一意孤行 (Yī yì gū xíng)(1) obstinately clinging to one’s course (idiom)(2) willful(3) one’s own way(4) dogmatic From https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/bookView.jsp?ID=253 According to the Records of the Grand Historian, Zhao Yu (趙禹) was a proud and aloof man of [high] integrity who strictly followed the enforcement of the laws. Since he became a government official, he did not…
Month: August 2024
068. The Man Who Wanted To Learn To Be A Sorcerer
Histories of Witches – Historias de BrujosFrom Cuentos Populares en Chile (Chilean Folktales) – by Ramón A. LavalPart 2 – Myths, Traditions, Things (Mitos, Tradiciones, Casos) 068. The Man Who Wanted To Learn To Be A Sorcerer (El Caballero Que Quiso Aprender A Brujo) (Told by D. Francisco Vásquez.) A man went to visit a…
Yī yī dài shuǐ (一衣帶水 – 一衣带水)
一衣帶水 (Yī yī dài shuǐ)Lit. A belt of waterFig. (separated only by) a narrow strip of water From https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/bookView.jsp?ID=665 Source: Tang – Li Dashi (李大師), Li Yanshou (李延壽) – History of the Southern Dynasties – Latter History of Chen (南史·陳紀下): “Emperor Wen of Sui said to the Vice Director of the Imperial Secretariat (僕射) Gao…
067. The Merchant Transformed Into A Donkey
Histories of Witches – Historias de BrujosFrom Cuentos Populares en Chile (Chilean Folktales) – by Ramón A. LavalPart 2 – Myths, Traditions, Things (Mitos, Tradiciones, Casos) 067. The Merchant Transformed Into A Donkey (El Comerciante Convertido En Burro) Nicolás Fuenzalida, 70 years old, keeper of the National Library, told me this story in 1920, in…
Yī yè zhàng mù (一葉障目 – 一叶障目)
一葉障目 (Yī yè zhàng mù)(1) lit. eyes obscured by a single leaf (idiom)(2) fig. not seeing the wider picture(3) can’t see the wood for the trees From link. Source: Handan Chun – Xiaolin (邯鄲淳 – 笑林, a collection of jokes and folk humor) Once upon a time there was a scholar from Chu whose family…
066. The Phantom of the Culebra
Histories of Witches – Historias de BrujosFrom Cuentos Populares en Chile (Chilean Folktales) – by Ramón A. LavalPart 2 – Myths, Traditions, Things (Mitos, Tradiciones, Casos) 066. The Phantom of the Culebra (La Aparicion de la Culebra) (The 16-year old child D. Juan Pereira from Cauquenes told me this in 1911.)A gentleman invited a friend…
Yī wèn sān bù zhī (一問三不知 – 一問三不知)
一問三不知 (Yī wèn sān bù zhī)(1) lit. to reply “don’t know” whatever the question (idiom)(2) fig. absolutely no idea of what’s going on(3) complete ignorance from beginning to end From link. Source: Wenzi (文子) said: “When a gentleman plans something, he considers its beginning, progress, and end, and only then will he act. Today I…
065. The Sorcerers of Peumo
Histories of Witches – Historias de BrujosFrom Cuentos Populares en Chile (Chilean Folktales) – by Ramón A. LavalPart 2 – Myths, Traditions, Things (Mitos, Tradiciones, Casos) 065. The Sorcerers of Peumo (Los Brujos de Peumo) (This comes from D. Roberto Rengifo, who gave me this story in writing in 1921.) Near the town of Peumo,…
Yī wǎng dǎ jìn (一網打盡 – 一网打尽)
一網打盡 (Yī wǎng dǎ jìn)(1) lit. to catch everything in one net (idiom)(2) fig. to scoop up the whole lot(3) to capture them all in one go From https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/bookView.jsp?ID=161 The founding sovereign of the Shang Dynasty, Cheng Tang (成湯), was a benevolent ruler. He felt that King Jie of Xia was a brutal tyrant, and…