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…
Bǎi chǐ gān tóu (百尺竿頭 – 百尺竿头)
百尺竿頭 (Bǎi chǐ gān tóu) Explanation: To be not satisfied with what one has already accomplished, to continue to strive for even better results. This idiom originated from the Song Dynasty. Shi Daoyuan’s Jingde Record of the Transmission of the Lamp – Master Zhaoxian‘s Story related a Buddhist verse from the Master: “No man moves…
084. The Amezketano and The Madrileño
084. The Amezketano and The Madrileño (El Amezketano y El Madrileño) [Note: Amezketano is a person from Amezketa, a town in northern Spain. Madrileño is a person from Madrid, the capital of Spain.] A famous thief from Madrid heard that there was another one as famous as he is in Guipúzcoa, so he went [there]…
Bǎi bù chuān yáng (百步穿楊 – 百步穿杨)
百步穿楊 (Bǎi bù chuān yáng) Originated from “Zhan Guo Ce – Book of Western Zhou“. Chu had Yang Youji (養由基), a master in archery, who hit [painted] willow leaves from a distance of one hundred steps in every try [literally “one hundred tries, one hundred hits”]. Explanation: this and the idiom “One Hundred Hits in…
083. The Fattest Lies
083. The Fattest [Largest] Lies (Las Mentiras Más Gordas) A very capricious king, who was busy everyday thinking of extravagances (outlandish acts), gave the strangest (rarest) of all orders in the world. He gave order to announce to all within his kingdom that he would marry the princess, his daughter, to the person who was…
Bā xiān guò hǎi (八仙過海 – 八仙过海)
八仙過海 (Bā xiān guò hǎi) Lit. Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea Explanation: It is an analogy for each person having a set of methods or skills to successfully complete their tasks. Legend has it that Lu Dongbin and the Eight Immortals traveled to the East China Sea [in order] to reach an island for immortals,…
082. White-Hand Maria
082. Maria [with] White Hands (María Manos Blancas) A poor baker from a small town in Extremadura had three daughters who captured everyone’s attention due to how beautiful they were. The baker left each morning to cut [gather] firewood for his oven, and it happened that one day he found a holm oak of good…