10
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What is the correct meaning of "孩子帶財"?
容我用《雜寶藏經》中的一個公案來解釋。
Let me explain with an instance in the 《Miscellaneous Treasure Sutra》.
昔，波斯匿王於臥眠中，聞二內官共諍道理；
一作是言：「我依王活。」
一人答言：「我無所依，自業力活。」
When King Pasenadi (6th century B.C.E.) ...
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10
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What is the correct meaning of "孩子帶財"?
種瓜得瓜，種豆得豆。
As one sows, so shall one reap.
依據佛法，我們前世都修了一些福，今生才能投胎做人。這些善行的果報會在一生當中不同的時段出現。年輕時期出現的這部分是要用來成長和受教育的。
On the basis of Buddhism, all of us have done some good deeds in our past lives so ...
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8
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6
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Does Chinese have a saying about Cantonese people eating almost anything?
The saying I heard was: 「有四隻腳嘅除咗檯，有對翼嘅除咗飛機，廣東人都會食。」
It is quite wordy and very likely a direct translation from English.
There's however, an elegant saying about Chinese wide range of food choice. ...
- 74k
6
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Selling it as soon as you've bought it — Chinese expression
The most common way you would say is
现学现卖 or 现炒现卖
However, the actual and original expression is
旋炒旋卖
if you read ancient Chinese novels. The character 旋 means right after. This expression is ...
- 3,079
4
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Care yields fine products
I believe 慢工出细货 is good enough.
Although it doesn't mention about care explicitly, it is strongly implied as much care have to be given to produce a delicate product (as 细 means 细緻 here),
and it ...
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Trouble understanding 天下无难事，只怕有心人
天下无难事 - There's no difficult thing in the world
只怕有心人 - (difficult things) just overcome by determined people
When we say A 怕 B, it usually means A is afraid of B. But it can also be interpreted as ...
- 74k
3
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Origin of Chinese Parable: Devils and Righteous Man
claiming this parable has chinese origin is doubtful. several themes in the text are very un-chinese, against the customs & culture:
1 "travelling through the country"
2 such travelling with a ...
- 14.3k
3
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成语 versus 俗语 versus 谚语, what is the difference?
成語 and 諺語 are well established common expressions , well known by the whole population. 俗語 is more often, limited to regional use.
成語 mostly refer to Chinese idiom.
諺語 can be from different countries....
- 74k
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What is the correct meaning of "孩子帶財"?
I have never heard of the phrase 孩子帶財，but judging from the wording, it sounded like a logical fallacy of "correlation imply causation "
The fallacy: "Couples who have money tend to have children, ...
- 74k
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Where can the phrase 给点面子 be used? I was wondering if it has a cultural element that I’m missing
给点面子(give me a little respect) literally means 'give me some face'
It implies the other is being too harsh to the point of being disrespectful. It can be a plea on emotional and/or transactional ...
- 74k
1
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Where can the phrase 给点面子 be used? I was wondering if it has a cultural element that I’m missing
给点面子 and Cut me some slack are very similar.
But I think 给点面子 is slightly more harsh, and implies that the person isn't being respectful enough. that vs. cut me some lack, which is a plea for others ...
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the leaf always falls down on its root
"the leaf always falls down on its root"
落(fallen)
葉(leaves)
歸 (go back to)
根 (the root)
落葉歸根 means "fallen leaves always go back to the root"
It is a metaphor for "a person come back to his ...
- 74k
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What is the correct meaning of "孩子帶財"?
However, there is a Chinese saying, 兒孫自有兒孫福
(the descendants have their own fortune).
It shows not only that children have their own fortune,
but also the correctness of 孩子帶財.
i would interpret "福" ...
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Does Chinese have a saying about Cantonese people eating almost anything?
There is also the following aphorism:
北京人什么都敢说，广东人什么都敢吃，上海人什么都敢穿。
Běijīng rén shénme dōu gǎn shuō, Guǎngdōng rén shénme dōu gǎn chī, Shànghǎi rén shénme dōu gǎn chuān.
Beijing people dare ...
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Does Chinese have a saying about Cantonese people eating almost anything?
Cantonese also eat Fujianese. Although it's a Chinese joke. But any creature should be scare when it's arrive Guangdong. Yes, they eat almost everything.
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Does Chinese have a saying about Cantonese people eating almost anything?
Yes. In China, such joke has many versions, and most young have hear about one or more version of them.
"广东人有三不吃:天上飞的不吃飞机;水里游的不吃潜艇;陆上跑的不吃汽车！
Cantonese people eat much more kinds of things that ...
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What is the correct meaning of "孩子帶財"?
Not sure where you've got this statement."孩子帶財" can be interpreted as either the child will bring wealth to the family (literally), or the child will bring their own money (that is, the money needed ...
- 11
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袖手旁观 generalizations
So I am looking for a saying imploring to think about a possible calamity when everyone else did not think it was obvious or coming. These things have all happened in history, unaccounted for, until ...
- 74k
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袖手旁观 generalizations
The Chinese meaning of 袖手旁观 is 把手藏在袖子里，站在旁边看；比喻置身事外，不过问或不参与（含贬义）。
The translation is:
Put your hands in your sleeves, stood by and watched; metaphor out of it, don't ask or not to participate (...
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精益求精, how to properly interpret this classical Chinese chengyu?
精益求精
Try this link:
http://baike.baidu.com/link?url=O3VNmx4OycxEKxV6GQ6uqpaNw8ldIR9W4wmebs46jTG3Q_GrZ-DqJBmEMzX8x_qh1cYEjUFcTbhzyr_esEFtqsmZBCoWSVaiW2Qom_QqRXcvvI4d55sVR8miWs68jcOF
精：完美；
jing: ...
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精益求精, how to properly interpret this classical Chinese chengyu?
精 http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/565/
[4] [adj] skilled; versed; proficient
~
益 http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/1217/
[1] [v] increase; add to; augment ...
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vote
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Meaning of characters in 休戚相关, 患难与共
I get this answer from my Trusty translator. (Had to make her a coffee first!)
休：喜悦，吉利 happiness, luck
戚：忧愁悲哀 worry sadness
相关：related, connected
与共： have in common, we share
Edit: Found this ...
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Alternatives to 自圆其说, but for self-justification
My suggestion is:
砌詞狡辯 (use twisted logic or make up stories to defend oneself)
I do not recommend 自相矛盾
自相矛盾 (contradict oneself)
This idiom came from a story about a weapon merchant claimed ...
- 74k
1
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Proverbs and saying for not achieving a specific situation (or objective)?
I think there are too many 俗語, 諺語 to list.
Here are few similar 成語 for you
揠苗助長 = 欲速則不達
適得其反 to the end, get opposite effect
事與願違 nothing comes out as planned
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"May you live in interesting times"
Quote Investigator http://quoteinvestigator.com/2015/12/18/live/ may be helpful here in terms of background. It could not find an earlier citation than a "March 1936 newspaper report in “The Yorkshire ...
- 126
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vote
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What is the correct saying?
聞之曰 in most cases means a quote is following. But for ancient works like Zhuangzi, it maybe not. Sometimes ancient authors talk with the beginning of 'I heard from others that...' just a style, and ...
- 451
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What is the correct saying?
Honestly, it doesn't matter. The "quote" is mostly made up in such context to emphasize the 2nd phrase.
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Does Chinese have an adage saying “It is better to hit to kill than to hit and injure”?
It appears to be:
撞伤不如撞死
although it's not very commonly used; Googling "撞伤不如撞死" gives 83 results.
It breaks down as follows:
撞伤 = "bruise / bump"
不如 = "not equal to / not ...
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