鑿壁偷光 (Záo bì tōu guāng)(1) lit. to pierce the wall to steal a light (idiom)(2) fig. to study diligently in the face of hardship From link. Source: Liu Xin’s Miscellaneous Records of the Western Capital – Book Two (劉歆 – 西京雜記·卷二) Kuang Heng was diligent and studious, but his family [was poor and] couldn’t afford…
Month: November 2024
081. The Son of the Devil
From Cuentos Populares en Chile (Chilean Folktales) – by Ramón A. LavalPart 2 – Myths, Traditions, Things (Mitos, Tradiciones, Casos) 081. The Son of the Devil (El Hijo Del Diablo) Not many years ago there lived in Petorca a small and chubby old man of about seventy years old, who was known by the name…
Yuè xià lǎo rén (月下老人 – 月下老人)
月下老人 (Yuè xià lǎo rén)(1) minor divinity concerned with marriage(2) matchmaker(3) go-between From https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/bookView.jsp?ID=715 In the Tang Dynasty, there was once a man named Wei Gu (韋固) who traveled to Song City (宋城) and stayed at the South Inn (南店). One night, Wei Gu went outside of Song City and saw an old man sitting…
080. The Dancing Devil
From Cuentos Populares en Chile (Chilean Folktales) – by Ramón A. LavalPart 2 – Myths, Traditions, Things (Mitos, Tradiciones, Casos) 080. The Dancing Devil (El Diablo Bailarin) (1910.)It’s well known that in the 18th century the Devil was great friend with the miners of Petorca, where he had established his kingdom. On paydays, he went…
Yuē fǎ sān zhāng (約法三章 – 约法三章)
約法三章 (Yuē fǎ sān zhāng)(1) to agree on three laws (idiom)(2) three-point covenant(3) (fig.) preliminary agreement(4) basic rules From https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/bookView.jsp?ID=590 In the ending years of the Qin Dynasty, the country was in chaos and heroes rose up one after another to fight against the tyranny of the ruling government, among which Liu Bang‘s and Xiang…