NAMESE PROVERBS (TỤC NGỮ VIỆT NAM) Collected and explained by Pham Van Binh (6)
|  | | ||
- E -
Em thuận anh hòa là nhà có phúc
(A family in which the brothers are in harmony is a family of fortune)
Harmony is the most precious thing in a family
ép dầu ép mỡ, ai nỡ ép duyên
(Nobody has the heart to squeeze out marriages but oil and fat)
Marriage should be free
Cp: Love cannot be forced
&
|
- Ê -
ếch ăn thịt ếch
(The frog eats frog's meat / Frog eats frog)
l To waste your relatives' wealth is to waste your own wealth
l Men may be cruel to one another
ếch chết tại miệng
(The frog dies of its mouth)
One's words can cause a lot of trouble to himself
Cp: A fool's tongue is long enough to cut his throat
ếch ngồi đáy giếng coi trời bằng vung
(The frog who sits at the bottom of a well thinks the sky is just as small as the well’s lid )
A man of poor knowledge may think he's the greatest
ếch trong hang cũng còn lo chết
(Even a frog in its hole still worries about the loss of its life)
l One's worry has no limit
l Danger may fall on a man everywhere
ếch vồ hoa dâm bụt
(The frog catches hold of a rose-mallow)
One may do a vain thing
&
|
- G -
Gà ăn hơn công ăn
(Better the fowl eats than the peafowl eats)
Better benefit ordinary relatives than noble strangers
Cp: Near is my shirt but nearer is my skin
Gà béo thì bán bên Ngô, gà khô thì bán láng giềng
(He sells fat chickens in China but thin ones to his neighbours)
As : Càng quen, càng lèn cho đau
Gà cậy gần chuồng
(A cock puts on airs by its coop)
As: Chó cậy gần nhà, gà cậy gần chuồng
Gà chê thóc chẳng bới, người mới chê tiền
(As long as the chicken finds fault with rice, man dislikes money)
Nobody is indifferent to money and wealth
Gà cỏ trở mỏ vể rừng
(A wild fowl turns its beak to the forest)
As: Cáo chết ba năm còn quay đầu về núi
Gà con ấp mẹ
(The chicks hide themselves under their mother's wings)
Children always live under their mothers' protection and care
Gà cùng chuồng đá lẫn nhau
(The chickens of a house kick one another)
The members of a family or of an organization may fight against one another
Gà đẻ, gà cục tác
(The hen that lays eggs cackles)
l The seller must be the price setter
l One often praises his merit by himself
Gà mái gáy gở
(A hen crows at an abnormal time)
It's blamable for a woman who do men's job but can't do it well
Gà mượn áo công
(A fowl borrows a peafowl's clothing)
l Men of a low class may pretend to be men of a high one
l A fool may pretend to be a wise man
Gà người gáy, gà ta sáng
(His neighbour’s cock crows, his cock knows)
From others' work, one can know how to do his work in the best way
Cp: Learn wisdom by the follies of others
Gà nhà lại bới bếp nhà
(His chickens dig in his kitchen)
It's blamable for those who distroy their organizations or families
Gà què ăn quẩn cối xay
(A lame chicken looks for his food round the rice-hulling mill)
· A man of no ability dare not leave the place where he
can earn an easy living
· A man of no talent often tries to exploit his neighbours by all means
Gá bạc làm giàu, bắc cầu làm phúc
(She habours gamblers to get rich while he builds bridges to give alms)
To give alms is to do something that serves as many people as possible
Gai ở ngọn giòn hơn gai ở gốc
(The thorn at the top of a tree is more fragile than the one at the bottom)
Young people are not as mature as old ones
Gai trên rừng ai bứt mà nhọn
(The thorns in the forest are sharp without anyone's toil)
Cruel people are cruel due to their cruel nature
Gái chậm chồng, mẹ cha khắc khoải
(Her parents fell anxious when she is late in marriage)
One always worries about his children's happiness
Gái chồng rẫy phi chứng nọ cũng tật kia
(An abandoned wife has certainly got some fault)
No woman is deserted without any reasons
Gái chưa chồng trông mong đi chợ
(She who hasn't got married yet looks forward to going shopping)
Young girls always look for chances of getting married
Gái có chồng như gông đeo cổ, trai có vợ như rợ buộc chân
(A husband is a noose on a lady's neck and a wife is a rope on a man's ankles)
One is less free in his married life than in celibacy
Cp: He that has a wife has a master
Gái có chồng như rồng có vây
(A girl with her husband is like a dragon with fins)
Having a husband, a woman has a lot of advantages
Gái có con như bồ hòn có rễ, gái không con như bè ngổ trôi sông
(A wife with her child is like a soapberry tree with its long roots whereas a childless wife is like a raft of lentils in the river)
