Chinese allegories Lesson 16

jià chu qu de nǚ ér pō chu qu de shuĭ – shōu bù huí lái
嫁出去的女儿，泼出去的水 – 收不回来
A married daughter is like spilt water. – A married daughter is no longer a member of the family. Figuratively, it means something cannot be taken back.

hóu zi lāo yuè liang – kōng máng yī chăng
猴子捞月亮 – 空忙一场
Monkeys fish for the moon in the water. – make vain efforts; be busy for nothing

tù zi wĕi ba – cháng bu liăo
兔子尾巴 – 长不了
The tail of a rabbit can't be long. – Something won't last long; Somebody's days are numbered.

lài há ma dă hā qiàn – hăo dà de kŏu qi
癞蛤蟆打哈欠 – 好大的口气
A toad yawns. – a gaping mouth (figuratively, talking big); it's often cited to ridicule a boastful person.

féi zào pào – bù gōng zì pò
肥皂泡 – 不攻自破
Soap bubble – burst by itself; collapse by itself

jiăo zi pò pí – lòu le xiàn
饺子破皮 – 露了馅
The dumping wrapper is broken. – Filling or stuffing is out. Figuratively, it means "to give the game away".

má què suī xiăo – wǔ zàng jù quán
麻雀虽小 – 五脏俱全
Small as a sparrow is, it has all the vital organs. – small but complete

yŏu jiè yŏu huán – zài jiè bù nán
有借有还 – 再借不难
Timely return of a loan makes it easier to borrow a second time. – Keeping one's promise is necessary if one wants to have smooth dealings with others.