- U -
Uốn lưỡi bảy lần rồi hãy nói
(Curl your tongue seven times before speaking)
As: Ăn phải nhai, nói phải nghĩ
Uống nước dễ quên người đào mạch
(He forgets the well digger who has drunken its water)
One often forgets his benefactor(s)
Uống nước, nhớ nguồn
(Recall the source of the water you often drink from)
As: Ăn quả nhớ kẻ trồng cây
Uống nước, nhớ người đào giếng
(Recall the digger of the well you take water from
Uống nước sông, nhớ mạch suối
(He who drinks the river water, recall the spring source)
As: Uống nước, nhớ nguồn
&
|
- Ư -
Ướt sề còn hơn về không
(Better your basket is wet with something in it than go home empty-handed)
Better few or defective things than none.
Cp: A little is better than none
Ưu đạo, bất ưu bần
(Worry about virtues, not about poverty)
One should pay more attention to perfecting himself than enriching himself.
Ưu thắng, liệt bại.
(The good will win and the bad will defeat)
One should follow the good
&
|
- V -
Vạ bởi miệng ra, bệnh qua miệng vào
(As: Họa bởi miệng ra, bệnh qua miệng vào)
Vạ vịt chưa qua, vạ gà đã đến
(The chicken's accident is coming while the duck's one hasn't gone away yet)
As: Phúc bất trùng lai, họa vô đơn chí
Vải thưa không che nổi mắt thánh
(Thin cloth can't hide anything from a saint's eyes)
Falsity and wrong-doing can't be awkwardly hidden from the wise
Cp: What is done by night appears by day
Vạn sự khởi đầu nan
(Everything is difficult at the beginning)
Nobody can avoid difficulties and troubles when starting a new job for being short of experiences.
Cp: It is the first step that costs.
Vạn tội bất như bần
(Ten thousands of sufferings are not so bad as poverty)
Poverty is the most suffering
Vàng bạc có giá, tôm cá theo buổi chợ
(Jewels have their fixed price but fish and shrimps are priced according to each day)
Food's prices are changed everyday
Vàng biết đâu mà móc, cóc biết đâu mà tìm ?
(Who knows where to get gold as well as where to catch toads ?)
It's not easy to earn money
Vàng đỏ đen lòng người
(Gold is yellow but it blackens man's heart)
Wealth may destroy one's virtue
Vàng đỏ nhọ lòng son
(Yellow gold blackens a red heart)
As: Vàng đỏ đen lòng người
Vàng không sợ lửa
(Gold never fears fire)
l As: Cây ngay không sợ chết đứng
l A brave man doesn't fear any danger and hardship
Cp: l A clear conscience laughs at false accusations
l A good anvil does not fear the hammer
Vào lỗ hà, ra lỗ hổng
(It comes into one hole but goes out of another)
Too close-fisted turns into wasteful
Cp: A penny soul never came to two pence
Vay chín, trả mười
(Lend nine, pay ten)
One should be fair in reckoning
Cp: Short reckonings make long friends
Vay mật, trả gừng
(He pays back ginger who has lent honey)
As: Ăn cháo, đá bát
Vay nên nợ, đợ nên ơn
(Lending leads to debt and mortgage leads to dependence)
One should keep away from debt
Vảy cá hơn lá rau
(Even fish scales are better than vegetables)
Better few things of high quality than many things of low quality.
Văn có bài, võ có trận
(There are compositions in literature and battles in art of war)
Every field has its own features
Văn hay chẳng lọ dài dòng
(A masterpiece of literature doesn't need many words)
Quantity doesn't beget quality.
Văn hay chữ tốt không bằng thằng dốt lắm tiền
(A famous scholar is not as equal as a rich fool)
A rich fool often gets more respect than a great scholar when money is the lord in the society.
Văn mình, vợ người
(My writing and your wife are the best)
One often thinks that his writing is better than others' and others' wives are more beautiful than his
Cp: Every ass likes to hear himself bray
Văn ôn, võ luyện
(Writing needs revising and boxing needs practising)
As: Dao năng liếc, năng sắc
Vắng chúa đàn, tan con nghé
(When the leading buffalo is away, a calf is lost)
The presence of the leader of an organization can
prevent it from disorder and danger.
