台灣俗語的智慧(19)

台灣俗語的智慧(19)

1)     杜猴損五穀: (Pronounced as:doh gao s’ng gohn goh)比喻不够格的人享受不該有的享受/或浪費物資) speaking of disqualified people enjoying what they are enjoying

【註：杜猴乃接近蟋蟀之兩棲小蟲，喜在稻田中窃食稻米，但無法消化，故謂之】。

另有：杜伯仔手彎出: (Pronounced as doh pe-ah chiu wait chu)，= 胳膊往外彎。杜猴的前肢確實外彎。强調外人的利益重於自已。即注重altruism-出賣自己圖利他人的人

valuing interest of others more than that of one’s own group (杜伯仔= 杜猴)/ taking sides with other parties at the cost of one’s own party

2)  冮湖一點訣: (Pronounced as: gang oh jit tiam kuat) an important hidden tip in treating with something (處理/解決事情的一點重要的小祕訣)

3)     目睭生在頭殼頂: (Pronounced as: bat chiu s’ng dit tao kah ting) (或看高無看低-眼睛長在頭上」) 很高傲 –very arrogant; looking at others with an air of importance

   目睭=眼睛

4)     仙人打鼓有時錯: (Pronounced as sen ran pah koh uh si cho) : “Even Homer (古盲詩人) sometimes nods.-智者如荷馬有時也會打瞌睡”(智者千慮必有一失) ，略近 To err is human. = No one but errs.人非聖賢，孰能無過? Even a saint sometimes makes a mistake.

5)     天良的未出世: (Pronounced as: tian laing eeh buei chu seet) 有良心的人尚未出生(別質疑我的良心)

Do not question and doubt my good conscience. People without good conscience are everywhere. 沒有良心者到處都是。

6)  陳林李蔡，天下過半 : (Pronounced as: tan lim lih chua，tian hah kui bah)天下過半人士都姓陳、林、李、蔡等.(蔡與半押韻)

Surnames like Chen, Lin, Li, and Tsai are so popular that there are half of the world people are named such.

7)  公婆疼大孫，: (Pronounced as: gon poh ti-ang dua sun), 內祖父、母寵愛長孫，他的地位形同么子。另『大孫頂尾子』(Pronounced as:duah sun ting bui kiang) = the status of a grandson is equal to the youngest son. 頂=頂替=替代

Grandparents love the eldest grandson more dearly, because he is regarded as their youngest son

8)     尻穿後駡皇帝: (Pronounced as:kah ch’ng ao ma hong t`e) = 放馬後炮。不敢正面批評他人 (尻穿後= 背後)

criticizing someone behind his back; daring not condemn someone at his presence

 

9)     敢放屁，嘸敢做屁主: (Pronounced as:kan pang pui, m kan cho pui chu)= 做事不敢担當; not being brave enough to claim responsibility of having done something (屁主=放屁者) 。台語另有『錢主』=放款人；『業主』=owner所有人；『事主』= person (party involved) ，『苦主』=victim受害人。

10) 台灣錢淹脚目: (Pronounced as: Taiwan ch’ng im kah bat) = 在台灣到處都是賺錢的機會。脚目=近足踝處

 It is quite easy to make money in Taiwan, for money is everywhere, like water flooding to as high as one’s ankles. 目前阿陸仔(大陸)的錢，有人說『淹到肚臍』，則更誇張。

11) 緊紡無好紗，緊嫁無好大家 : (Pronounced as: kin pang boh hoh sei, kin geh boh hoh ta `kei) 急忙紡織，織不出好布紗；匆忙地嫁人，不會找到好婆婆。 (喻勸人做事不可操之過急)。 (紗 -se與家-ke押韻) 大家=婆婆

Hastily spinning does not make good cloth; marrying someone in a hurry will meet with a bad mother-in-law. (Figuratively, it advises people against doing things hurriedly.)

比較：英語格言： “Haste makes waste.”= “More haste, less speed. 欲速則不達

12) 棺材底 (裝) 臭無底老: (Pronounced as:kuan cha te chao, boh te lao) =進棺材者不一定是老人，年青人居心不良或重病或意外，都有可能比老年人早進，本句是『老年人駁斥或怒責年青人的話』。 (台語，底, 作動詞用=裝入) 臭與老押韻

Those who passed away are not necessarily senior citizens. Younger people might step into coffins earlier than elderly people.

Justin Lai 編譯

08/02/2015