URLLesson Introduction
成语都很难用吗？日常交流中会用到成语吗？四个字的都是成语吗？成语可以改吗？哦，还有什么是俗语？俗语一般有几个字？也是固定的吗？......关于成语和俗语的问题也许困扰了你很久了，让你担心，甚至害怕！其实，成语和俗语都不可怕！一起来听今天的高级中文吧！
Comments 
To comment, please login.
Comments Policy
Allowed comments do not necessarily represent the views of ChinesePod.com. We also reserve the right to reject personal attacks, false/unsubstantiated allegations, spamming of any kind, and comments that include vulgar language or libelous statements.
New lesson idea? Please let us know at chinesepod@praxislanguage.com.
henning says
May 20, 2008
哈哈！ 今天的科是否这个讨论的结果？ http://chinesepod.com/lessons/what-is-a-chengyu/discussion 在那儿我们都互不相让得争论下去了成语在日常交流中到底有什么位置。 前不久我LP叫我三岁的孩子那么说"守株待兔"。 后来他成天跑来跑去不停得说"守株待兔守株待兔" (可是我怀疑他对这个成语的精彩意思故事是特别清楚的)。
henning says
May 20, 2008
哈哈！ 今天的课是否这个讨论的结果？ http://chinesepod.co.....discussion 在那儿我们都互不相让得争论下去了成语在日常交流中到底有什么位置。 前不久我LP叫我们三岁的儿子怎么说"守株待兔"。 后来他成天跑来跑去不停得说"守株待兔守株待兔" (可是我怀疑他对这个成语的精彩意思故事是特别清楚的)。
sophie20461 says
May 20, 2008
“招蜂引蝶” 应该是俗语吧？呵呵
maoxian says
May 21, 2008
丢了西瓜, 拣了芝麻 is a great, earthy way to describe "penny wise, pound foolish."
dldshanghai says
May 21, 2008
Does anyone know about 歇后语 (xie1 hou4 yu3)? It's a fun part of chinese language and chinese culture.
changye says
May 21, 2008
我闲暇时很喜欢躺在床上随便翻翻俗语成语等词典， 不过我还是觉得学习中文俗语比学习成语有趣得多。 你可以通过俗语看出中国老百姓的思想和行为特征， 比如三个和尚没水喝这条俗语确实包含着某些真理。 表达俗语的汉语并不简单但口语句子还是比较多见， 而且很多俗语以幽默来生动地描写形容人性的弱点。 我有时想假如每条俗语用子曰这两个汉字开头的话， 我的中国俗语词典就变成为值得精读的现代版论语。
mei9 says
May 21, 2008
HELLO dldshanghai: yes i know about 歇后语，it very intresting here are some: 猫哭老鼠————假慈悲 王婆卖瓜————自卖自夸 鸡蛋里挑骨头 芝麻开花————节节高 抱元宝跳井————舍命不舍财
mei9 says
May 21, 2008
还有惯用语也很有意思： 碰钉子 马屁精 拍马屁 耳边软 耳边风 戴高帽 吹牛皮 放空泡 唱高调 开夜车
guolanusa says
May 21, 2008
谢谢,mai9, 我要打印你的贴字,请我的老师帮我理解,看起来很有意思! changye, 我弄不出来你最后句话的意思. 我现在的理解是"Sometimes I think that, if every suyu began with either '子' or '曰', my Chinese suyu dictionary would become a modern book of wisdom, worthy of serious study". 问题是,这样翻译对的话,我还不明白意思,因为不知道这两个字"子" 和"曰"有什么特别的... 可能我的翻译是完全不对的?
lydia1981 says
May 21, 2008
hi guolanusa, i think what Changye wants to say is: if every suyu began with '子曰' (= 'Confucius said' in classical Chinese), his Chinese suyu dictionary would become a modern Analects. in other words, the wisdom of the suyu equals the wisdom of the Analects (Confucius sayings) in this opinion. correct me if i'm wrong
guolanusa says
May 21, 2008
lydia1981, I see! Thank you, that makes perfect sense - I didn't know "子曰" was "Confucius said". I've been puzzling and puzzling over this; thanks! : )
guolanusa says
May 21, 2008
我家的附近有一家卖水的商店,叫 "天外有天". 我问老师,她说这句话是从一条俗语来的, "人外有人". 我没记错的话,这个俗语可以表示一个谦虚的态度. 你很会电脑的话,有人说 "你的能里真了不起" 你可以回答 "人外有人", 意思就是,在这个小地方我可能算比较有能力的,可是在一个更大的地方,人更多,那里一定有人比我厉害多了,我和他们相比真算没什么特别的. 所以那家"天外的天" 商店想表示的是, "我们的水不只算在这个城市里面的最好喝的 - 我们的水也算是世界上的最好喝的". 我写错了什么,被谁发现了,请谁不要犹豫改正,我一定感激!
