Arthur W. Hummel Sr., notebooks, Fenchow, China 1914-1924

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[Page 1] Chinese Proverbs

Visit Soochow and Hangchow; the next place is heaven.

Heaven is away in the sky, but Soochow and Hangchow are here below.

A good drum does not need a heavy stick.

Even the blind open their eyes (like saucers) at money.

The conceited man stinks.

If one branch will not wave the whole three will not wave.

衙門八字開有理無錢不能進來. The gates of a yamen open like the figure eight.

If there are three roads keep in the middle one.

If you don't know how, a thing is hard; if it is hard, then you don't know how.

Better to ask oneself than to ask others.

Purse strings are the commonest ties of friendship - Chinese sage

If you don't know your son look at his friends.

Do not hesitate to reform your faults.

He who does not do his best to gain justice is a coward.

Don't beat your body.

The greatest pleasure in the world is when a friend comes to visit you from a distant land.

If you do not want anybody to know it, do not even do it. 要想人不知莫非 自不為.

[Page 2]

燈臺下暗 It is dark at the foot of the lighthouse - Japanese proverb.

He that loveths iniquity beckoneths to misfortune: it is, as it were, the echo answering to the voice - Japanese maxim.

He that practiseths righteousness receiveth a blessing: it cometh as surely as the shadow followeth the man - Ibid

When a hasty word hath once been spoken a team of four horses may pursue, but cannot bring it back - Ibid

Chinese proverbs:-

If you bow at all bow low. 作揖作到地 Giles 5394

Words whispered on earth sound like thunder in heaven.

If fortune smiles - who does? If fortune doesn't - who does?

Nature is better than a middling doctor 不服藥勝中醫

Stay at home and reverence your parents; why travel afar to worship the gods?

A bottle-nosed man may be a teetotaller, but no one will think so.

With money you can move the gods without it you can't move a man.

[Page 3] He who rides a tiger cannot dismount.

You can't clap hands with one palm. Chinese of this below.

Draw your bow, but don't shoot. So king pu fang chien

One more good man on earth is better than an extra angel in heaven.

Gold is tested by fire; man by gold.

Those who have not tasted the bitterest of life's bitters can never appreciate the sweetest of life's sweets.

A near neighbor is better than a distant relation.

Words spoken in private by men are heard by heaven like thunder before. Ancient saying

He who looks up to heaven and has no occasion to be ashamed need not to feel ashamed before men -- Mencius

The less a man has seen the more he has to wonder at. 小所見多所kuai

When I walk along with two others they may serve as my teachers - Confucian Analects

One who in the morning hears the right way may in the evening die without regret. - Confucian Analects

[annotation] From his early days in China.

Last edit over 3 years ago by awhtou
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[Page 1] The cocks crow and the dogs bark everywhere alike.

Tho the escort proceed a thousand li a separation must at last occur.

One sincere thot can influence heaven and earth.

The trees are not shaken when there is no wind. Feng pu lai, shu pu tung.

The scholar is acquainted with everything without going out of doors.

Those who follow that part of themselves which is great are great men, those who follow that part which is little are little men. - Mencius

Life grows out of sorrow and calamity and death from ease and pleasure. 生於患. 死於安樂. - Mencius

On going out one's parents should be informed, on one's return they should first be seen. - Book of Odes

The rule for children towards parents is to keep them warm in winter and cool in summer - Book of Odes

On entering a country, inquire what is forbidden; on entering a village, inquire what are the customs; on entering a private house, inquire for the personal names of the family. - Book of Odes

[Page 2] Bend your head if the eaves are low.

Don't put two saddles on one horse.

In misfortune gold is dull, in happiness iron is bright.

More trees are upright than men 山中有直樹. 世上無直人.

Long visits bring short compliments.

If you are upright and without guile, what god need you pray to for pardon?

One kind word will keep you warm for three winters. Chinese below

The highest towers begin from the ground.

No needle is sharp at both ends.

Straight trees are felled first.

No image maker worships the gods. He knows what stuff they are made of.

Half an orange tastes as sweet as a whole one.

Free sitters at the play always grumble most.

Every man gives a shove to the tumbling wall.

[Page 3] When a great man dies the Chinese say "A corner of the city wall has fallen."

