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From: deb5@midway.uchicago.edu (Daniel von Brighoff)
Subject: Proverbs [was: Re: Is CHINESE "vague".
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References: <5qv0e6$3i0$2@cantuc.canterbury.ac.nz> <7fd8nigb23.fsf@phoenix.cs.hku.hk> <33f17689.10150197@news.jaring.my> <7f4t8uffuv.fsf@phoenix.cs.hku.hk>
Date: Thu, 14 Aug 1997 22:56:04 GMT
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In article <7f4t8uffuv.fsf@phoenix.cs.hku.hk>,
Lee Sau Dan ~{@nJX6X~} <sdlee@cs.hku.hk> wrote:
>>>>>> "Andrew" == Andrew Yong <yongi@pl.jaring.my> writes:
>
>
>    Andrew> Surely Chinese proverbs aren't really relevant when
>    Andrew> considering Chinese as a language since they're generally
>    Andrew> written in classical Chinese?
>
>Why not?  The proverbs are used from time to time in daily speech.  Of
>course, we will  refrain from using them when  taking  to a foreigner,
>who may most probably not understand the proverbs.  But we make use of
>proverbs to make our speech concise.

Of course, this applies to English as well.  Many of our proverbs--like
"Out of sight, out of mind" or "Win some, lose some"--could be equally
opaque.  I purposely use as many as I can when talking to some of my
acquaintances for whom English is not a first language just to test which
ones they get which ones they don't.  Some of the proverbs have
counterparts in other languages, and some don't.

>The proverbs are also  used in writing Modern  Chinese.  But it  would
>depend on whether the proverbs  are  specific to dialects.  There  are
>some colloquial proverbs based  on  specific  dialects and  are  hence
>unsuitable in writing.

Again, you could say the same about English.  "The grass is always
greener" is acceptable even in formal writing; "Your father wasn't a
glassblower" is probably too localised to be used without explanation.

-- 
	 Daniel "Da" von Brighoff    /\          Dilettanten
	(deb5@midway.uchicago.edu)  /__\         erhebt Euch
				   /____\      gegen die Kunst!