dldshanghai says
May 21, 2008
guolanusa, 卖水的商店能叫这个名字可真特别。真是 山不在高，有仙则名。水不在深，有龙则灵。店不在大，有创意就行。
changye says
May 21, 2008
Hi guolanusa and lydia1981, Thank you for deciphering such an unreadable comment. The phrase “子曰” (zi3 yue1, Confucius said) is rather well known in Japan, since Japanese people learn some famous verses, most of which begin with “子曰”, from the Analects of Confucius at high school. Let me show you one of the most popular teachings of Confucius in Japan. 子曰，巧言令色，鲜矣仁。 Confucius said, “Clever talk and a pretentious manner are seldom compatible with the benevolent.” http://www.confucius.org/lunyu/ed0103.htm
guolanusa says
May 22, 2008
dldshanghai, your play on words above is really cool! (Don't know how to say "play on words" or "self-created suyu" in Chinese, so have resorted to English here!) changye, 你写的都又清楚又精彩, 问题都是我的, 连 "子曰" 也不知道! : )
mei9 says
May 22, 2008
guolanusa 不客气：）
sophie20461 says
May 22, 2008
hi guys who can tell me how do you say " 招蜂引蝶“ 和”脚踩两条船“ in English.
changye says
May 22, 2008
Hi guolanusa, 你介绍的那个商店牌子和俗语挺有意思的。我想每个国家的语言肯定都会有类似”人外有人, 天外有天”那样的说法，比如日语有一句俗语叫做”上には上がある”, 朝鲜语也有”뛰는 놈 위에 나는 놈 있다”。这些句子用英语表达的话，大概可能相当于”Even the best man meets his match ”, 对不对？ 那牌子上写的”天外有天”的含义到底是谦虚还是骄傲，这就是一个问题。要是老板把自己商店看做句子开头的”天”，就可以说老板为人谦虚。但是如果把自己当做句子结尾的”天”，那个牌子给我带来的感觉还是有点骄傲。无论是谦虚还是骄傲，我也看得出那个老板是一个相当幽默的人，真佩服啊！ 我以前在日本街上看过几次很奇怪的牌子，就是”世界上最不好吃的餐厅”。当然谁都知道餐厅老板的意图在于实现反语的效果。不过更可笑的是挂这种牌子的餐厅提供的菜不一定好吃，反而往往却太不好吃，可见这种餐厅的老板只有幽默感没有烹调技术。这就是”名符其实”的一个典型例子。
changye says
May 22, 2008
招蜂引蝶＝ sophie20461 脚踩两条船＝ have it both ways
changye says
May 22, 2008
Hi sophie20461, Just joking......!
zcy2008 says
May 22, 2008
守株待兔
sophie20461 says
May 23, 2008
呵呵 我如果=招蜂引蝶，那我就是香妃娘娘了呵呵。 你有没有看过《还珠格格》--电视剧？
guolanusa says
May 23, 2008
sophie20461, 如果我明白 "招蜂引蝶" 这个成语的意思, 我想不起来一个英语习语可以把它的意思全表示出来. 可是, 口语上,可能可以翻译到 "girl chasing the guy", 可能有另外一个同学知道一个更合适的方法. 一个有意思的英语俗语, 可能和 "招蜂引蝶" 很有关,是 "Make him chase you until you catch him". 我没有自信翻译到中文,可是我可以说大概的意思,可能你会把意思才出来. 就是,女人喜欢男人的时候,应该让他追求她一段时间,不应该太快听他的,不应该让他很容易能达到她,应该给他一点的麻烦, 因为达到她太容易的话, 他会说算了, 会觉得她不是精彩的,也不配他. 他需要碰到一点麻烦,才会人为这个女人值得他的时间,表精力. 可能有一个同学会给一个更清楚,更正确的解释!
guolanusa says
May 23, 2008
changye, 谢谢你的分析, 太精彩了!
changye says
May 23, 2008
Hi sophie20461, 当然喽！还珠格格电视剧系列一，二，三部，我都看过。我还是特别喜欢第一部，那时候的赵薇比现在可爱多了。听说，香妃娘娘是中国历史上真实存在的，她出生在新疆，身上有香味，能够诱惑很多男人，乾隆皇帝也迷上了她！ 我还记得剧中小燕子学香妃娘娘吸引蝴蝶，但是结果太悲惨。她引来的不是蝴蝶而是一群蜜蜂！对了，我胖乎乎的小狗宝贝也有某种”香味”。每次她和我一起出去散步的时候，街上很多公狗都赶紧跑过来，哎哟，我太羡慕了！ 我想”招蜂引蝶”的英文翻译好像是”eye-catching”，你觉得怎么样？
guolanusa says
May 26, 2008
sophie20461, after listening to a friend's explanation of 招蜂引蹀, I think that "she's throwing herself at him" might work as a translation...it has the same negative connotation, and pretty much the same general meaning.