What [avails?] it to pray to Buddha like silver and scold your brother like brass.

Don't tell what you don't know well.

One dog barks at nothing and the rest bark at him. 一犬吠形百犬吠聲

In the autumn the sky is clear and high and the horses become fat.

Better to ask oneself than others.

Altho the sea is wide ships sometimes not.

One man should not enter a temple and two men should not look together into a well - (shows Chinese mutual suspicion)

He who offends against God has none to whom he can pray - Confucius

Who will acknowledge his own melons bitter

He who can swallow an affront is the true man.

The best way to govern a people well is to teach them music and ettiquette - Confucius?

I teach my students part of a truth and if they do not understand the other part I do not teach them any more - Confucius?

The best way for the emperor to make himself loved is to train himself - Confucius?

Kind words and ettiquette are not truth - Confucius

The morning glory was twined about the well-bucket, so I borrowed water from the neighbor - Japanese poem

Your heaven is no bigger than a saucer.

Last edit over 3 years ago by gkhalsa
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[Page 1] No body's family can hang up the sign. Nothing the matter here.

掩耳盜鈴 yen3 er3 tao4 ling2 to shut one's ears and steal a bell.

道高龍虎伏 德重鬼神欽chin a door motto

One who steals a book cannot be reconed a thief 偷書不算賊

作三個手 to act with 3 hands (to pilfer)

The autumnal moon is unusually clear 秋月分外名

"When one is eating one's own, he eats till the tears come; but when he is eating the food of others, he eats till the perspiration flows."

Falling hurts least those who fly low. 飛fei 不高掉tieh5 不重.

Plants surpass men in recognizing spring.

Who teaches me for a day is my father for a life-time.

If you do not scale the mountain you cannot view the plain.

The beautiful bird gets caged.

不境問禁, 入國問俗. - Li-chi

熱起來大家熱 冷氣來各冷各

[Page 2] 照miao3貓兒的橫樣畫老虎.

君子可欺以其方

一言出口四馬難追

事無不可對人言

言 correspond with 顧行行顧言

幼不學老何為

有福同亨, 有苦同當

由ch'ien淺久深

shu5屬犬吠日, 越犬吠雪

是scandal非難逃public眾口

飛不高跌不重

千算萬算趕不上老天 爺一算.

財po5帛黑人[小?]

有錢買馬還沒錢chih置鞍麼

急事要緩辦

網開一面

天下興亡匹夫有責

一寸光陰一寸金

[Page 3] 人大有德慧術智者, Men of intellect write

恆存乎疢疾 [?] in sickness

欲速則不達 haste makes waste

失難而後獲

禹聞善言. 則拜 絕長補短. When Yü heard good words, he bowed in reason

飲水知源learn by practice 近朱3者赤ch'ih5, ch'ih5, 近黑5者黑5

志欲圓而行欲方. Let your actions be round, but your conduct square the golden mean between conservation and laity. Said by King Ming

從沒見過羊上樹 said of a man whom nothing can arouse to effort.

硬樹自有硬蟲鑽 you cannot fence yourself off against all misfortunes.

念完了經打和尚

天無絕人之路 God never drives man to desperation. like Spanish Proverb which says, "God never wounds with both hands, for he ever reserves one with which to bind up and heal."

若要人不知除非己莫為 If you do not want people to know it, do not do it.

害雞焉用牛几 Why use a cleaver to kill a chicken. (Confucius)

Last edit over 3 years ago by gkhalsa
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心正不怕影兒斜 Right heart need not fear evil seeming

糟鼻子不喝酒妄躭虛名 A bottle nosed man may not be a drunkard but he will always be called one.

相從心生 Looks are born in the heart.

人留三分假,雨留十分真

客去主人安 The host rests in peace when his guests are gone.

身不離貨貨不離身 said of a store keeper looking after his shop.

馬知途 The old horses knows the road

馬牛不相及 said of one who will have everything his own way

禍從口出病從口入

一筒牙齒痛滿口不安寧

穀賤傷農. All things cannot happen alike well to all.

磨而不磷 Ground at but not thinned.

[瓦]片尚有翻身日 Every dog has his day.

個指頭不能一般齊 All ten fingers cannot be the same length, said to those who vainly aspire to a higher social position. Giles says "We must take the short with the long."

