One afternoon, on my way to school, I got on a bus. There were few people inside. Just at that time, a woman got up from her seat to buy ticket and a young man standing by took her seat, assuming she was getting off. As the woman returned, she was angry to see her seat taken and hissed: “Someone occupies the nest eagerly but lays no egg!” Hearing this, the young man stood up to offer the seat to the woman, retorting: “I’m really sorry. Now you can have your nest and lay your eggs.” Tall Hat
To give someone a tall hat is a common saying which means to flatter someone.
There were two disciples who, before going away to take up their first appointments, went to call on their teacher together. Said the teacher:
“Nowadays, it doesn’t pay to be straightforward in what one says. Take my
advice for your own good: Give a tall hat to whomever you meet.”
“Our teacher is right,” said one of the disciples. “At the present time there are
indeed very few people like our teacher who do not like tall hats.”
At that the teacher’s face lit up with pleasure. On their way out, that disciple said
to the other: “I’ve just given away one tall hat.” Rain
Two men were drinking wine at a wineshop. After finishing the last bottle between them, they sat there chatting with no intention of leaving. Feeling tired, the owner of the wineshop made a feint of looking at the sky and said: “Looks like rain.”
On hearing this, the two men said: “Since the rain is coming, we’d better wait till it clears up.”
After a while, the owner again said: “Now, it’s stopped raining.” “Well,” said they, “since it’s stopped raining, there’s no hurry to leave.” A Big Mouth
There were two men much given to braggart language. One of them boasted: “In our village we have a giant whose head touches the sky when he stands up.” The other had this to say: “In our village we have a bigger man whose upper lip reaches to the sky while his lower lip rests on the ground.” “Then where is his body supposed to be?” inquired the first man. “Well,” replied the other, “his big mouth is the only thing that
one can see.” 守株待兔
宋人有耕者，田中有株，兔走触株，折颈而死。因释其而守株，冀复得兔，兔不可复得，而身为宋国笑。
Wait for a Windfall/Trust in Chance and Strokes of Luck
1. During the Warring States Period, there was a farmer of the State of Song. One day he saw a hare run into a tree located in his farm land, its neck broken, and then it died. Hoping to get more hares, he laid down his farm tool, standing by the stump, waiting for more hares to come and dash themselves against it. But nothing turned up as he had expected. He became a laughingstock of the people of the State of Song.
2. There was a farmer in the State of Song. Once a hare scampered through his farmland, bumped into a tree, and broke its neck. Dreaming about picking up another hare, the farmer set his farm tools aside and kept waiting under the tree. Nothing did he get but ridicule from all his folks. 郑人买履
郑人有欲买履者，先自度其足，而置之其坐。至之市，而忘操之。已得履，谓曰：“吾忘持度。”返归取之。及返，市罢，遂不得履。人曰：“何不试之以足 曰：“宁信度，无自信也。” 1. Buying Shoes
Once there was a man of the State of Zheng who wanted to buy a pair of shoes. Before going to the market, he measured the length and width of his foot, and put the size-marker on his seat. He didn’t realize that he had forgot to bring it until he arrived at the market. Holding the shoes in his hand, he signed.〝Pity I forgot to bring the scale.〞So he went back for it. It was too late for him to get the shoes when he returned to the market, because it had been closed. “Why not try them on with your feet?” asked an on looker. “I’d rather believe in my scale than trust my feet!” he answered. 2. Of Measurements and My Own Feet
A man in the State of Zheng wanted to buy a pair of shoes. He measured his own feet
but left the measurements on his seat when headed for the fair. Only when he stood by the shoe stall did he realize his negligence. \said he. He went home for them and then back again only to find that the fair had already closed. At last, he did not get his shoes. People asked him:\
He replied: \rather believe in the measurements. /I find measurements more trustworthy.\苛政猛于虎
孔子过泰山侧。有妇人哭于墓者而哀。夫子式而听之，使子路问之，曰：“子之哭也，壹似重有忧者。”而曰：“然，昔者吾舅死于虎，吾夫又死焉，今吾子又死焉。”夫子曰：“何为不去也？”曰：“无苛政。”夫子曰：“小子识之，苛政猛于虎也！”
1. Tyranny is More Ferocious than a Tiger
Once Confucius passed by the Mount Tai，and he saw a broken –hearted woman wailing in front of a tomb. Rising to his feet and resting his hands on the handrail of the wagon, he listened attentively, and ordered Zi Lu, one of his disciples, to look into the matter. “Judging from your crying manner, you seem to be striker with new grief. What has happened?” asked Zi Lu. The woman answered, “My uncle fell a prey to a tiger, so did my husband. Now my son has died off from a tiger too.” “Why not choose to leave here?” wondered Confucius. “Because there’s no tyranny here,” said the woman. On hearing this, Confucius remarked, “Remember this, son, Tyranny is more ferocious than a tiger!”
