<p>A good source is <a href="https://www.saporedicina.com/english/list-chengyu/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this</a> for chinese idioms.</p>
<p>An antimetabole is a rhetorical device - <code>修辞手法</code></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-06-22T08:29:43.307Z
2022-06-22T08:29:43.307Z
DialFrost
<p>&quot;Antimetabole is a figure of speech in which a phrase is repeated, but with the order of words reversed. John F. Kennedy's words, &quot;Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country,&quot; is a famous example of antimetabole.&quot;</p>
<p>In Chinese, &quot;人人為我,我為人人&quot; is a good example. Also, we frequently see the writing in the bathroom - &quot;親親愛我&quot; follows under &quot;我愛親親&quot;, is another :)</p>
<p>Note, I think &quot;寧我負人，毋寧負我&quot; is the reverse of &quot;寧人負我，我毋負人&quot;, which fits another definition of &quot;Antimetabole&quot; - the repeated phrase, with words reordered, turning about in the opposite directions, often in an ironic manner.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-06-22T19:19:54.383Z
2022-06-22T19:19:54.383Z
r13
<p>What is the translation of the literary device of antimetabole in Chinese? I'm sure a bunch of idioms use it, but I haven't found a good translation for the term. For instance, how would someone describe the device used in &quot;寧我負人，毋寧負我&quot;? And in general, is there a resource for a good compilation of common literary devices used in classical or contemporary written Chinese?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-06-22T06:07:06.877Z
do you mean `汉语回环`?
envs_h_gang_5
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-06-22T06:13:19.473Z
第二句是第一句严格的倒文?  `春晚睡昏昏，昏昏睡晚春`
envs_h_gang_5
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-06-22T06:17:38.833Z
宋朝·李禺 •夫想妻• (顺读)
枯眼望遥山隔水， 往来曾见几心知。 壶空怕酌一杯酒， 笔下难成和韵诗。 途路阻人离别久， 讯音无雁寄回迟。  •妻想夫•(倒读)  迟回寄雁无音讯， 久别离人阻路途。 诗韵和成难下笔，
酒杯一酌怕空壶。知心几见曾来往，
 水隔山遥望眼枯。
envs_h_gang_5
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-06-22T06:25:48.760Z
or  •《老子》• 如:
•知者不言，言者不知。 (五十六章) •信言不美，美言不信。 (八十一章) •善者不辩，辩者不善。 (同上) •知者不博，博者不知。 (同上) ?
envs_h_gang_5
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-06-22T07:15:40.190Z
[link] (https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/352817715)
envs_h_gang_5
<translation><resources><dictionary><rhetoric>
Antimetabole and source for literary devices
# Antimetabole and source for literary devices

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-06-22)

What is the translation of the literary device of antimetabole in Chinese? I'm sure a bunch of idioms use it, but I haven't found a good translation for the term. For instance, how would someone describe the device used in "寧我負人，毋寧負我"? And in general, is there a resource for a good compilation of common literary devices used in classical or contemporary written Chinese?

**Tags:** translation, resources, dictionary, rhetoric

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: do you mean `汉语回环`?  
> **username_1**: 第二句是第一句严格的倒文?  `春晚睡昏昏，昏昏睡晚春`  
> **username_1**: 宋朝·李禺 •夫想妻• (顺读) 枯眼望遥山隔水， 往来曾见几心知。 壶空怕酌一杯酒， 笔下难成和韵诗。 途路阻人离别久， 讯音无雁寄回迟。  •妻想夫•(倒读)  迟回寄雁无音讯， 久别离人阻路途。 诗韵和成难下笔， 酒杯一酌怕空壶。知心几见曾来往，  水隔山遥望眼枯。  
> **username_1**: or  •《老子》• 如: •知者不言，言者不知。 (五十六章) •信言不美，美言不信。 (八十一章) •善者不辩，辩者不善。 (同上) •知者不博，博者不知。 (同上) ?  
> **username_1**: [link] (https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/352817715)  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2022-06-22. Score: 1

A good source is [this](https://www.saporedicina.com/english/list-chengyu/) for chinese idioms.

An antimetabole is a rhetorical device - `修辞手法`


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### Answer by username_3 on 2022-06-22. Score: 1

"Antimetabole is a figure of speech in which a phrase is repeated, but with the order of words reversed. John F. Kennedy's words, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country," is a famous example of antimetabole."

In Chinese, "人人為我,我為人人" is a good example. Also, we frequently see the writing in the bathroom - "親親愛我" follows under "我愛親親", is another :)

Note, I think "寧我負人，毋寧負我" is the reverse of "寧人負我，我毋負人", which fits another definition of "Antimetabole" - the repeated phrase, with words reordered, turning about in the opposite directions, often in an ironic manner.


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