122个英译最爱的中国成语

1. 爱屋及乌 Love me, love my dog.
2. 百闻不如一见 Seeing is believing
3. 比上不足比下有余 worse off than some, better off than many; to fall short of the best, but be better than the worst
4. 笨鸟先飞 A slow sparrow should make an early start
5. 不眠之夜 white night
6. 不以物喜不以己悲 Not pleased by external gains, not saddened by personal losses
7. 不遗余力 Spare no effort; go all out; do one's best
8. 不打不成交 No discord, no concord
9. 拆东墙补西墙 Rob Peter to pay Paul
10. 辞旧迎新 Bid farewell to the old and usher in the new; ring out the old year and ring in the new
11. 大事化小小事化了 Try first to make their mistake sound less serious and then to reduce it to nothing at all
12. 大开眼界 Open one's eyes; broaden one's horizon; be an eye-opener
13. 国泰民安 The country flourishes and people live in peace
14. 过犹不及 Going too far is as bad as not going far enough; beyond is as wrong as falling short; too much is as bad as too little
15. 功夫不负有心人 Everything comes to him who waits
16. 好了伤疤忘了疼 Once on shore, one prays no more
17. 好事不出门恶事传千里 Good news never goes beyond the gate, while bad news spread far and wide
18. 和气生财 Harmony brings wealth
19. 活到老学到老 One is never too old to learn
20. 既往不咎 Let bygones be bygones
21. 金无足赤人无完人 Gold can't be pure and man can't be perfect
22. 金玉满堂 Treasures fill the home
23. 脚踏实地 Be down-to-earth
24. 脚踩两只船 Sit on the fence
25. 君子之交淡如水 The friendship between gentlemen is as pure as crystal; a hedge between keeps friendship green
26. 老生常谈陈词滥调 Cut and dried, cliché
27. 礼尚往来 Courtesy calls for reciprocity
28. 留得青山在不怕没柴烧 Where there is life, there is hope
29. 马到成功 Achieve immediate victory; win instant success
30. 名利双收 Gain in both fame and wealth
31. 茅塞顿开 Be suddenly enlightened
32. 没有规矩不成方圆 Nothing can be accomplished without norms or standards
33. 每逢佳节倍思亲 On festive occasions more than ever one thinks of one's dear ones far away. It is on the festival occasions when one misses his dear most
34. 谋事在人成事在天 The planning lies with man, the outcome with Heaven. Man proposes, God disposes
35. 弄巧成拙 Be too smart by half; Cunning outwits itself
36. 拿手好戏 Masterpiece
37. 赔了夫人又折兵 Throw good money after bad
38. 抛砖引玉 A modest spur to induce others to come forward with valuable contributions; throw a sprat to catch a whale
39. 破釜沉舟 Cut off all means of retreat；burn one’s own way of retreat and be determined to fight to the end
40. 抢得先机 Take the preemptive opportunities
41. 巧妇难为无米之炊 If you have no hand you can't make a fist. One can't make bricks without straw
42. 千里之行始于足下 A thousand-li journey begins with the first step--the highest eminence is to be gained step by step
43. 前事不忘后事之师 Past experience, if not forgotten, is a guide for the future
44. 前人栽树后人乘凉 One generation plants the trees in whose shade another generation rests. One sows and another reaps
45. 前怕狼后怕虎 Fear the wolf in front and the tiger behind hesitate in doing something
46. 强龙难压地头蛇 Even a dragon (from the outside) finds it hard to control a snake in its old haunt - Powerful outsiders can hardly afford to neglect local bullies
47. 强强联手 Win-win co-operation
48. 瑞雪兆丰年 A timely snow promises a good harvest
49. 人之初性本善 Man's nature at birth is good
50. 人逢喜事精神爽 Joy puts heart into a man
51. 人海战术 Huge-crowd strategy
52. 世上无难事只要肯攀登 Where there is a will, there is a way
53. 世外桃源 A fictitious land of peace away from the turmoil of the world;
54. 死而后已 Until my heart stops beating
55. 岁岁平安 Peace all year round
56. 上有天堂下有苏杭 Just as there is paradise in heaven, there are Suzhou and Hangzhou on earth
57. 塞翁失马焉知非福 Misfortune may be an actual blessing
58. 三十而立 A man should be independent at the age of thirty. At thirty, a man should be able to think for himself
59. 升级换代 Updating and upgrading (of products)
60. 四十不惑 Life begins at forty
61. 谁言寸草心报得三春晖 Such kindness of warm sun, can't be repaid by grass
62. 水涨船高 When the river rises, the boat floats high
63. 时不我待 Time and tide wait for no man
64. 杀鸡用牛刀 Break a butterfly on the wheel
65. 实事求是 Seek truth from facts; be practical and realistic; be true to facts
66. 说曹操，曹操到 Talk of the devil and he comes
67. 实话实说 Speak the plain truth; call a spade a spade; tell it as it is
68. 实践是检验真理的唯一标准 Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth
69. 山不在高，有仙则名 No matter how high the mountain is, its name will spread far and wide if there is a fairy
    
