093. The Three Brothers (Los Tres Hermanos) Once upon a time there were three brothers who had neither father nor mother. The parents had died without leaving a will, and not knowing who would inherit the property, they decided to go to the king to mediate the matter. They set out in the order from…
Author: nlt
Bì gōng bì jìng (必恭必敬 – 必恭必敬)
必恭必敬 (Bì gōng bì jìng) (1) reverent and respectful(2) extremely deferential Explanation: Extremely respectful, it is also used to describe [someone] who is dignified and polite. This idiom comes from the Book of Poetry – Minor Odes of the Kingdom / Lesser Court Hymns – Xiao Bian (http://xtf.lib.virginia.edu/xtf/view?docId=Chinese/uvaGenText/tei/shi_jing/AnoShih.xml;chunk.id=AnoShih.2;toc.depth=1;toc.id=AnoShih.2;brand=default): “Even the mulberry trees and the Zi…
092. The Candle of Life
092. The Candle of Life (La Vela de La Vida) There was a very poor father who had many children. As he was so poor, one day he saw the need to leave his village and go out in the world to earn a living to feed his family. And the first thing that occurred…
Bèi shuǐ yī zhàn (背水一戰 – 背水一战)
背水一戰 (Bèi shuǐ yī zhàn) Lit. to fight with one’s back to the river (idiom); fig. to fight to win or die Explanation: To give battle with one’s back against the river, having no course for retreat. It describes not leaving a way out, as one must fight to the death. This idiom came from…
091. The Cuélebre and the Shepherd
091. The Cuélebre and the Shepherd (El Cuélebre y El Pastor) Once up on a time there was a shepherd who spent his days tending to his flock. One day he was walking behind his sheep in the mountain, thinking about his [daily] business when, suddenly, he heard a cuélebre calling for him from a…
Bàn tú ér fèi (半途而廢 – 半途而废)
半途而廢 (Bàn tú ér fèi) To give up halfway (idiom); to leave something unfinished Explanation: To stop and not continue forward when one is already half-way [to the goal line]. It is a metaphor for starting something but not finishing it. This idiom originated from the Book of Rites – Doctrine of the Mean (禮記…
090. The Sycamore Flower
090. The Sycamore Flower (La Flor del Sicomoro) There is a mountain in Vasconia that is known by the name of Iluntzar, a mountain that is above the town of Navárniz. In this mountain there exists a chasm whose depth is unknown, because no one has ever been able to measure it. It is a…
Bān mén nòng fǔ (班門弄斧 – 班门弄斧)
班門弄斧 (Bān mén nòng fǔ) Lit. Showing off the axe at [Lu] Ban’s gate. Explanation: It is a metaphor for showing off one’s [slight] skill in front of an expert. It is mostly used when one’s being humble [self-deprecating]. 采石江邊一堆土，李白之名高千古； 來來往往一首詩，魯班門前弄大斧。 Literal translation:There is a pile of dirt by the river next to Caishi,Li Bai‘s…
089. Truths of the Boatman
089. Truths of the Boatman (Las Verdades del Barquero) Once upon a time there was a man who spent all his day gambling and always lost his shirt. Desperate at the ruin he was falling into as a result of his addiction, he decided to throw himself into the sea and end it once and…
Bǎi zhé bù náo (百折不撓 – 百折不挠)
百折不撓 (Bǎi zhé bù náo) (1) to keep on fighting in spite of all setbacks (idiom)(2) to be undaunted by repeated setbacks(3) to be indomitable Explanation: It describes that no matter how many setbacks one has gone through, one will never shrink back or give up. It also denotes strong will and persevering character. Eastern…