Chinese Proverbs

James Trapp is the author of Chinese Characters: The Art and Meaning of Hanzi, Chinese Proverbs and also has translated a bestselling new multilingual edition of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. A Chinese language graduate of the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, he teaches Mandarin and was previously an Education Officer on the China Collection at the British Museum.

• Contents include:(Idiomatic or free English translation) like father like son, chip off the old block nothing good comes easy honour among thieves no smoke without fire pride goes before a fall strike while the iron is hot offence is the best defence a long night brings many dreams you can’t undo what is done greed and poverty are neighbours free from responsibility free from care you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear in vino veritas be above worldly considerations face life’s troubles justice will triumph solid as a rock naturally talented make a valiant comeback success through perseverance face life’s troubles together utmost courage live by example; set yourself as the standard murder will out you reap what you sow slow and steady wins the raceif you play with fire you’ll get burnt don’t let emotion cloud your judgement rats leaving a sinking ship not see the big picture futile efforts the end justifies the means extreme danger many hands make light work same as above pearls before swine learn from your mistakes everything is relative overegg the pudding, gilding the lily a blessing in disguise there’s no place like home burn one’s bridges, cross the Rubicon a leopard cannot change its spots don’t put all your eggs in one basket(Literal English translation, if different) if the father is a tiger the son will be a tiger no waves without wind an arrogant army will always lose water thrown out can’t be gathered back up the character for greed is easily changed to the one for poor rotten wood cannot be carved ride the wind and break the waves a righteous army is bound to win move the mountain and rise again dripping water pierces rock wind and rain in the same boat wade through boiling water and walk through fire paper cannot wrap up fire plant melons, harvest melons an iron bar can be ground down to a needle once you climb on a tiger think your son clever but your neighbour suspicious when a tree falls the monkeys scatter a mouse only sees an inch fish for the moon in a pond forget about the rod when you’ve caught the fish a mountain of knives and an ocean of fire one tree does not make a forest one string cannot make music play a harp to an ox gain knowledge by falling in a ditch a foot can be short and an inch long add legs to a painting of a snake the old man loses his horse at the frontier* fallen leaves return to the root, said of overseas Chinese returning home in old age smash the pots and sink the boats one’s true nature is hard to change a clever rabbit has three tunnels• Often, the proverbs themselves offer little clue to the meaning, and can only be understood if the background is known. For example, 塞翁失馬 (the old man loses his horse at the frontier) refers to an ancient story in which an old man loses his horse, but returns eventually with a second horse. Later, it throws the man’s son, who breaks his leg. At first this is a great tragedy, but later it allows him to dodge military conscription and avoid being caught in a terrible defeat in which he would have certainly died.