Dear Language Enthusiast,
Welcome to Chinese Monthly, the free Internet
newsletter from Transparent Language. It’s our way of helping you practice
your language skills as you learn about the culture of China.
Chinese idioms are as rich in history as the Chinese language. Among the most
important expressions are "cheng2yu3," idioms in parallel structure that
generally have four characters. Often, chengyu represent a longer statement
or a story. Common knowledge to Chinese speakers, chengyu can puzzle
foreigners.
To begin the year of the Dragon, we will look at some chengyu that developed
from stories about the twelve animals in the Chinese zodiac: the rat, ox,
tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig.
Sincerely,
Transparent Language
www.transparent.com
P.S. You are a dragon if you were born in 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976 or
1988. Enjoy your year!
CLARIFICATION:
In our January ChineseMonthly Newsletter, Nikola Tesla was listed as a
Hungarian Scientist. Tesla was born in Smiljan, Croatia in 1856, which was
then a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He was of Serbian descent and
lived in the United States after 1884.
In English:
In Chinese and western tales alike, the fox often plays the role of the
crafty manipulator. However, what do Chinese mean when they say "hu2 jia3 hu3
wei1" (the fox borrows the tiger's fierceness)? The meaning comes from a
story from the Warring States Anecdotes.
One day, a tiger caught a fox in the forest and wanted to eat it. However,
the canny fox told the tiger, "I have been sent to the forest on a mission to
the animals." The tiger, noting the small stature of the fox, asked himself,
"How can the fox possibly benefit the animals?" He could not believe it. The
fox told him, "If you do not believe me, then follow me to the forest. You
will see whether or not all the beasts fear me."
The tiger agreed and followed on the heels of the fox. As soon as they
noticed the tiger approaching, the beasts of the forest became terrified and
ran away. Pleased with himself, the fox said confidently to the tiger, "Look!
Who is not afraid of me?" The tiger replied, "Yes, your bearing is indeed
majestic. As soon as they noticed you, they immediately fled." The tiger
believed what the fox told him, unaware that the beasts were fleeing the
tiger himself and not the fox marching before him.
The fox represents those who bully others by using their powerful
connections.
Not all stories personify the animals. The chengyu "shou3 zhu1 dai4 tu4"
(waiting for a hare to turn up), from the Han Fei Zi, refers to the action of
a person.
Once upon a time in the state of Song, a peasant was working his field when
he noticed a hare dashing by. The animal ran into a big tree growing
alongside the field, breaking its neck and falling down dead under the tree.
The peasant effortlessly picked up the rabbit and went home.
From then on, the peasant put aside his hoe and devoted himself to sitting
cross-legged beneath the tree waiting for a hare. However, no second hare
ever dashed itself against the tree. Moreover, the peasant's field became
barren.
This story warns against trusting to chance or to strokes of luck.
Similar foolishness is shown by those who "hua4 she2 tian1 zu2," (draw a
snake and add feet to it).
Following the ceremony for the worship of ancestors, a man from the state of
Chu had one bottle of wine remaining. This wine was to be given to the
assemblage.
However, many were there. Who would receive the single bottle of wine?
Finally, someone suggested that each person draw a snake on the ground. The
one who finished first would get the bottle of wine. Everyone agreed.
One man drew very quickly. In an instant, his snake was finished. Therefore,
he had earned the bottle. Then, he looked at the others who had not finished
and holding the bottle in his left hand, he took a stick in his right hand
and said confidently, "You are drawing so slowly. I can add legs to my
snake." As he drew the legs, another man finished drawing his snake and
grabbed the bottle from the first man, saying "Snakes don't have legs. Why
did you add legs? I am the first to finish and not you." This man deserved to
drink of the bottle.
This story, also from the Warring States Anecdotes, cautions people not to
overdo. Superfluous actions can turn against the actor.
We conclude our menagerie of stories with a story from the Shen Zi featuring
a dragon. This story also illustrates that sometimes chengyu do not mean what
you might expect. Is it true that "Ye4Gong1 hao4 long2" (Lord Ye loves
dragons)?
Lord Ye was famed for his love of dragons. In his home, dragons could be
found everywhere: painted on the walls and carved on the pillars.
When the real dragon in the heavens learned that Lord Ye was so enamored of
dragons, he decided to visit Lord Ye. He put his head through the south
window and wound his tail around the north window. As soon as Lord Ye noticed
the dragon, he became so frightened that his whole body began to tremble and
he rushed to hide himself.
Apparently, what Lord Ye loved were dragons on the walls and pillars,
artificial dragons and not the real one.
Referring to Lord Ye indicates that someone is only pretending to love
something he actually fears.
The dragon was regarded as the most powerful animal in the Chinese mythology.
Consequently, it became the symbol of the emperor and his power. Moreover,
many expressions and metaphors in the Chinese language, even in contemporary
usage, refer to the dragon as a majestic, powerful, awesome animal. For
instance:
long2sheng1jiu3zi3 - "Father dragon has nine dragons, all of whom have
different personalities." This is a way of saying that siblings from the same
parents can be very different.
long2teng2-hu3yue4 - The dragons are soaring and the tigers are leaping. It
refers to a scene of bustling activity.
long2zheng1-hu3dou4 - "Fighting between a tiger and a dragon" means a fierce
struggle between well-matched opponents.
long2fei1-feng4wu3 - This chengyu, which literally means "like dragons flying
and phoenixes dancing," refers to lively and vigorous flourishes in
calligraphy as well as to the characteristics of a magnificent winding
mountain range.
hua4 long2 dian3 jing1 - "Bringing the painted dragon to life by putting in
the pupils of its eyes" means to add a finishing touch: a stroke that brings
a work or art to life or an apt word to clinch an argument.
We hope that this brief introduction has helped bring the painted dragon of
Chinese idioms to life for you.
