Russian-Chinese Proverb and Idiom Dictionary

Author: Ye Fanglai
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: The proverbs and idioms in this dictionary are arranged in alphabetical order of the Russian alphabet, word by word, from beginning to end. First, look at the first word; among the first words, those with letters in the front are arranged before those with letters in the back. If the first letters are the same, then look at the second word, and similarly, those with letters in the front are arranged before those with letters in the back. The rest follows this pattern. In the entries, sometimes you may encounter angle brackets <> and parentheses (). Angle brackets indicate that the words within the brackets can be omitted, while parentheses indicate that the words within the brackets can be used as alternatives to the words before the parentheses. In proverbs and idioms, sometimes you may encounter omissions, substitutions, and rearrangements of words. When using the dictionary, you must read the entire entry and not give up halfway, because in the entries, in addition to the first word, the second word may sometimes also have additions, substitutions, or rearrangements. If you see that the next word is incorrect and give up searching, you may miss the opportunity to find the proverb or idiom you need. Usually, the forms listed in the entries are the most common forms or one of the several common forms. The "Variations" list one or several forms, or forms that include archaic words, dialects, or different grammatical structures. After reviewing an entry, it is best to also check the "Variations." The proverb or idiom you are looking for may be exactly the same as the one listed in the entry, which is, of course, the best outcome. However, it may not be exactly the same, and in this case, you may inevitably feel skeptical. After reviewing the "Variations," you may have your doubts resolved. Even if you do not see the same or similar forms in the "Variations," you will realize that due to differences in era, region, group, personality, and other factors, the appearance of archaic words, dialects, substitutions, or different grammatical structures in the same proverb or idiom is perfectly understandable. This is the same as in Chinese proverbs and idioms: "In the mountains, there are no tigers, and monkeys claim kingship," which can also be said as "In the mountains, there are no tigers, and monkeys claim supremacy" or "In the mountains, there are no tigers, and monkeys claim the throne." In this way, we gain a deeper understanding of the proverb or idiom, making translation and usage more confident.