70. 韬光养晦 Hide one's capacities and bide one's time
71. 糖衣炮弹 Sugar-coated bullets
72. 天有不测风云 Anything unexpected may happen. a bolt from the blue
73. 团结就是力量 Unity is strength
74. 跳进黄河洗不清 Even if one jumped into the Yellow River, one cannot wash oneself clean--there's nothing one can do to clear one's name
75. 歪风邪气 Unhealthy practices and evil phenomena
76. 物以类聚，人以群分 Birds of a feather flock together
77. 往事如风 The past has vanished (from memory) like wind.; What in past, is past
78. 望子成龙 Hold high hopes for one's child
79. 屋漏又逢连阴雨 Misfortunes never come singly. When it rains it pours
80. 文韬武略 Military expertise; military strategy
81. 唯利是图 Draw water to one's mill
82. 无源之水，无本之木 Water without a source, and a tree without roots
83. 无中生有 Make create something out of nothing
84. 无风不起浪 There are no waves without wind. There's no smoke without fire
85. 徇私枉法 Bend the law for the benefit of relatives or friends
86. 新官上任三把火 A new broom sweeps clean
87. 虚心使人进步，骄傲使人落后 Modesty helps one go forward, whereas conceit makes one lag behind
88. 蓄势而发 Accumulate strength for a take-off
89. 心想事成 May all your wish come true
90. 心照不宣 Have a tacit understanding; give tacit consent; tacit understanding
91. 先入为主 First impressions are firmly entrenched
92. 先下手为强 Catch the ball before the bound
93. 像热锅上的蚂蚁 Like an ant on a hot pan
94. 现身说法 Warn people by taking oneself as an example
95. 息事宁人 Pour oil on troubled waters
96. 喜忧参半 Mingled hope and fear
97. 循序渐进 Step by step
98. 一路平安，一路顺风 Speed somebody on their way; speed the parting guest
99. 严以律己，宽以待人 Be strict with oneself and lenient towards others
100. 鱼米之乡 A land of milk and honey
101. 有情人终成眷属 Jack shall have Jill, all shall be well.
102. 有钱能使鬼推磨 Money makes the mare go. Money talks
103. 有识之士 People of vision
104. 有勇无谋 Use brawn rather than brain
105. 有缘千里来相会 Separated as we are thousands of miles apart, we come together as if by predestination
106. 与时俱进 Advance with times
107. 以人为本 People oriented; people foremost
108. 因材施教 Teach students according to their aptitude
109. 欲穷千里目，更上一层楼 To ascend another storey to see a thousand miles further; Ascend further, were you to look farther; Would eye embrace a thousand miles? Go up, one flight.
110. 欲速则不达 Haste does not bring success
111. 优胜劣汰 Survival of the fittest
112. 英雄所见略同 Great minds think alike
113. 冤家宜解不宜结 Better make friends than make enemies
114. 冤假错案 Cases in which people were unjustly, falsely or wrongly charged or sentenced; unjust, false or wrong cases
115. 一言既出，驷马难追 A real man never goes back on his words
116. 招财进宝 Money and treasures will be plentiful
117. 债台高筑 Become debt-ridden
118. 致命要害 Achilles' heel
119. 众矢之的 Target of public criticism
120. 知己知彼，百战不殆 Know the enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles with no danger of defeat
121. 纸上谈兵 Be an armchair strategist
122. 纸包不住火 Truth will come to light sooner or later

Why I call myself "Global Citizen" ?

Feelings Sandwich

At home, I am constantly in a situation between my elder child and younger child, or between my wife and my two children.

At work, we may experience the similar Sandwich feelings with colleagues, managers, friends etc.

The news about "a confrontation between American and Chinese vessels in the South China Sea" made me ponder. I, Chinese American, am in a similar situation when I read the news.

I share a Q&A with all I posted in April, 2008 "Your Opinion: Patriotism ?"
We are often called by a few Chinese as "banana", [skin - yellow, inside - white].
Meanwhile, we are not trusted by majority non-Chinese.

By the way, I am Hakka born in Shanghai, now I label myself Global Citizen.

I responded to a friend of mine on LinkedIn for the news in the South China Sea... "From Chinese history, Chinese were not aggressive, correct me if I'm wrong."

My American friend replied: "I would never disagree with you on such a subject. But all great people evolve, or we would have no history. "

Here is a positive development "US committed to pursuing positive relationship with China".

Collaboration = Win-Win

Confrontation = lose-lose

Your thoughts ? Thank you !

Global Citizenship

World Expo 2010 Shanghai

Taking Everything for Granted vs Appreciation

Taking Everything for Granted vs Appreciation

Recently I learned two inspiring stories from one of my mentors.

Story A:
An Asian lady at Home Depot purchased heavy materials. An employee kindly asked her "do you need help?". "Yes, thank you so much if you could," the lady said. Later the lady requested to meet the store manager to thank the employee as well as the store manager for having a good employee in the team. Everyone was VERY happy.

