Certainly! Here are some Chinese idioms and their English translations along with brief stories:
- 画蛇添足 (Huà shé tiān zú) - Add feet to a snake
English Translation: Overdo something that is already perfect.
Story: In ancient China, a group of people were having a contest to see who could draw the best snake. One person drew a perfect snake, but then, in a fit of pride, he decided to add feet to it. His addition was unnecessary and even detracted from the beauty of the snake, causing him to lose the contest.
- 杯弓蛇影 (Bēi gōng shé yǐng) - A bow’s reflection in a cup looks like a snake
English Translation: Be overly suspicious and see danger where there is none.
Story: A man was drinking wine with his friends when he noticed a bow’s reflection in his cup. Thinking it was a snake, he became frightened and dropped his cup. His friends were amused and explained that it was just the reflection of the bow.
- 井底之蛙 (Jǐng dǐ zhī wā) - A frog in a well
English Translation: A person with a limited outlook or experience.
Story: A frog lived in a well and thought the sky was only as big as the well. When another frog from a river visited, the well frog was amazed to learn that the sky was much larger than he had ever imagined.
- 掩耳盗铃 (Yǎn ěr dào líng) - Cover one’s ears while stealing a bell
English Translation: Delude oneself into believing that if one does not see or hear something, it does not exist.
Story: A man tried to steal a bell but thought that if he covered his ears, he wouldn’t hear the sound of the bell ringing. He believed he could get away with the theft without anyone noticing.
- 对牛弹琴 (Duì niú tán qín) - Play the lute to a cow
English Translation: Talk to an unappreciative audience.
Story: An ancient musician played his lute beautifully, but a cow, being an animal that cannot appreciate music, just chewed on the strings. The musician realized that his efforts were wasted on the cow.
- 悬梁刺股 (Xuán liáng cì gǔ) - Hang from the beam and prick the thigh
English Translation: Study very hard.
Story: A student named Su Qin studied so hard that he would hang from a beam with his feet dangling and prick his thigh with a needle to keep himself awake. This extreme dedication was said to have helped him achieve great knowledge.
These idioms are deeply rooted in Chinese culture and history, and their stories often reflect moral lessons or historical events.
