Thursday, May 26, 2011

Common Sayings

I have been accumulating a list of expressions that I feel have the same idea in English and Chinese. There are some common sayings in Chinese that are almost word for word similar to a common sayings in English. Were they derived separately or copied from one language to the other, I don't know. But that they express a common sentiment is hopeful. Here's what I've seen so far:

English: May the wind be at your back.
Chinese: 路上順風 - literally: On the road go with the wind.

English: Practice makes perfect.
Chinese: 熟能生巧 - literally: skill comes from practice

English: Don't put all you eggs in one basket
Chinese: 別把雞蛋放在同一個籃子裡 - identical(I believe the missionaries are responsible for this one in China.)

English: Like a fish in waster
Chinese:如魚得水 - identical

English: In one ear and out the other.
Chinese: 左耳進,友耳出 - in the left ear out the right ear

English: Oceans of people
Chinese: 人海人山 - literally: sea of people, mountains of people

English: One of a kind
Chinese: 獨一無二 - literally: unique, no other

English: Don't put off to tomorrow, what you can do today.
Chinese: 今日事今日畢 literally: today's things, finish today

English: The early worm get the worm.
Chinese: 早起的鳥有蟲吃 - identical

English: The trip of a 1000 miles begins with a single step.
Chinese: 千里之行,始於足下 - identical

English: Don't believe everything you hear.
Chinese: 我只想信我看到的 - I only believe what I see.

(As Lou Reed says: "Don't believe anything you hear and only half of what you see.")

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