Story B:
An Asian lady involved in a chain-reaction car accident hit by another car from behind, then hit a car in front of her. Fortunately no one was seriously hurt. Several police officers came and peacefully solved the accident. The lady asked one of police officers to tell his badge number, so she could write to his boss "for good experience with police officers." Other police officers overheard the conversation with surprise look.

"A genuine praise goes a long way..." - the soft power with a distinctive appearance will positively influence mainstream toward a specific group in the society.

We are being role models for our children. Showing appreciation is one of many good traditions that our children should carry on.

How Significant are Genuine Humbleness & Mutual Respect among Countries ?

How Significant are Genuine Humbleness & Mutual Respect among Countries ?

"Start by Listening"

Why and Why not ?

Thank you for you participation.
____________________________

References:

"WHY: Is Humility Really Powerful ?"

"Your Opinion: why some people are being arrogant ? Any advantages ?"

"Non-Aggressiveness - a Sign of Weakness ?"

The world is far from ideal, so are individuals. But we are civilized citizens and maturing as we grow. History will judge us. A country will set an example for her citizens good or bad.

Languages: Chinese vs English

One disadvantage right now for China is English-speaking population because virtually all textbooks are written in Chinese in China including higher education. So to Chinese, they have to learn Chinese and English. However, I have seen this disadvantage shifting to advantage soon because there is a delay for non-Chinese readers that what Chinese are thinking and doing, in particular media, books and blogs etc. It means that many Chinese know things happening in the world, but only a few global elites who can read Chinese may know things happening in China. Unless there is a breakthrough in translation software. It's interesting to see this world 5 years from now and beyond...

One of the most important reasons western media had hard time to understand China [often underestimate China] is that very few people truly know the language and the 5000-year Chinese history and culture. I am determined to be the bridge between the US and China. The role of a matchmaker is to assist people of both cultures with historical evidence and provide options with cons and pros to people who have no knowledge about the cultural differences. In modern term, I provide people with value-added services. It is a part of important education.

Fun to Learn Chinese [兴趣学中文] - Black Comedy

Just for fun to learn Chinese... a friend of mine shared with me the following humor.

2009年，我们向领导保证:
领导的要求就是我们的追求；
领导的脾气就是我们的福气；
领导的鼓励就是我们的动力；
领导的想法就是我们的做法；
领导的酒量就是我们的胆量；
领导的表情就是我们的心情；
领导的嗜好就是我们的爱好；
领导的意向就是我们的方向；
领导的小蜜就是我们的秘密；
领导的情人就是我们的亲人！

我们还要做到：
* 领导没来，我先来，看看谁坐主席台；
* 领导没讲，我先讲，拍拍话筒响不响；
* 领导说话，我鼓掌，带动台下一片响；
* 领导吃饭，我先尝，看看饭菜凉不凉；
* 领导睡觉，我站岗，跟谁睡觉我不讲！

预祝领导们春节快乐！

_______________________________________

Source from Tony Lee...

土地下的先烈们纷纷打来电话询问
　　江姐问：国民党被推翻了么？
　　答：被阿扁推翻了。
　　董存瑞问：劳动人民还当牛做马吗？
　　答：不劳动了，都下岗了。
　　吴琼花问：姐妹们都翻身得解放了吗？
　　答：解放了，都当小姐了。
　　扬子荣问：土匪都剿灭了吗？
　　答：都改当公安和城管了。
　　杨白劳问：地主都打倒了么？
　　答：都入党了。
　　雷锋问：那资本家呢？
　　答：都进人大和政协了！
　　刘胡兰问：同志们都藏了么？
　　答：都隐身上网了
　　毛主席问：大家现在都在忙什么？
　　答：都在"斗地主"
　　毛主席：那我就放心了…
　　清明快到了, 别忘了给孩子们讲讲很久很久很久以前的事：那时候天还是蓝的，水也是绿的，庄稼是长在地里的，猪肉是可以放心吃的，耗子还是怕猫的，法庭是讲理的，结婚是先谈恋的，理发店是只管理发的，药是可以治病的，医生是救死扶伤的，拍电影是不需要陪导演睡觉的，照相是要穿衣服的，欠钱是要还的，孩子的爸爸是明确的，学校是不图挣钱的，白痴是不能当教授的.

What is Black comedy ?
Black comedy is a sub-genre of comedy and satire in which topics and events that are usually regarded as taboo are treated in a satirical or humorous manner while retaining its seriousness.
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_comedy

Please share your Black Comedy with us. Thank you !

"Do you think that Overseas Chinese have an advantage over foreigners beyond language?"

Absolutely, yes, I do. The culture thing you can't just learn from school. Thinking ahead of the curve is based on knowing people, culture, tangibles & intangibles...

There is a saying: "thinking globally, acting locally".

We all know that KFC is EXTREMELY successful in China over McDonald. WHY ? Besides KFC entering the China market 3 years earlier than M, one thing KFC did GREAT was to hire a Chinese from the US to run its China operation. KFC in the US is way behind the M in terms of market share...

Lessons should be learned by SMART foreign companies. Same is true for Chinese companies if they are determined to enter foreign markets and be successful in long run, they should hire local people to run the operations.

By the way, I never eat at KFC both in China and in the US, but my kids love KFC in China.