破釜沉舟 (Pò fǔ chén zhōu) (1) lit. to break the cauldrons and sink the boats (idiom); fig. to cut off one’s means of retreat (2) to burn one’s boats (3) doing things decisively and without hesitation From https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/bookView.jsp?ID=5598 According to the “Records of the Grand Historian – Volume 7 – Biography of Xiang Yu“, in…
Month: April 2023
054. Thumbelino
054. Thumbelino (Pulgarcito) A couple had seven sons, and the youngest among them was as small as a thumb, and so they called him Thumbelino. They lived near a forest, yet they had nothing to eat because they were as poor as rats and hunger visited them day and night without fail. The father was…
Pī jīng zhǎn jí (披荊斬棘 – 披荆斩棘)
披荊斬棘 (Pī jīng zhǎn jí) (1) lit. to cut one’s way through thistles and thorns (idiom)(2) fig. to overcome all obstacles on the way(3) to break through hardships(4) to blaze a new trail From https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/bookView.jsp?ID=949 According to “Book of the Later Han – Volume 17 – Biographies of Feng (Yi), Cen (Peng, 岑彭), Jia (Fu,…
053. Stone Of Pain And Knife Of Love
053. Stone Of Pain And Knife Of Love (Piedra de Dolor Y Cuchillo de Amor) There was a very beautiful princess whom the devil was courting, but the princess spurned his advance. From then on, the devil searched for a way to take revenge on her refusal. One day when he was prowling about the…
Pǐ fū zhī yǒng (匹夫之勇 – 匹夫之勇)
匹夫之勇 (Pǐ fū zhī yǒng) Lit. the valor of an ordinary (coarse) man According to “Guoyu – Discourses of Yue (越語), Upper Chapter”, in the Spring and Autumn Period, the King of Yue, Goujian, was defeated by the King of Wu, Fuchai, and was imprisoned in the State of Wu for three years, [thus] having…
052. The Marble Statue
052. The Marble Statue (La Estatua De Mármol) A woman had a grown son who decided to do nothing in life, and so he remained in his mother’s house, loafing around and wasting his time. The mother insisted to him that he had to learn a trade, but the young man refused to learn any…
Nèi zhù zhī xián (內助之賢 – 内助之贤)
內助之賢 (Nèi zhù zhī xián) Lit. A Virtuous Spouse (Wife) Yan Ying was the chancellor of Duke Jing of Qi in the Spring and Autumn Period. He was of short stature, being less than six chi tall (equivalent to four feet three inches in modern measurements). However, he was very talented and was well known…
051. Bellaflor
051. Bellaflor (literally Beautiful Flower) A father had two sons. The older became a soldier, set out and was in America for many years. When he got tired of being a soldier, he went back to Spain and showed up at his house. On arriving, he discovered that his father had died and that his…
Nòng qiǎo chéng zhuō (弄巧成拙 – 弄巧成拙)
弄巧成拙 (Nòng qiǎo chéng zhuō) (1) to overreach oneself(2) to try to be clever and end up with egg on one’s face From https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/bookView.jsp?ID=144 Mazu Daoyi, whose surname was Ma, was commonly known as Master Ma (Mazu, or 馬祖), and was one of the most famous figures in the history of Chinese Chan Buddhism (Zen)….
050. The Little Butterfly
050. The Little Butterfly (La Mariposita) This was a little butterfly who was happily sweeping the door of her house when she found a penny. And she began to think: “What will I spend it on? What will I spend it on? On sweets? No, no, [for] they’ll call me a sweet-toothed. On almonds? No,…