Zamenhof Posted July 8, 2007 at 09:45 PM Report Share Posted July 8, 2007 at 09:45 PM Chinese has so many wonderful chengyu's so I wonder if one of them covers this old quote from the Cuban writer José Martí: "It's better to die standing than to live on your knees." (Es mejor morir a pie que vivir arrodillado). It's probably hard to squeeze down to four characters, but the Chinese imagination usually sees no end. Kind regards, Peter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylee Posted July 8, 2007 at 11:25 PM Report Share Posted July 8, 2007 at 11:25 PM Consider 寧死不屈 -> http://www.baidu.com/baidu?ie=gb2312&ct=1048576&cl=3&word=%8C%8E%CB%C0%B2%BB%C7%FC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zamenhof Posted July 9, 2007 at 07:26 AM Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2007 at 07:26 AM That's a perfect suggestion. Thanks! Actually, looking your suggestion up in the dictionary, I found the full translation of the quote right over: 宁可站着死，绝不跪着生。 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rootfool Posted July 9, 2007 at 07:54 AM Report Share Posted July 9, 2007 at 07:54 AM 宁可站着死，绝不跪着生 This is not a chengyu.It's just a traslation of "It's better to die standing than to live on your knees." the similar chengyu of this in chinese is 宁死不屈；宁折不弯；宁为玉碎，不为瓦全。 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
semantic nuance Posted July 11, 2007 at 12:07 AM Report Share Posted July 11, 2007 at 12:07 AM 寧死不屈 is what comes to me when I read your post. Hope it helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HashiriKata Posted July 11, 2007 at 07:34 AM Report Share Posted July 11, 2007 at 07:34 AM 宁可站着死，绝不跪着生。 宁可站着生，不愿站着死！ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zozzen Posted July 19, 2007 at 06:05 AM Report Share Posted July 19, 2007 at 06:05 AM 寧死不屈 is good. Another common translation is 寧為玉碎, 不作瓦存 "Better to be a broken jade rather than a perfect tile." This idiom is very famous. In a drama, when someone was insulted, it's common to say this too: 士可殺, 不可辱 "One (an government official or scholar) can be killed but can't be insulted". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QinGe Posted July 19, 2007 at 06:29 AM Report Share Posted July 19, 2007 at 06:29 AM 宁为玉碎，不为瓦全。 it means that one will die for a jade(a kind of treasure which in Chinese tradition implies Junoesque morality) while refuse to live with a tile(something apt to be destoryed and low in quality). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zozzen Posted July 19, 2007 at 09:31 AM Report Share Posted July 19, 2007 at 09:31 AM Qinge, 寧為玉碎, 不作瓦全. Here, 為 means "to be", but not a purpose or goal one is pursuing. Reference: http://140.111.34.46/cgi-bin/dict/GetContent.cgi?Database=dict&DocNum=47455&GraphicWord=yes&QueryString=%B9%E7%AC%B0%A5%C9%B8H Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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