Myths, Legends and Peruvian Stories (Mitos, Leyendas y Cuentos Peruanos)Selections and Notes by José María Arguedas and Francisco Izquierdo RíosCosta – Leyenda (Coast – Legend) From Sechura, District of the Province and Region of Piura. Told by Mrs. Josefa Amaya to Avelina Paiva, a fourth-year high school student at the private school “Our Lady of…
Author: nlt
Zhǐ lù wéi mǎ (指鹿為馬 – 指鹿为马)
指鹿為馬 (Zhǐ lù wéi mǎ)(1) making a deer out to be a horse (idiom)(2) deliberate misrepresentation From https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/bookView.jsp?ID=11 Zhao Gao was a treacherous and ambitious man who wanted to usurp power from the emperor. When Emperor Qin Shihuang died of illness, he falsely sent out an imperial edict, ordering Qin Shihuang’s oldest son, Fusu, to…
083. The Twelve Redoubled Words
Pacts with the DevilFrom Cuentos Populares en Chile (Chilean Folktales) – by Ramón A. LavalPart 2 – Myths, Traditions, Things (Mitos, Tradiciones, Casos) 083. The Twelve Redoubled Words (Las Doce Palabras Redobladas) (Told by St. Zoila Guerrero Gutiérrez, Prado of Peñaflor. February 1923.) A widow had a very beautiful daughter, and they were served in…
Zhī hū zhě yě (之乎者也 – 之乎者也)
之乎者也 (Zhī hū zhě yě)(1) four common characters of classical Chinese (idiom); fig. semi-incomprehensible talk(2) double Dutch(3) all Greek to me From link. Source: Northern Song – Wen Ying – Xiangshan yelu (Unnofficial records from Mt. Xiangshan) – 北宋·文瑩《湘山野錄》 In 959 A.D., Emperor Shizong of Later Zhou (Chai Rong) suddenly fell ill and passed away….
082. The Generous Devil
Pacts with the DevilFrom Cuentos Populares en Chile (Chilean Folktales) – by Ramón A. LavalPart 2 – Myths, Traditions, Things (Mitos, Tradiciones, Casos) 082. The Generous Devil (El Diablo Generoso) A gentleman had a large estate which lacked irrigation, and this left him with nothing but losses in dry years (e.g. droughts). In the neighboring…
Záo bì tōu guāng (鑿壁偷光 – 凿壁偷光)
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…
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…