VIETNAMESE PROVERBS (TỤC NGỮ VIỆT NAM) Collected and explained by Pham Van Binh (4)
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Cà cuống chết đến đít vẫn còn cay
(The coleopteron is hot even when death comes to its tail)
A stubborn man is stubborn to his death
Cp: The wolf may change his coat, but not his disposition
Cá cả ở vực sâu
(Big fish live in deep pits)
It’s difficult to contact V.I.Ps
Cá chuối đắm đuối vì con
(For her children, a snake-head mullet can be drowned)
Parents may sacrifice themselves for their chidren
Cp: A child may have too much of his mother’s blessing
Cá dưới sông, vợ chồng thuyền chài đánh nhau
(The fisherman quarrels with his wife when the fish is still in the river)
One may quarrel about nothing
Cá kể đầu, rau kể mớ
(Count the fish by head and the vegetable by bundle)
Different sorts of things need different ways of
calculation
Cá không ăn muối cá ươn
(The fish that hasn’t been salted stinks)
A child that doesn’t accept its parents’ education will be spoiled
Cá lớn nuốt cá bé
(Big fish eat small ones)
The strong and rich often oppress the poor and weak
Cp: Dog eats dog
Cá mạnh vì nước
(The fish is strong because of the water)
Environment is very important to one’s activity
Cá mè đè cá chép
(The tench lies heavy on the carp)
People often oppress one another
Cá no mồi khó nhử
(A fish with a full stomatch is difficult to be snared)
It’s difficult to bribe those who are already rich
Cá sống về nước
(The fish exists thanks to the water)
One exists thanks to his familiar environment
Cá thia quen chậu, chồn đèn quen hang
(The fish is familiar to the tank and the weasel is familiar to the burrow)
One doesn’t like to move out of his settlement after a long stay
Cá thối rắn xương
(A stinking fish has hard bones)
A bad-tempered man is often stubborn
Cp: A cat has nine lives
Cá vàng bụng bọ
(A golden fish’s stomach is full of worms)
A good appearance may hide an evil heart
Cp: All that glitters is not gold
Cá vào ao ai, người ấy được
(The owner of the fish is the owner of the pond the fish has swum in)
Whatever in the scope of a man’s sovereignty is his property.
Cp: Findings are keepings
Cả ăn, cả lo
(The more he eats, the more he is worried)
The more one spends, the more one is worried
Cả ăn, cả mặc lại càng cả lo
(The more he wears and eats, the more he is worried)
As : Cả ăn cả lo
Cả bè đè cây nứa
(The whole raft presses down a single bamboo)
An individual must be defeated by a crowd
Cả bè hơn cây mía
(The whole raft of bamboos is better than a single sugar cane)
A group of ordinary people is better than even a good individual
Cp: Two heads are better than one
Cả cây, nây buồng
(The bigger a banana-tree is, the bigger its bunch of bananas will be)
Good results come from a good foundation
Cả giận mất khôn
(He who is too angry does not have wits)
Anger may mislead a man’s deeds
Cp: Anger and haste hinder good counsel
Cả gió, tắt đuốc
(A strong wind will blow out the torch)
An overstrain will bring about a break-down
Cp: It is the last straw that breaks the camel’s back
Cả nhà được ăn, một thân chịu tội
(He gets the fine singly when his whole family gets the share)
The doer may endure losses whereas the idlers enjoy his work’s benefits
Cả thèm, chóng chán
(The longer he desires, the sooner he’s tired of)
After having been satisfied, a great ambition may soon die out
Cp: Soon hot, soon cold.
Cả thuyền, to sóng
(The bigger the boat, the bigger the waves)
The larger the scale of the work is, the harder the work will be
Cả vốn, lớn lãi
(The more capital, the more benefit)
Capital is very important in business
Cp: Much will have more.
Cả vú lấp miệng em
(A big breast can fill up the child’s mouth)
l One can shut up his opponent’s mouth with strong words or a loud voice
l A big bribe can keep anybody silent
Cp : Every man has his price
Cả xốc, cả vác
(The bigger the load is, the harder the carrier will work)
More work makes people work harder
Cách mặt, khuất lời
(Out of sight, out of words)
People don’t have much time to contact one another when living seperately.
Cp: Out of sight, out of mind
Cái khó bó cái khôn
(Shortage binds wisdom fast)
One can’t realize his desires and plans because of shortage though he is full of talents and capacities
Cái khó ló cái khôn
(Difficulty forces out wisdom)
Difficulties and hardships train a man’s wit
Cp: Adversity is a great schoolmaster
Cái kim trong bọc lâu ngày cũng phải lòi ra
(Sooner or later, the needle will come out of the pack)
All secrets will be out
Cp: What is done by night, appears by day
Cái nết đánh chết cái đẹp
(The good beats the beauty to death)
Better good people than beautiful people
Cp: Beauty is but skin deep
Cái nết đánh chết không chừa
(His nature never submits even when he is beaten to death)
Man’s nature is very difficult to change
Cp: The wolf may loose his teeth but never his nature.
Cái răng cái tóc là góc con người
(His teeth and hair are a quarter of his body)
One’s teeth and hair play a very important part in his appearance
Cái sẩy nẩy cái ung
(A prickly heat turns into an abscess)
Out of care, a trivial damage can become serious
Cp: A small leak will sink a great ship
Cái tôm chật gì bể
(A shrimp doesn’t make the sea narrow)
A single thing’s (person’s) joining doesn't cause trouble to the whole (an organization)
Cái trước đau, cái sau rái
(He who got painful at the first attempt would be frightened of the second one)
l Having been tricked by someone, one may not dare
to get in touch with him any more
l After suffering a great loss in his work, one may lose
his heart to do it again
Cp: A burnt child dreads the fire.
Cạn ao, bèo xuống đất
(When the pond is empty, the duckweeds move down to the bottom)
l Those who are in the same situation have the same lot
l One relies much on the circumstance
Cạn đầm thì uống nước khe
(Drink the stream water when the bog is empty)
One should be optimistic in difficulties and hardships
Cp: While there is life, there is hope
Càng cao danh vọng, càng dày gian nan
