LESSON XXXII
Proverbs
As is well known, the Chinese are very fond of proverbs. Their language is exceedingly rich with sententious sayings. They also make use of many felicitous expressions on New Year’s Day, at marriages, etc. Here is a short list of those in common use. Most of them are in literary style, but are used in ordinary speech.
一念之差終身之悔.
ih nyan° ts tsho tsoong sung ts hwe°.
The evil done in a moment’s thought may entail the repentance of a life time.
一言已出駟馬難追.
Ih yien i tsheh, s° °mo nan tsoe.
When a word has gone forth, four horses cannot overtake it.
一心舉念.
Ih sing °kyui nyan°.
A heart holding one thought; a mind set on one purpose.
一榻糊塗.
Ih thah oo-doo.
Everything in confusion.
吃人碗半, 由人使換喚.
Chuh zung °wen pen°, yeu *zung s° hwen°.
If you eat half a bowl of rice of another man, you thereby are placed under obligations.
*Note that the character for man is pronounced Nyung in the vernacular and Zung in the literary language.
皇天不負苦人心.
Waung Thien peh veu° °khoo zung sing.
Great Heaven never forgets the desire of a person in misery.
敗子回頭金不換.
Ba°-°ts we deu kyung peh wen°.
The repentance of a prodigal is more precious than gold.