There is no guarantee for a childless woman's wifehood and prospects
Gái có công, chồng chẳng phụ
(Nobody forgets his wife's toil)
Good work will be worthily paid
Cp: A good deed is never lost
Gái dở một giành, gái lành một sọt
(There is a basketful of bad women and there is a basketful of good ones, too)
There are a lot of bad women but there are a lot of good women, too
Gái đĩ già mồm
(She who's worked as a prostitute still talks back continuously)
Evil-doers may strongly deny what they have done
Gái giết chồng, đàn ông ai giết vợ
(Men never kill their wives while women dare kill their
husbands)
One thinks that women are more cruel than men
Gái giống cha giàu ba mươi đụn, trai giống mẹ khó lụn tận xương
(A girl who looks like her father will be thirty-ricesilos rich, a boy who looks like his mother will be poor to his bones)
As: Con gái giống cha giàu ba mươi đụn, con trai giống mẹ khó lụn tận xương
Gái góa lo việc triều đình
(She who is a widow still makes arrangements for the Royal Court's affairs)
It's ridiculous that a man of no great capacity dare take to heart others' great cause
Gái hơn hai, trai hơn một
(Women should be two years older than their husbands and men should be one year older than their wives)
In marriage, husband's age shouldn't be too higher or too lower than their wives'
Gái không chồng như nhà không nóc
(A husbandless woman is like a roofless house)
A husbandless woman gets protection nowhere
Gái không chồng như phản gỗ long đanh
(A husbandless woman is like a wooden bed from which the nails have loosened)
A husbandless woman hasn't got a stable life
Gái không chồng như thuyền không lái
(A husbandless woman is like a rudderless boat )
As: Gái không chồng như phản gỗ long đanh
Gái lỡ thì gặp quan tri góa vợ
( She who has passed the age of marriage meets a
mandarin widower)
One may meet good luck after suffering from bad luck
Gái một con trông mòn con mắt
(Nobody gets tired of looking at a woman of one child)
After the first birth, women are often more beautiful than before
Gái ngoan làm quan cho chồng
(A wise wife will do the mandarin's work for her husband)
A clever wife can help her husband a lot with her wise counsel
Cp: A good wife is a good prize
Gái phải hơi trai như thài lài gặp cứt chó, trai phải hơi vợ như cò bợ gặp mưa (tục)
(A woman's catching of a man's smell is like a day flower's catching of dog's shit and a man's catching of his wife is like a stork's meeting a rain) (vulg)
A man's propinquity makes a woman more beautiful but a woman's propinquity makes a man shabby
Gái tham tài, trai tham sắc
(Women admires talent, men admires beauty)
Women are easy to fall in love with men of talent as well as men often fall in love with beautiful ladies
Gái thương chồng đương đông buổi chợ, trai thương vợ nắng quái chiều hôm
(Women's love to their husbands is like a crowded market, men's love to their wives is like a sunset)
Women's love is ardent but men's love isn't
Gan cóc, mặt công
(His liver is a toad's but his face is a peacock's)
One's strong will may be hidden by his gentle appearance
Gáo dài hơn chuôi
(The dipper is longer than its handle)
It's blamable for a thing which is not reasonable or proportional
Gạo đổ bốc chẳng đầy thưng
(Nobody can make the bushel full again with its spilt rice)
As: Bát nước đổ đi rồi không hót đầy lại được
Gặp cơn đại loạn mới hay trung thần
(A loyal subject is shown out in the rebellion)
As: Đường dài hay sức ngựa, nước loạn biết tôi ngay
Gần chùa chẳng được ăn xôi
(He lives near the pagoda but never gets sticky rice from it to eat )
One may not get help or benefit from his close rich or powerful people
Gần chùa gọi bụt bằng anh
(He who lives next to a pagoda calls Buddha brother)
As: Bụt chùa nhà không thiêng
Gần lửa rát mặt
(His facce gets red as he sits by the fire place)
One may often get authorities’ blames when he is near them
Gần mực thì đen, gần đèn thì rạng / sáng
(His staying near the ink makes him black and his staying near the light makes him bright)
One will be bad when contacting the bad and will be good when contacting the good
Cp: A man is known by the company he keeps
Gần nhà có giỗ không được ăn cỗ cũng được liếm lá
(Living near a family who have a feast he may not be invited to eat but certainly have some sticky rice- packing leaves to lick)
One may receive something from his rich neighbours
Gần nhà giàu đau răng ăn cốm, gần kẻ trộm ốm lưng chịu đòn
(As a rich man's neighbour, his teeth get painful for chewing grilled rice and as a thief's neighbour, his back gets painful by sticks and knives)
