1 n*li'^- m: The original of tliis book is in tlie Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924023892981 """^ PN 6519.C5S28'"'"""'' A collection of DPI Pi A COLIiECTION OF CHINESE PROVERBS TRANSLATED AND ARRANGED BY \\riL3L,IAM SCARBOROUaH, YTESLEYJU) UI88ION4BY, HANKOW, With an Introduction, Notes, and Copious Indgx. • » SHANGPAI: AMERICAN fiRESBYTERIAN MISSION PRESS. London: Tiubner and Co., 57 and 59 Lndgate HilL 187,5. CONTENTS Page. Inteoductory Essay. --- ...-iv. SECTION I. ON AGENCY. Chapter 1.—Cause and Efifect. -----.--. 1 2.—Effort. The necessity of, - -.. 3 3.—'Example. ------..._..- 5 4.—Impossibilities. -----..--. 9 5.—^Modus Operandi. ---------13 6.—Resolution. --.-----.-- 19 SECTION II. ON ANIMALS. Chapter 1.—^Beasts -- 22 „ 2.—Birds. 24 SECTION III. ON BUSINESS. Chapter 1.—Buying and Selling. --------26 „ 2.—Capital. 38 „ 3,—Debts, Credit, Borrpwing and Lending. - - - 40 „ 4.—Frauds. 45 „ 5. —^Pawning and Suretiship. ------- 47 ,, 6.—Traders. - - - . - 50 IV SECTION IV. ON BOMESTIC CONCERNS. Page. Chaptek 1.—Food and Cflothing. - 55 „ 2.—Household Affairs. --.----- 60 „ 3.—Masters and Servants. ------- 65 „ 4.—Neighbours. -------'-* 72 SECTION V. ON EDUCATION. Chapter 1.—Education, Generally. .----..- 75 „ 2.—Examinations- --.---'-- 78 „ 3.—^Literati. -- ...----» 81 „ 4.—Literature. - - '- - • - •,» * 85 5.—-Schools. ' - ' 88 „ 6.— Study. - . - » - 90 SECTION VL ]?ACETI^. Chaptee 1-—Conducts Ridiculous^ -.--*^. 98 » 2.—Jokes. 102 3.—Mistakes. Absurd, .^---.-- 106 SECTION VII. ON E^OETUNR Chapter 1.—^Pates --------<--- HO -- ,-, 2.—Ivack. ''-lie „ 3.—Ojipoitunity ^--126 SECTION VIII. ON JOYS AN© SOiiEOWSi Chapter 1.—Amusements. -i--.. iso 2.—Calamity and Grie£ - 132 V Page. „ 3.—Happiness. ------.... 139 4.—Injuries, Griven and Sustained. ----- 147 J, „ 5.—^Life and Death. ---.-..- 153 „ 6.—^Mourning and Burial ----.--160 „ 7.—^Reputation. ----------163 „ 8.—^Wine. The pleasures etc. of, - - - - - 167 SECTION IX. ON LANGUAGE. Cbafter 1.—Conversation. ---------- 172 „ 2.—Similes. 178 » 3.—Words. 183 SECTION X ON LAW Am) GOVERNMENT. Chaptee 1.—^LawB and Penalties --.. 190 2—Lifigation 192 ^ 3.—Officers. Oivll. 196 Military. 5» 4.— Officers. 202 „ 5.—Yamens and Yamen Bunners. ----- 204 SECTION XL ON MAN. CfiAPTEfi 1.—Mankind, ---w. -.,.-_- 206 „ 2.—Men. Different sorts of, 208 (1> Aged men 208 (2) Bad men 211 (3) Clever Men 215 (4) Conceited Men. 218 (5) Deformed Men- -------- 221 <6)- Excitable and Anxious Men, - - - - 223 <7) Good Men. ------- - - 225 (8) Hypocrites. 228 (dy Bich and Poor Men. See Section on Wealth. 445 VI Pagd. (10) Stupid Men 230 (11) Superior and Mean Men. .... - 235 (12) Young Men. 239 (13) Women 241 (14) Miscellaneous. 245 Chapter 3.—Naiture. Human, --248 SECTION XII. ON MANNERS. Gh^pter 1. —Bearing and Politeness. ...... 256 '. „ 2. —Compliments. .--"- - .- . 260 „ 3.—Presents. "-.. ....... 262 „ 4.—Visiting. Etiquette of, - 264 SECTION XIII. ON MEDICINE. Chapter l.-^Disease. _ 269 „ 2.—Doctors. --...^..... 272 SECTION XIV. ON MORALS. Chapter 1.—Conscience. ----......276 „ 2.—Good Works _. 277 „ 3.—Eeproof and Good Counsel. ...... 284 „ 4.—Vices. - . - 289 (1) Flattery. 289 .(2) Hy.pocrisy and Deceit. 289 -(3)-Ingratitude. .-..._... 291 (4) Meanness. ......... 292 (5) Quarrelling, and Violence. 293 ^6) -Selfishness. -...-.... 298 (7).Slander 302 (8^ Stealing. - - 306 (9) Various. ----- 308 Vll Page. Chaptkk 5.—^Virtue and Vice. ----..... sio „ 6.—Virtues. - 314 (1) Concession and Forbearance. - . 314 "-"-"- (2) Coiitentment.'- . 3I8 (8)' Filial Tiety. 319 "(4)' Generosity arid Kindness. - - - « . 320 (5) Gratitude 322 SECTION XV. ON PRUDENCE. Chapter 1.—Caution. ----..._... 326 „ 2. —Discretion. -----,.... 332 „ 3.—^Economy. -----._..-. 339 „ 4.—Experience. ---.-..... 342 „ 5.—Forethought. _----.....•.. 345 „ 6-—Imprudence. - - - . - , - - ^ _ 349 SECTION XVL : ON TjEE. FIVE RE^^ATIONS. Chaptek i.—Prince and Minister. ---.-... 353 2.—Parents and Children. - - - - - - - 356 3.—Husbands and Wives. -.-...'. 368 4.—Elder and Younger Brothers.. ----- 379 5.—Friends 382 6.—Various. 389 SECTION XVII. ON RELIGION. Chapter 1.—Heaven, or God. --------- 392 „ 2.—Idols and Idolatry. 398 „ 3.—^Priests and Nuns. --- 404 „ 4.—^Rewards and Punishments 408 vm SECTION XVIII. ON TIMES. Page. Cbaptee 1. —Seasons. ----.------ 414 „ 2.—Time 417 „ 3.—Weather. 42Q SECTION XIX, ON TEAVEL. Chaptee 1.—Scenery. .-.-..-,..- 427 „ 2—Travelling. , , . ^ 429 SECTION XX ON WEALTH AND POVFRTY, CHiPTEE 1.—^PoFerty. ..-. 435 „ 2.—Poor Men 441 „ 3.—^Rioh Men. - 443 „ 4.—Rich and Poor Men. - - - 445 „ 5.—^Riches. ^ 451 „ 6.—Riches and Poverty. ------.. 459 JIlSCELLANBOUS, .------....461 Index. -.