不甚了了 (Bù shèn liǎo liǎo)Not being very clear about something Song Dynasty – Hong Mai – Record of Yijian – Book Nineteen – The wildman of Huangzhou (洪邁《夷堅丁志．卷一九．黃州野人》):We watched closely and saw that the hairy creature looked like a human. We fought it but it ran away, where we chased after it but were unable…
023. The Walking Coffin
Myths, Legends and Peruvian Stories (Mitos, Leyendas y Cuentos Peruanos)Selections and Notes by José María Arguedas and Francisco Izquierdo RíosSierra – Mitos (Mountain – Myth) 023. El Féretro Ambulante (The Walking Coffin) Collected in Ayaviri, capital of the Province of Melgar, Department of Puno, by Adelma Tapia Cano, a third year high school student of…
Bù qiú shèn jiě (不求甚解 – 不求甚解)
不求甚解 (Bù qiú shèn jiě)(1) lit. not requiring a detailed understanding (idiom); only looking for an overview(2) not bothered with the details(3) superficial(4) content with shallow understanding From https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/bookView.jsp?ID=205 Tao Qian (陶潛), courtesy name Yuanliang (元亮), also known as Yuanming (淵明), was a native of Chaisang, Xunyang (潯陽柴桑) in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, and was…
022. The Apparition of the Human Beings On Earth
Myths, Legends and Peruvian Stories (Mitos, Leyendas y Cuentos Peruanos)Selections and Notes by José María Arguedas and Francisco Izquierdo RíosSierra – Mitos (Mountain – Myth) 022. The Apparition of the Human Beings On Earth (La Aparicion De Los Seres Humanos Sobre La Tierra) In ancient times, the current valley of Jauja and Mantaro was covered…
Sān zhǐ wú lǘ (三紙無驢 – 三纸无驴)
三紙無驢 (Sān zhǐ wú lǘ)Lit. Three pages of writings without a single “donkey” word From link. Yan Zhitui, a literary scholar from the Northern Qi dynasty, was sent by his father to live with his maternal uncle when he was young due to their poverty. Although his father was poor, he had strict expectation for…
021. Origin of the Word ‘Wanka’
Myths, Legends and Peruvian Stories (Mitos, Leyendas y Cuentos Peruanos)Selections and Notes by José María Arguedas and Francisco Izquierdo RíosSierra – Mitos (Mountain – Myth) 021. Origin of the Word Wanka (Origen de La Palabra Wanka) Collected in the Province of Jauja, Department of Junín, by Nelly Valle, fifth year student at the “Miguel Grau”…
Sān sī ér xíng (三思而行 – 三思而行)
三思而行 (Sān sī ér xíng)(1) think three times then go (idiom)(2) don’t act before you’ve thought it through carefully From https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/bookView.jsp?ID=449 Ji Wenzi (季文子) was one of the three high officials from the State of Lu and the true wielder of political power in the state. Although he held a prominent position, he lived a…
020. The Headless Priest
Myths, Legends and Peruvian Stories (Mitos, Leyendas y Cuentos Peruanos)Selections and Notes by José María Arguedas and Francisco Izquierdo RíosCosta – Leyenda (Coast – Myth) 020. The Headless Priest (El Cura Sin Cabeza) Collected in Tambo, District of the Province of Islay, Department of Arequipa, by Esther Barreto, a fourth year high school student at…
Sān cùn bù làn zhī shé (三寸不爛之舌 – 三寸不烂之舌)
三寸不爛之舌 (Sān cùn bù làn zhī shé)(1) To have a silver tongue(2) To have the gift of the gab(3) An all-pursuasive tongue From https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/bookView.jsp?ID=1331 The tongue is the main organ for [facilitating] speech and is about three cuns long. People in ancient time used “Three-cun tongue (三寸舌)” or “Tongue of three cuns (三寸之舌)” to indicate…
019. The Old Indian’s Pampa
Myths, Legends and Peruvian Stories (Mitos, Leyendas y Cuentos Peruanos)Selections and Notes by José María Arguedas and Francisco Izquierdo RíosCosta – Leyenda (Coast – Myth) 019. The Old Indian’s Pampa (La Pampa Del Indio Viejo) Collected in Caravelí, capital of the Province of the same name, Department of Arequipa, by Alicia Bustamante Moscoso, a fourth-year…