 然后指出用法？ranhou zhichu yongfa? （上下文 shangxiawen)

1. Shutting the barn door after the horse has bolted.
2. Sitting on the fence.
3. Being sent to Coventry.
4. Cutting off your nose to spite your face.
5. Using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
6. Making a mountain out of a molehill.
7. Trying to run before you can walk.
8. Keeping up with the Jonses.

xiaoqian · Joined: 20 Aug 2006 Posts: 16

JuliaYang · Joined: 26 Jul 2006 Posts: 67 Location: London