The pronunciation for this proverb is "Xin You Yu Er Li Bu Zu". It simply means that the heart may have great ambitions, but one's powers are still inadequate for achieving those ambitions. This proverb may be used to describe a person who has goals to accomplish a task, but he or she currently does not the necessary skills or resources to do so.
"余" or "yu" means "surplus", or in this case, stands in for ambitions so great that they are greater than one's current known abilities.
"而" or "er" means "but" or "however".
It is important to note that when A uses this proverb to describe B, A might not intend to degrade Bs abilities. Rather, A is interested in suggesting to B that B's current work ethic or skill level is not enough to achieve B's goals. B needs to increase his or her powers by becoming more diligent or acquiring more skills in order to reach his or her goal.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Beauty Proverb: 女为悦己者容
This proverb is pronounced "nv wei yue ji zhe rong". It means women are inspired by those who make them happy to enhance their appearance. In other words, women put on make-up or put on a pretty outfit because they want to impress those who make them happy. To read more meaning into this proverb, one can say that women do not want to impress everyone, or that they are not interested in making everyone think they they are pretty. Rather, only a select few will inspire her to want to change herself for the better.
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