098. News From Heaven (Noticias del Cielo) A woman who had twice married was approached one day by a lame beggar asking her to give him something. The woman, who was eager to talk, asked him where he was from. The beggar, being encouraged to see what he could get from that house, told her:…
Bù hán ér lì (不寒而栗 – 不寒而栗)
不寒而栗 (Bù hán ér lì) (1) shiver all over though not cold(2) tremble with fear(3) shudder In the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, there was a man named Yi Zong (義縱), who was made a county magistrate of Shangdang due to the good grace of the Queen Dowager. After taking office, he handled his…
097. The Girl with Golden Hair
097. The Girl with Golden Hair (La Niña de Los Cabellos de Oro) A woman once went to the mountains to collect firewood, [where] she searched for branches that had broken off from trees, and cut and bundled them together to carry them home. And she was at this task when a giant appeared and…
Bù dǎ bù xiāng shí (不打不相識 – 不打不相识)
不打不相識 (Bù dǎ bù xiāng shí) (1) lit. don’t fight, won’t make friends (idiom); an exchange of blows may lead to friendship (2) no discord, no concord Source: “Water Margin” – Chapter 38. Dai Zong said: “The two of you are now the best of brothers. As the saying goes: You won’t get to know…
096. The Sharpening General
096. The Sharp[ening] General (El General Afilado) A soldier coming from Cuba passed by a house next to the road he was on and [he] approached it to knock on the door. A man who had been in Cuba before him came out to open the door and, taking advantage of the coincidence, he [the…
Bù chǐ xià wèn (不恥下問 – 不耻下问)
不恥下問 (Bù chǐ xià wèn) To not feel ashamed to ask and learn from one’s subordinates (inferiors) Explanation: It is not shameful to ask someone who is less learned or of lower status than oneself. This describes someone who is open-minded and eager to learn. This idiom originated from “The Analects – Gongye Chang“: Being…
095. The Serpent with Seven Heads and Seven Tails
095. The Seven-Headed and Seven-Tailed Serpent (La Serpiente de Siete Cabezas y Siete Colas) Once upon a time there was a king who had three sons and he did not know which among them to name as his heir to succeed him when he died. After much pondering, he decided to leave his crown to…
Bó Lè xiāng mǎ (伯樂相馬 – 伯乐相马)
伯樂相馬 (Bó Lè xiāng mǎ) Bo Le physiognomizing horses Explanation: Bo Le can discover thousand-li horses. This is a metaphor for being great at discovering and selecting talents. [Note: from Wikipedia in the Bo Le page linked above, qianlima 千里馬 “thousand-li horse”, which was supposedly able to gallop one thousand li (approximately 400 km) in…
094. The Demon Helps The Sharecropper
094. The Demon Helps The Sharecropper (El Demonio Ayuda Al Casero) [Note 1: the Spanish word used in this story is “Casero”, which translates to “landlord”. In my opinion, however, a better substitute would be “caretaker”, or “sharecropper”.] [Note 2: the Spanish word used in this story is “cavar”, which is to dig, but I…
Bīn zhì rú guī (賓至如歸 – 宾至如归)
賓至如歸 (Bīn zhì rú guī) (1) guests feel at home (in a hotel, guest house etc)(2) a home away from home Explanation: Guests arriving here are like returning to their own homes. It is used to describe the host’s warm and thoughtful hospitality toward guests, which leaves the guests fully satisfied. This idiom came from…