Neighbourhood may have a certain influence on one's life
Cp: He that lies down with dogs must rise up with fleas
Gần sông quen tính cá, gần rừng không lạ tiếng chim
(Living near a river he knows the fish's nature, living near a forest he is not strange to the bird's songs)
One's propinquity to an object brings to him a deep knowledge of it
Gần tre che một phía, gần mía bẻ một cây
(Near a bamboo row he can use it to cover one side of his, near a sugar- cane field he can break one cane at any time)
One may make use of the invironment for his life
Gậy ông lại đập lưng ông
(His stick beats his back)
One may fall into his own trap
Gậy vông phá nhà gạch*
(The coral stick breaks down the brick house)
One's sons may destroy one’s legacy left to them
Ghen vợ, ghen chồng không nồng bằng ghen ăn
(A jealousy of love is not as hot as a jealousy of benefit )
Men often fight fiercely against one another for gains
Ghét của nào, trời trao của ấy
(God gives him what he hates)
There is a paradox that one often receives what he dislikes
Già chơi trống bỏi
(He who is old already plays the paper tabourine still)
l It's foolish of an old man to play games spared for the youth
l It's foolish of an old man to fall in love with a young girl
Cp: No fool like an old fool
Già đòn, non nhẽ
(More beating makes less arguing)
In a dictator's opinion, terrorism can suppress freedom of speech
Cp: Words may pass but blows fall heavy
Già được bát canh, trẻ được manh áo mới
(An old man has a bowl of soup as a child has a new shirt)
The old need more food than clothing while the young need more clothing than food
Già kén, kẹn hom
(The more he chooses, the worse he gets)
As: Cây chọn mất lá, cá chọn mất vảy
Già lừa đạp dưa thối
(An old ass tramples stale melons)
Old and stupid people can't do anything remarkable
Già lừa nhỡ lứa
(She who has deceived others too many times fails to catch a good chance of marriage)
In marriage, one should be honest to his counterpart
Già mạ, tốt lúa
(Old seedlings beget strong riceplants)
The first stage plays a very impotant part in everything's further development
Già mót, ngọt canh
(The more he gleans, the sweeter his soup is)
A constant thrift brings about riches
Cp: Penny and penny laid up will be many
Già néo, đứt dây
(Tight fastening breaks the string)
As: Cả gió, tắt đuốc
Già quen việc, trẻ quen ăn
(The old get used to working while the young get used to eating)
Working is grown-up people's duty and significance of life while children's duty is eating to grow up strongly and to learn well
Già sinh tật, đất sinh cỏ
(The old have diseases and defects as the land has grass)
It's natural for a man to have diseases and defects when getting old
Già trái, non hột
(The fruit is ripe but the seeds aren't )
As: Chưa đánh được người, mày xanh mặt tía; đánh được người rồi, hồn vía lên mây
Giá thú bất luận tài
(Property counts nothing in marriage)
One shouldn't mix wealth with love
Giã gạo thì ốm, giã cốm thì khỏe
(He who is sick when pounding rice is well when pounding green rice*)
A lazy man likes eating than working
Giang sơn nào, anh hùng nấy
(Every land has its own hero \ owner)
Everyone is the master where he lives
Cp: A man is master in his own house
Giáo đa thành oán
(Much teaching brings about hatred)
There should be a limit even in education
Giàu ăn, khó nhịn
(He who eats when getting rich goes without food when becoming poor)
One should rely on himself, not on others
Giàu bán chó, khó bán con
(The rich sell their doggies while the poor have to sell even their children)
The rich make use of everything to get richer while the poor have to sell even their children to exist
Giàu bỏ bạn, sang bỏ vợ
(As becoming rich he abandons his friends, as becoming noble he divorces his wife)
Riches and reputation may make a man forget his old relationship
Cp: Rich upstarts ignore their belongings
Giàu chiều hôm, khó sớm mai
(He who is rich today will be poor tomorrow)
As: Đói trẻ chớ vội lo, giàu trẻ chớ vội mừng
Giàu chủ kho, no nhà bếp, chóng chết quản voi
(Store-keepers are rich, chefs are with their fill and mahouts soon get killed)
One's occupation may bring to him fortune or misfortune
Giàu (có) không ra khỏi ngõ, (đói) khó mọi chỗ mọi hay
( The rich never go out of their gates while the poor drag
their feet all the places)
The poor have to go everywhere to earn their living while the rich have everything at hand
Giàu con út, khó con út
