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…
Author: nlt
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…
088. The Golden Little Star
088. The Golden Little Star (Estrellita de Oro) There were a king and a queen who had only one daughter. Then the mother [queen] died and the king remarried. Life in the palace went very well until the new queen had a daughter because, from that moment on, all the love and pamper went to…
Bǎi wén bù rú yī jiàn (百聞不如一見 – 百闻不如一见)
百聞不如一見 (Bǎiwén bùrú yījiàn) Happy New Year 2022! (1) seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times (idiom); seeing for oneself is better than hearing from many others (2) seeing is believing Originated from “The Book of Han – Story of Zhao Chongguo” (漢書·趙充國傳) Chongguo said: “To hear [about something] a hundred times is…
087. Fate
087. Fate [Destiny] (El Sino) A prince was once lost in a forest and could not find his way back. He was lost for several hours until, at dusk, he thought he saw a small house between the thicket and [he] went to it. When he got close, he saw that it was a modest…
Bǎi fā bǎi zhòng (百發百中 – 百发百中)
百發百中 (Bǎi fā bǎi zhòng) Explanation: To hit the target every time – this is used to describe dazzling archery skill. It is a metaphor for doing things with full certainty and never failing. Yang Youji (養由基) was a famous general from Chu in the Spring and Autumn period, and a famous archer of our…
086. The Ring of “Right Here”
086. The Ring of “Right Here” (El Anillo de “Por Aquí”) Once upon a time there was a very pretty and very poor girl, who used to go to the mountains everyday to collect firewood to sell and to [prepare meals to] eat. One time she was keeping herself entertained by picking up branches here…
Bǎi chuān guī hǎi (百川歸海 – 百川归海)
百川歸海 (Bǎi chuān guī hǎi) Originated from “Huainanzi – Fanlunxun” (淮南子·氾論訓). Hundreds of rivers with different origins, yet they all end up in the sea. This is interpreted as many things being gathered in one place; this is also used as a metaphor for a general, irresistible trend, with many [people] hoping (longing) to follow…
085. The Castle With Seven Towers
085. The Castle With Seven Towers (El Castillo De Las Siete Torres) There was once a father who had three daughters. They were very poor that they often had only the peels of potatoes for food. One day the father felt ill and understood that he was going to die very soon. He then gathered…