2. Tyranny is More Terrifying than Tigers
Confucius saw a woman wailing mournfully in front of tombs at the foot of Mountain Tai. Gripping the front rail and listening, he ordered to pull up the carriage. Zilu was sent to her and asked: \pain and sorrow filled your voice. Something truly disastrous happened, didn't it?\The woman wept out: \My father-in-law had been killed by a tiger, and then my husband. Worse still, it preyed upon my son this time!\was her reply. Confucius sighed to his disciples: \and bear in mind, more
terrifying than a tiger is tyranny!\愚公移山
中国古代有个寓言，叫做“愚公移山”。说的是古代有一位老人，住在华北，名叫北山愚公。他的家门南面有两座大山挡住他家的出路，一座叫做太行山，一座叫做王屋山。愚公下决心率领他的儿子们要用锄头挖去这两座大山。有个老头子名叫智叟的看了发笑，说是你们这样干未免太愚蠢了，你们父子数人要挖掉这样两座大山是完全不可能的。愚公回答说：我死了以后有我的儿子，儿子死了，又有孙子，子子孙孙是没有穷尽的。这两座山虽然很高，却是不会在增高了，挖一点就会少一点，为什么挖不平呢？愚公批驳的智叟的错误思想，毫不动摇，每天挖山不止。这件事感动了上帝，他就派了两个神仙下凡，把两座山背走了。现在也有两座压在中国人民头上的大山，一座叫做帝国主义，一座叫做封建主义。中国共产党早就下了决心，要挖掉这两座山。我们一定要坚持下去，一定要不断地工作，我们也会感动上帝的。这个上帝不是别人，就是全中国的人民大众。全国人们大众一齐起来和我们一道挖这两座山，有什么挖不平呢？ The Foolish Old Man Who Removed the Mountains
There is an ancient Chinese fable called “The Foolish Old Man Who Removed the Mountains”. It tells of an old man who lived in northern China long, long ago and was known as the Foolish Old Man of North Mountain. His house faced south and beyond his doorway stood the two great peaks, Taihang and Wangwu, obstructing the way. He called his sons, and hoe in hand they began to dig up these mountains with great determination. Another greybeard, known as the Wise Old Man, saw them and said derisively, “How silly of you to do this! It is quite impossible for you few to dig up those two huge mountains.” The Foolish Old Man replied, “When I die, my sons will carry on; when they die, there will be my grandsons, and then their sons and grandsons, and so on to infinity. High as they are, the mountains cannot grow any higher and with every bit we dig, they will be that much lower. Why can’t we clear them away?” Having refuted the Wise Old Man’s wrong view, he went on digging everyday, unshaken in his conviction. God was moved by this, and he sent down two angels, who carried the mountains away on their backs. Today, two big mountains lie like a dead weight on the Chinese people. One is imperialism, and the other is
feudalism. The Chinese Communist Party has long made up its mind to dig them up. We must persevere and work unceasingly, and we, too, will touch God’s heart. Our God is none other than the masses of the Chinese people. If they stand up and dig together with us, why can’t these two mountains be cleared away?
春城昆明 Kunming—the City of Eternal Spring / Perpetual永久的、无限期的、四季花开的 Spring昆明是云南省省会，位于西南云贵高原中部，是闻名遐迩的春城，全国24个历史文化名城之一。昆明历史悠久，文化灿烂，得天独厚的气候条件，独具风采的自然、人文景观，绚丽多彩的民族风情和丰富的物产资源，使昆明更加神奇美丽Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province, is located at the heart of Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau云贵高原 in southwest China. Due to its special geographical conditions, Kunming is well known as the City of Eternal Spring, enjoying an ideal climate and endowed with被赋予了breathtakingly beautiful scenery. As one of the 24 national historical and cultural cities历史文化名城, it has a long history and rich cultural heritage, boasting拥有diverse, fascinating folklore民间传说 and bountiful丰富的products and natural resources. Both the natural and cultural attractions add to the city’s beauty and charm.昆明辖四区八县，总面积15，561平方公里，总人口370万，居住着26个民族。市中心海拔1，891米，城区三面环山，南濒滇池，依山傍水，全年气温变化不大，日平均气温15.1℃，“夏无酷暑，冬无严寒”，“万紫千红花不谢，花枝不断四时春”，有四百多种花卉。茶花为昆明市花。由于昆明气候四季如春，引得西伯利亚的数十万只红嘴鸥每值冬季都要结群南徙，分享昆明春的气息Covering an area of / With a total area of 15,561 square kilometers, Kunming has 4 districts区and 8 counties县 within/under its jurisdiction, and is home to 3.7 million people belonging to 26 ethnic groups民族. The city is encircled环绕的 on three sides by mountains, its downtown at an altitude高度、海拔 of 1,891 meters, and bordered接界、相邻于on the south by the Dianchi Lake. This protected location gives Kunming a year-round average temperature of 15.1 degrees centigrade摄氏度, making it “free from the scorching heat炎热、酷热of summer and freezing cold of winter”; there are blooming flowers all year long, and of the 400 kinds of flowers in Kunming, camellia [k?'mil??]山茶花