朝種樹晚解板 Impatient haste [Fenchow?] = 昨天種樹今天要息陰涼

禮下於人必有所求 Plite attentions generally mean "I want something."

[Page 2] 梧桐一葉落,而天下知秋.

路遠知馬力,日久見人心.

敷衍了事

名正言順百事成

義者萬事合禮

覆水難收 cry over spilt milk

火燒眉毛暫顧眼前

龍多不治水. Too many cooks spoil

騎虎難下

遠親不如近鄰

近人不說遠話

引虎入室

有錢買的鬼推磨

無風不起浪

青出於藍 "a chip off the old block"

寧為雞口不為牛後

盡信書則不如無書

道之本原出於天

[Page 3] 二人同了心黃土變成金

上行下效 = the lower imitate the upper.

刻薄成家理無久享

吃盡苦中苦, 方為人上人

該人家的錢舌頭就短了

苦盡自有甜來到

到了河邊再脫鞋

師傳引進門, 修行在各人

盛極必衰衰極必興

天塌了有大漢子撐著

官不打送禮的

三人抬不過理宇兒去

坐錢眼子摸錢邊

細水長流

止謗莫如自修

朽木不可雕

跟上瘋子撒土

凡事當留餘地. Reserve force way of retreat

獨力難支眾擎易舉

去年皇歷今年看不得了

Last edit over 3 years ago by awhtou
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[Page 1] 只許州官放火不許百姓 點燈 Probably refers to some historical fact told of in poem by Han Yü

貧在街頭無人問, 富在深 山有遠親

饒的比買的多 The thrown in is more thought of than the bought.

白聽戲還嫌行頭小 Free sitters at the play grumble most.

分甘同味 Half an orange taste just as good as whole [one]

雪中送炭 An oppotune service

人急志生 Necessity is the mother of invention

"It is the peculiar advantage attaching to the citation of a proverb that it is something put beyond dispute, accepted and settled as true, a first principle, like the axioms of science, the multiplication table. The silencing effect of an apt and telling proverb, let off, as it were, right in the face of a possibly angry and certainly gesticulating and blatant Chinese used must be seen to be believed. If it happen to be a proverb from the classics, so much the better. Alfred Sister "China Review" Chinese Proberbs and "their Sensors."

人是舊的好, 車西是新的[和 ?]

求人不如求己

作聲音的貓兒捉不住老鼠

[Page 2] 士子論古之人 先讀其書 When the scholar discusses the men of old he first reads their books.

有理不在高聲(言)

遠水難濟近水

路不行不到事不做不成

終身讓路不失百步 a pu is 5 尺 the distance two paces carried by one's foot from time it is lifted to time put down again 360 pu = 1 li 里

真金不怕火

恭敬不如從命

肯忍一 時之氣可免百 日之憂.

有屈必有伸 Where there is bending there must be straightening (if there be ways they are sene to be sighted.

路中說話草惠有人

目不識丁 He doesn't know the simplest word.

人無千日 好花無百日[紅?]

疑人莫用, 用人莫疑

能與人規矩 (compare a square) 不 能便人巧.

聰明反為聰明誤

三十年河東三十年河西 A Fenchow proverb refering to the changeful Fen River, and also to life's uncertainties.

[Page 3] 紅中雖大船頭有相撞

十個燈臺不如一條燭 sons are best

柳枝打人有罪 because such twigs are used by Taoists to expell imps.

道不遠人 the way is not far from any man.

飢不擇食 hungy people are not particular

志欲圓而行欲方 round in disposition, square in action, as a man should be.

言者心之聲也 words are the echo of the soul

明鎗易當,暗箭難防

三份匠人,七分主人 the workman has 3/10 his own way, the mater has 7/10

有錢不買張口貨 people who have money don't spend it on "open mouthed" goods" ie feed cows etc

長安居大不易 living at the capital is not at all eas[ier?] ie. too expensive.

長安雖好不是久留之處 no place like home

集少成多 many a little makes a much

乎日不焚香臨時抱佛腳 when the devil was rich + late

天下無難事只[?]有必人 Difficulties can be ovcercome by effort

Last edit over 3 years ago by gkhalsa
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