(His riches or misery is still spared for his youngest child)
The youngest child of a family is the only person who enjoys his family’s properties or suffers from his family’s misery
Giàu đâu ba họ, khó đâu ba đời
(Nobody is rich through three generations but nobody is poor through three generations, either)
As: Đói trẻ chớ vội lo, giàu trẻ chớ vội mừng
Giàu đâu đến kẻ ngủ trưa, hay đâu đến kẻ say sưa tối ngày
(No one who likes taking afternoon naps can be rich, no one who gets drunk day and night can be well-qualified)
One should be laborious to have a happy life
Giàu đầu hôm, khó sớm mai
(He who is rich in the early afternoon will be poor in the early morning)
As: Đói trẻ chớ vội lo, giàu trẻ chớ vội mừng
Giàu điếc, sang đui
(The rich are deaf and the noble are blind)
A rich or authoritative man never takes pity on others
Cp: A rich neighbour is a poor friend
Giàu đổi bạn, sang đổi vợ
(His riches change his friends and his honour changes his wife)
As: Giàu bỏ bạn, sang bỏ vợ
Giàu đời nay lắm kẻ ưa, giàu đời xưa chẳng ai màng
(Many people like the rich people at present but nobody
takes a look at the rich people in the past)
One only respects those who are being in power and wealth
Giàu giờ ngọ, khó giờ mùi
(He who is rich at noon will be poor in the early afternoon)
As: Đói trẻ chớ vội lo, giàu trẻ chớ vội mừng
Giàu hai con mắt, khó hai bàn tay
(He is rich thanks to his sharp eyes and she is poor for her hands have been disabled)
One's eyes and hands play a very important part in earning his living
Giàu hay mần, bần hay ăn
(The rich like working while the poor like eating)
The rich love to work to get richer while the poor love to eat for they are often hungry
Giàu là họ, khó người dưng
(These who are rich are his relatives and those who are poor are strangers to him)
As: Bồi ở, lở đi
Giàu làm chị, khó lụy làm em
(A rich lady is called the elder sister and a poor lady is called the younger one)
Money can put a man on a high posittion
Cp: An empty sack cannot stand upright
Giàu lo bạc, khó lo cơm
(The rich are worried about money while the poor are worried about food)
The rich just think of money while the poor think of
their daily living only
Giàu một lọ, khó một niêu
(A rich man has one jar and a poor man has one pot, too)
A poor man still has something to compare with a rich one
Giàu một ngày ba bữa, khó đỏ lửa ba lần
(A rich man has three meals a day and a poor man cooks three times a day, too)
As: Giàu một lọ, khó một niêu
Giàu người bằng mười giàu của
(Having many people is ten times as good as having much wealth)
The human being is the most precious thing on the world
Giàu nhà quê không bằng ngồi lê thành phố
(A landlord in the countryside is still poorer than a loiterer in town)
One can earn money much more easily in town than in the countryside
Cp: London’s streets are paved with gold
Giàu tậu, khó bán
(He who buys things when being rich sells things when being poor)
One buys things only when he’s rich and has to sell them off when he gets broke
Giàu tân không bằng khó cựu
(Richness at present is not as good as poverty in the past)
One may think that at present people often make a fortune illegally
Giàu thú quê không bằng ngồi lê kẻ chợ
(As: Giàu nhà quê không bằng ngồi lê thành phố)
Giàu út ăn, khó út chịu
(The youngest child of a family enjoys its richness or poverty)
As: Giàu con út, khó con út
Giàu vẻ vang, sang lịch sự
(A rich man feels honourable and a noble man proves to be polite)
A rich or noble man often shows out his honour and politeness
Giàu vì bạn, sang vì vợ
(Owing to his friends, he gets rich; owing to his wife, he becomes noble)
One’s good friends and wife can help him very much in his progress
Giặc bên Ngô không bằng bà cô bên chồng
(The Ngo dynasty’s* troops are not as fearful as the husband’s young sister(s))
One’s husband’s younger sister(s) is (are) very dangerous to her
Giặc chẳng bắt, bắt thầy tu
(They don’t arrest enemies but priests)
Criminals may escape from the law’s grisp while
honest people may meet trouble with the authority circle
Giặc đến nhà, đàn bà cũng đánh
(When enemies come to their threshold, they will fight even though they are petticoats)
Everyone will fight against any aggressors of their countries
Giặc phá không bằng nhà cháy
(Destruction made by enemies is not as bad as by fire)
Fire is very dangerous when it is out of control
Cp: Fire and water are good servants but bad masters
Giấm chua lại tội bằng ba lửa nồng
(Vinegar is three times as bad as fire)
No comments:
Post a Comment