Student Proverb Dictionary

Author: Li Na
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-08-01
Features: Proverbs are vernacular literary expressions created orally by the general populace in their production or daily life practices and widely circulated among the people. They are concise yet meaningful, serving as a summary of people's life experiences in a certain period and a convenient tool for passing down various production and life knowledge, summarizing experiences, and exchanging ideas across generations. Proverbs are characterized by their brevity, profound meaning, and philosophical depth, while encompassing a wide range of topics. In a sense, they are a "condensed" textbook of history and an encyclopedia of life. Therefore, this collection is compiled to help primary and secondary schools partially understand China's folk culture, recognize and understand past societies, and grasp the thoughts, psychology, moral concepts, and ways of handling matters of ancestors. To facilitate learning and reference, the selected proverbs are categorized into nineteen categories based on their content, meaning, and spirit. Within each category, entries are arranged in order of increasing stroke count for the first character. For the benefit of primary and secondary school students, each proverb included is followed by comments or explanations. Due to historical limitations, proverbs originating from the old era often become intricately intertwined with the ideologies of different social strata and groups during their long circulation, inevitably containing some unhealthy or backward elements. In the process of selection, we have strived to avoid including such content. However, proverbs themselves are highly complex and cannot be treated with a one-size-fits-all approach. Some must be retained, even if they retain outdated ideological consciousness or clear marks of the old era, as they may still hold practical value in specific contexts.