----- 1 PREFACE. This Collection of Chinese Proverbs owes its pttbli- cation to the belief that there is room for a work of the kind, and that such a work can hardly fail to be both useful and interesting. That the ground is almost unoccupied is easily shown. As far as I can learn, the small compilation of " Chinese Moral Maxims." by Sir J. F. Davis, containing only 200 examples, published in 1823, and now for a long time out of print ; and the 441 examples conxained in the "Proverbes Chi- nois" by P. Perny m. a., published in 1869, are the only books that have ever appeared on the subject. Add to these a number of scattered lists, and especially those to be found in Mr. Doolittle's "Hand-book of the Chinese Language," and we have all the previous literature of this subject under our notice. The probable usefulness of such a book as this I gather partly from my own experience, and partly from the observations of many others. A knowledge of their proverbs is of great ' value to all who are brought into contact with the Chinese; it is especially so to the Missionary in preaching to them; and even to the general reader, a translation, however imperfect, cannot be without its use and interest. In.order that the present compilation may prove useful to those who desire to study both the language and the people of this great empire, I have spared no pains in its preparation ; and I feel assured that any faults which may be discovered therein; are not the result of over haste, or carelessness. ii It would have been easy to have doubled the size of this compilation, but I have deemed it wiser to publish only a part of the proverbs in my possession. In doing so the reader's convenience has been con- will found sulted ; and it is hoped that this collection be large enough for aU practical purposes. In writing out the sounds of the Chinese characters I have adopted Mr. Wade's system of orthography and tones, being under the impression that that is the one at present most widely known, and most generally admired. In regard to the translations, it may be remarked that in a few cases the vulgarity of the proverb has not allowed of a literal rendering; and that in many others I have refraiued from translating the Chinese by an equivalent English proverb, thinking that a literal translation must be more interesting, while at the same time it could not fail to call up to the reader's mind English, French, or other equivalents. It will be observed that most of the chapters begin with a number of rhymed translations. As a principle, I think it right that proverbs rhyming in the original should do so in translation; hence I have endeavoured so to translate all such as rhymed to my ear in the Hankow dialect. The task has been anything but easy, and my attempts at versification may be rough and faulty, but I hope they will not be found un- endurable. The Classification of proverbs is, confessedly, a most difiicult undertaking ; but, considering the care bestow- ed thereon, I venture to hope that this compilation will be found tolerably convenient and satisfactory as a book of reference. In making this selection of pro- verbs, it was not thought fair to exclude altogether tu the vulgar and immoral. A few of these are ad- mitted—^veiled under free translations—as the re- presentatives of a. class, which, so far as my experience goes, is not a very large one. Classical proverbial sayings are omitted, since they are well known to be quotations from the standard works. My most sincere thanks are due to Messrs, A. Wylie and W. Warrick, for their kindness in reading the greater part of the proofs. Other gentlemen have aided and encouraged me in different ways, and to them also this expression of my gratitude is due, W. S. Hankow. May 8th 1875. INTEODUGTION. Proverbial PMlosopHy, if genuine, commands the suffrages of all nations. By common consent Asia is acknowledged to be tbe soil in which, it grows to most perfection ; and of all Asiatic countries, perhaps China above all others supports and justifies the general .opinion. Even a slight acquaintance with the lan- guage and people of this country is enough to convince any one of its richness in the maxims of proverbial wisdom. And the closer one's acquaintance becomes, the higher grows our estimate of the value of an exten- sive knowledge of this branch of native literature. By some, mere lists of proverbs may be treated with contempt, and knowledge of proverbial lore esteemed a light thing in comparison with skill in other bran- ches of philology ; but the man does not deserve to become proverbial for his philosophy, who can in any way discountenance the study of the folk-lore of an empire like that of China. The proverbs of China deserve a careful and enthusiastic study. Naturally euough, the Eeader