Vắng chúa nhà, gà bới bếp
(When the host is away, the cock makes a mess in the kitchen)
As: Chủ vắng nhà, gà vọc niêu tôm
Vắng đàn ông quạnh nhà, vắng đàn bà quạnh bếp
(A man's absence makes his house desert, a woman's absence makes her kitchen cold)
Men are real masters of their houses as well as women in their kitchens.
Cp: Men make houses, women make home.
Vắng sao Hôm, có sao Mai
(There is the morning star when the everning star disappears)
One is not short of friends as well as lovers.
Vắng trăng có sao, vắng đào có lí
(There are stars when the moon is absent and there is a plum tree when the peach tree is no longer existing)
As: Vắng sao Hôm, có sao Mai
Vắt mũi chẳng đủ đút miệng
(What he squeezes out of his nose is still not enough for his mouth)
It's not easy for one to earn his living.
Vận đỏ trồng lau ra mía
(He who is lucky plants reeds but they turn into sugar)
When one's lucky he can get successes easily.
Vận khứ hoài sơn năng chí tử
(An unfortunate man may die of Hoài sơn* )
An unfortunate man may die of petty accidents
Cp: An unfortunate man would be drowned in a teacup
Vận nghèo lại mắc cái eo 1
(He who is poor still meets straits)
A poor man often meets hardships and difficuties in his life
Vật đến keo, trèo đến mái
(Wrestle to the end of the round and climb up to the top of the roof )
As: Đã vo thì vo cho tròn
Vật khinh, hình trọng
(It is not worth paying attention to but its significance is)
A small present may hold great significance
Vật trụi chẳng được, vật thầy tu
(He that can’t wrestle with a professional wrestler wrestles with a monk)
One may bully the weaker when he is not able to win the stronger
Vẽ voi, phải tìm voi
(He who wants to draw an elephant must look for it)
When one wants to do something he must study it carefully
Vén mây mù mới thấy trời xanh
(To see the blue sky you ought to clear storm clouds)
away)
To get successes, one should clear out all obstacles on the way to them
Vét chợ cầu chẳng được cái kim
(He doesn't get even a needle who has searched all the corners of the market )
One may get nothing after a long search.
Vét nồi ba mươi cũng đầy niêu mốt
(The remain of the 30- sized pot can fill up the one- sized one)
One man's need is very little when compared to a crowd's
Vì con lợn, đoạn chuối mới đến chợ
(Thanks to the pig, the banana stem is carried to the market)
There is often close interrelation among objects.
Vì đầu heo, gánh gốc chuối
(For the pig, he has to carry the banana stem)
As: Vì con lợn, đoạn chuối mới đến chợ
Vị cây, dây quấn
(On account of the tree, the vines wind each other)
The relation of two strangers with the third makes them close to each other
Cp: One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.
Vị tình vị nghĩa, chẳng ai vị đĩa xôi đầy
(Nobody makes acquaintance for a full plate of sticky rice but love)
One's friendship is often based on affection, not gains
Việc bé, xé ra to
(The matter is small but he makes it big)
One is blamable to make a storm in a tea cup
Việc người thì sáng, việc mình thì quáng
(He who is clear-sighted in others' affairs is short-sighted in his)
One is often wise in others' affairs but unwise in his.
