Proverbs |
Annotation
And Connotations |
- Would
rather be betrayed by others than betraying them.
(Chinese original: 宁可负我，切莫负人；Chinese
Pinyin:  Nìngkě fù wǒ, qiè mò fù rén.)
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- Would
rather be a chicken's head than a phoenix's tail.
(Chinese original: 宁做鸡头，不当凤尾
; Chinese Pinyin: Nìng zuò jītóu, bù dāng fèngwěi.)
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- A
head is a head and a tail is a tail. There are situations
where you would rather be somebody in a small institution
than a small potato of a large one. There is a similar English saying that is "Big fish in a small pond; small fish in a big pond."
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A
clay idol of bodhisattva fording a river can hardly save itself,
let alone anyone else.
(Chinese original: 泥菩萨过河—自身难保；Chinese Pinyin: Ní púsà guò hé—zìshēn nán bǎo.) |
Bodhisattva
is believed to be an enlightened Buddhist god (goddess in Chinese beliefs)
who, out of compassion, forgoes nirvana in order to save others. However,
such a savior made in clay could save nobody on the other side of a
river as the water would soak and dissolve it. When one is in serious
trouble, he may not be able to save his own tail, let alone others'. |
A
clay figure fears rain; a lie fears truth.
(Chinese original: 泥人怕雨，谎言怕理；Chinese Pinyin: Nírén
pà yǔ, huǎngyán pà lǐ.) |
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