guolanusa says
May 26, 2008
changye, I also think "eye-catching" is a good literal translation. If 招蜂引碟 carries the negative connotation my friend associated with it though, "eye-catching" might not be strong enough of a term.
changye says
May 26, 2008
Hi guolanusa, You are right. Come to think of it, 招蜂引蝶 actually has negative connotations, and maybe "eye-catching" does not. Then, let me give you the next nomination. How about "seductive"?
henning says
May 26, 2008
Hi changye, problem might be a cultural one and therefore utterly intranslatable. Being "seductive" appears to be a pretty positive trait to me. This is similar to 性感, which is also negative in Chinese, whereas being "sexy" is something desirable in many modern western societies.
changye says
May 26, 2008
Hi henning, You might be right, cause I also like a seductive woman!!!
sophie20461 says
May 26, 2008
thanks you guys! i got it. and i think "招蜂引蝶“ is alway have a negative connotation so i think you guys don't use it to describe the girl lol .if you do that maybe she will slap you. changye! 我好佩服你啊，什么都知道，哎，在你面前我这中国人感觉好像外国人似的哈哈。
sophie20461 says
May 26, 2008
guolanusa you said that sentence" she throws herself at him" in chinese we always translate it to "投怀送抱”. it meaning is close to "招蜂引蝶“. but also have some diefferent. i don't how to say in English , may be you can ask your friend. hehe
guolanusa says
May 26, 2008
Hi sophie20461, What a puzzle! I've asked several friends for help with this, and none of us have been able to think of a perfect translation. I like changye's "seductive" - that's the best translation so far - it makes it very clear what type of behavior the lady in engaging in. I'll bet henning's right, in the end, in that cultural differences will make it impossible to translate exactly...We'll just have to resort to using several sentences of English to explain four tiny 汉字!
mark says
May 26, 2008
Did anyone else notice that the pinyin in the lesson pdf doesn't match either the 汉字， nor the spoken dialog for several sentences? (I don't care that much, becuase I don't usually read the pinyin. Maybe, no one else cares either。）
sophie20461 says
May 29, 2008
谁知道“上梁不正下梁歪”？ 呵呵
有没有对应的英文表达？
baomaijin says
June 5, 2008
你好sophie20461,
我在dict.cn这个网站上找到了这个翻译：
when those high up do not set a good example, the subordinates cannot be expected to behave well
这个翻译，我觉得比较准确。。。
包迈金
sophie20461 says
June 10, 2008
谢谢你
包迈金
i also got another sentance about this at www.nciku.com:
"when those above behave unworthily, those below will do the same."
i think both of them can express that meaning.
hongkhanh says
June 16, 2008
我很喜欢成语，他深含意义。
在具体的语言环境如果能使用成语的话，效果挺好呢，又短又省话可是给对方留下深刻的印象 呢。
HOW TO SAY IN CHINESE AND ENGLISH FOR FOLLOWING SOME PROVERBS :
"YOU AND ME AND GATE POT"
"一回生，二回熟，三回是老朋友“
”百花齐放百家争鸣“
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR HELP.
ccclim says
June 25, 2008
I found that I could get the "text" version from the pdf version; but if I saved it and reopend it, then strings of what appeared to be codings appeared instead. This also happens to a more recent lesson. I wonder why?
Also, I would like to suggest that you re-put dates (first) shown next to the lessons. It would help greatly if one wanted to look for missed lessons.
xiaoanolga says
July 5, 2008
Hi Sophie!
”百花齐放百家争鸣" "Let different views be expressed"
or more litterally: "let a hundred flowers bloom, let a hundred schools contend"
你在学毛主席的哲学吗? 晓安
changye says
July 5, 2008
Be careful. 百花齐放百家争鸣 is sometimes a clever trap to catch dissidents here in China.
xiaoanolga says
July 6, 2008
请问这是俗话吗? 愁一愁白了头, 笑一笑十年少
有人知道总成这个俗话 吗?(我不记得了): 饭后百步走,...
我觉得成语不一定有四个字: 五十步笑百步, 更上一层楼 都是成语。
我很喜欢这个成语: 缘木求鱼, 觉得很好玩儿。
晓安
lujiaojie says
July 7, 2008
xiaoanolga:
愁一愁白了头, 笑一笑十年少
饭后百步走,活到九十九
这两句是俗语。
你说得对，大多数成语是四个字，
但是成语不一定是四个字。
五十步笑百步
更上一层楼
都是成语。