Cp: Lookers-on see most of the game
Việc nhà thì nhác, việc chú bác thì siêng
(He who is lazy in his housework is laborious in his uncles')
One may be lazy in his own work but enthusiastic over others'
Việc to, đừng lo tốn
(Don't worry about the expenses for important affairs)
One shouldn't be too thrifty in important affairs
Vỏ quít dày có móng tay nhọn
(There will be a sharp fingernail to peel off a thick - skinned tangerine)
As: Bọ nẹt, có giẻ cùi
Voi biết voi, ngựa biết ngựa
(The elephant as well as the horse knows itself well)
Nobody can know a man better than himself
Voi chẳng đẻ, đẻ thì to
(The cow-elephant seldom gives birth to a calf but when she does she'll give birth to a very big one)
Whenever a talented man does something he'll get a great success
Voi điếc dạn súng
(A deaf elephant doesn't fear shots)
As: Điếc không sợ súng
Voi đú, chó đú, chuột chù cũng đú / nhảy quanh
(When the elephant romps, the dog romps, the musk-rat romps, too)
As: Húng mọc, tía tô cũng mọc
Vô hoạn nạn, bất anh hùng
(No misfortunes, no heroes)
As: Có gió lung, mới biết tùng bách cứng
Có ngọn lửa lừng mới biết thức vàng cao
Vô học, vô thuật
(No learning, no methods of working)
One can't do anything without learning
Cp: Knowledge is power
Vô phúc đáo tụng đình, tụng đình rình vô phúc
(The ill-fated come to the court and the court watches for the ill-fated)
l Men of authority are daytime robbers
l Law-suits bring about just poverty and trouble
Vô phước bước cửa quan
(He who is ill-fated comes into the mandarin's)
As: Vô phúc đáo tụng đình, tụng đình rình vô phúc
Vô sự, tiểu thần tiên
(He who gets no troubles is a small angel)
A man of no worries is a realy happy man
Vô tiểu nhân, bất thành quân tử
(No small men, no gentlemen)
As: Không có quân tử thì ai khiến tiểu nhân
Vô tửu, bất thành lễ
(A feast isn't a feast if there is no wine in it )
l There should be wine in a feast
· One shouldn't live without wine.
Vô vật, bất linh
(Words are not sacred without gifts)
One can't ask for anything without a gift.
Vồ lắm lại vập đau
(More greeting, more hitting)
As: Thắm lắm, phai nhiều
Vỡ bè cũng vớ lây cây nứa
(When the raft broke, he tried to jerk a bamboo)
One never sits still when his property is lost.
Vợ ba con ở chưa hết lòng chồng
(Even having three children with her husband, she is not whole - heartedly faithful to him)
One's heart can change easily.
Vợ cái, con cột
(His wife is the main column and his children are supporting ones of his life)
One is not easy to abandon his wife and children.
Vợ chồng mới cưới không bằng vắng lâu
(A new marriage doesn't equal a long absence)
Absence deepens one's love
Cp: Absence makes the heart grow fonder
Vợ dại đẻ con khôn
(A foolish wife will give birth to a clever child)
A stupid wife may bring happiness to her husband.
Vợ dại không hại bằng đũa vênh *
(A stupid wife is not as bad as bent chopsticks)
Bad tableware may cause troubles to eaters.
Vợ đàn bà, nhà hướng nam
(My house looks South as well as my wife is female)
One often chooses East for his house direction.
Vợ đẻ, con lại lên mùa
(His child catches smallpox while his wife has just given birth to another)
One may get a lot of difficulties at the same time
Vợ đẹp càng tổ đau lưng **
(A beautiful wife just brings backache to her husband)
A beautiful wife often arouses her husband’s sexual appetite
Vợ giống tính chồng, người ở giống tông chủ nhà
(Like husband like wife as well as like master like servant) As: Thầy nào, tớ ấy
Vợ khôn 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 counsels
Cp: A good wife is a good prize.
Vợ xứ Đông, chồng xứ Bắc
(The wife lives in the East while the husband lives in the North)
One may sometimes have to live far from the members
of his family
Vợ yêu, nhưng tiền chưa có
(He has successfully proposed to her but he hasn't earned enough money to marry her yet )
It's not easy for a poor man to reach happiness
Vua bếp chế ông công nhọ mồm
(This Kitchen God blames that one black - mouthed)
As: Chó chê mèo lắm lông
Vua chúa còn có khi lầm
(Even a king sometimes nods)
As: Nhân vô thập toàn
Vua đi trước, làng nước theo sau
(The king goes in the lead and his subjects follow in the rear)
As: Đảng viên đi trước, làng nước theo sau
Vua nghe vợ mất nước
(The king who believes his wife's words will lose his Kingdom)
l Wives often give their husband bad counsels
l Gullibility often brings about great losses
Vui xem hát, nhạt xem bơi, tả tơi xem hội
(He who felt happy when going to a concert, got bored when watching a swim-race had his clothes torn into rags when joining a carnival)
Every game causes its own effect to audience
Vụng chèo, khéo chống
(He who works badly with a paddle works well with a pole)
A bad workman is often a go
No comments:
Post a Comment