Pengyou Posted April 16, 2012 at 08:17 AM Report Share Posted April 16, 2012 at 08:17 AM I want to ask my primary school students to memorize these as part of their final exam but I know they will ask me what they mean. Are there lists of translated proverbs out there? It does not have to be these. If I can find a list of western proverbs or sayings that has already been translated I can very likely change my list. I choose these because they are short and seem to fit Asian life and values. A penny saved is a penny earned. A stitch in time saves nine. A food and his money are soon parted. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. A picture is worth a thousand words. A trouble shared is a trouble halved. As you sow, so shall you reap. Beauty is only skin deep. Beggars can’t be choosy. Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched. Every cloud has a silver lining. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylee Posted April 16, 2012 at 08:33 AM Report Share Posted April 16, 2012 at 08:33 AM Consider - A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step - 千里之行始於足下 As you sow, so shall you reap - 一分耕耘一分收穫 Every cloud has a silver lining - 塞翁失馬焉知非福 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liuzhou Posted April 16, 2012 at 11:00 AM Report Share Posted April 16, 2012 at 11:00 AM A penny saved is a penny earned - 省一文等于挣一文. / 节约等于收创. / 积少成多,集腋成裘. A stitch in time saves nine. - 一针及时省九针. / 趁旱缝一针,省得来日补十针. / 及时行动,莫等何题成堆. / 针不补,十针难缝. / 小洞不补,大洞吃苦. A fool and his money are soon parted. 蠢人不聚财. / 傻瓜花钱快 A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. 千里之行,始于足下. / 万丈高楼始于垒土 As you sow, so shall you reap. 种什么, 收什么. / 种瓜得瓜,种豆得豆. Beauty is only skin deep. 美貌只是一层皮. / 美貌是外表, 素质更重要. / 不可以貌取人. Beggars can’t be choosy. 乞丐哪能挑肥拣瘦. / 讨饭难拣嘴. / 身不由己, 只好迁就. Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched. 蛋未孵出, 莫数鸡雏. / 不要过旱乐观. / 不要指望得过旱. Every cloud has a silver lining. 朵朵乌云衬白底, 黑暗尽处现光明. / 祸中有福. / 塞翁失马, 焉知非福. / 天无绝人之路. Translations from here 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestTexas Posted April 16, 2012 at 12:58 PM Report Share Posted April 16, 2012 at 12:58 PM How about "You can't polish a turd"? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylee Posted April 16, 2012 at 01:25 PM Report Share Posted April 16, 2012 at 01:25 PM consider 於事無補. or, if used on people, consider 爛泥糊不上牆 / 爛泥扶不上牆 / 爛泥扶不上壁. PS - I think 集腋 alone is not correct. It should be 集腋成裘. Also, am I right to think that "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" is itself the translation? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liuzhou Posted April 16, 2012 at 01:35 PM Report Share Posted April 16, 2012 at 01:35 PM PS - I think 集腋 alone is not correct. It should be 集腋成裘. Indeed. A typo. Now corrected. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pengyou Posted April 16, 2012 at 11:13 PM Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2012 at 11:13 PM Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lu Posted April 18, 2012 at 05:48 AM Report Share Posted April 18, 2012 at 05:48 AM Note that these are not 'western' proverbs but English ones. There are a lot of different western languages and they tend to have some proverbs in common, but there are also a lot of language-specific ones (which you will find out, for example, when you talk to a Dutchman who thinks he knows better English than he does and translates Dutch proverbs word by word). Also, the 'journey of a thousand miles' one is from the Daodejing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
陳德偉 Posted April 24, 2012 at 04:38 PM Report Share Posted April 24, 2012 at 04:38 PM Skylee is right, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" is already itself a translation of the Chinese 千里之行,始於足下. It's taken from the ancient book 道德經. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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