<p>the internet archive is your friend. unfortunately, it's blocked in "that area" :(</p>

<p>the first one: <a href="http://www.archive.org/details/handbookofchines00summiala" rel="nofollow noreferrer">a handbook of the chinese language</a>, by james summers, printed in 1863</p>

<p>in page 95 &amp; page 97, there're several proverbs translated in english:</p>

<p><a href="https://archive.org/stream/handbookofchines00summiala#page/95/mode/1up" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://archive.org/stream/handbookofchines00summiala#page/95/mode/1up</a></p>

<p><a href="https://archive.org/stream/handbookofchines00summiala#page/97/mode/1up" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://archive.org/stream/handbookofchines00summiala#page/97/mode/1up</a></p>

<p>on page 393, the original text:</p>

<p><a href="https://archive.org/stream/handbookofchines00summiala#page/n392/mode/1up" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://archive.org/stream/handbookofchines00summiala#page/n392/mode/1up</a></p>

<p>sample: <strong>恭敬不如從命　⋯　"to feel reverence is not as good as to give obedience"</strong></p>

<p>the next one: <a href="http://www.archive.org/details/essaysonchinesel00wattrich" rel="nofollow noreferrer">essays on the chinese language</a>, by thomas watters, printed in 1889</p>

<p>page 493 - 496, there're chinese proverbs of Buddhist origin </p>

<p><a href="https://archive.org/stream/essaysonchinesel00wattrich#page/492/mode/2up" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://archive.org/stream/essaysonchinesel00wattrich#page/492/mode/2up</a>
<a href="https://archive.org/stream/essaysonchinesel00wattrich#page/494/mode/2up" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://archive.org/stream/essaysonchinesel00wattrich#page/494/mode/2up</a>
<a href="https://archive.org/stream/essaysonchinesel00wattrich#page/496/mode/1up" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://archive.org/stream/essaysonchinesel00wattrich#page/496/mode/1up</a></p>

<p>sample: <strong>與人方便與己方便　⋯　"do good to others and you do good to yourself"</strong></p>

<p>last one is: <a href="http://www.archive.org/details/chinesedienglish00lobsrich" rel="nofollow noreferrer">an english and chinese dictionary</a>, a "revised version" of william lobscheid's dictionary, printed in 1883, in tokio.</p>

<p>the appendix is the gem, from page 1227-1373. which has bilingual texts ranged from trimetrical classic (三字經), wisdom verses, merits, <strong>thousands</strong> of famous phrases and proverbs; and miscellaneous "common knowledges" of the days of yore. all in literary chinese and english.</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/B25Tq.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/B25Tq.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<p>samples:</p>

<p><strong>有利必興．有害必除　⋯　"what is profitable must be put into action, what is injurious must be removed"</strong></p>

<p><strong>有緣千里能相會．無緣對面不相逢　⋯　"no distance can separate what heaven unites, or unite what heaven separates"</strong></p>

<p><strong>月明月明不可獨行．寔要獨行手提紅燈　⋯　"bright moon, bright moon, but don't walk alone; if you must walk alone, take a red lantern in your hand"</strong></p>

<p>anyone who want a genuine "chinese proverb", have a read of these books, particularly the last one.</p>

<p>or, anyone who want to "fake" one, study these thoroughly.</p>

<p>do it better, please　</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-14T19:18:05.550Z
2018-06-16T05:37:44.590Z
2018-06-16T05:37:44.590Z
水巷孑蠻
<p>In reference to the thread <a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/30164/is-this-ivanka-trump-chinese-proverb-real-those-who-say-it-can-not-be-done">Is this [Ivanka Trump] Chinese proverb real? —“Those who say it can not be done, should not interrupt those doing it”</a> and related news, I've created this question, and provided an simple answer; feel free to add to it, and comment :)</p>

<p>So, the question: are there any free bilingual sources of chinese proverbs?</p>

<translation><classical-chinese><proverb>
are there any free bilingual sources of chinese proverb?
# are there any free bilingual sources of chinese proverb?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-06-14)

In reference to the thread [Is this [Ivanka Trump] Chinese proverb real? —“Those who say it can not be done, should not interrupt those doing it”](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/30164/is-this-ivanka-trump-chinese-proverb-real-those-who-say-it-can-not-be-done) and related news, I've created this question, and provided an simple answer; feel free to add to it, and comment :)

So, the question: are there any free bilingual sources of chinese proverbs?

**Tags:** translation, classical-chinese, proverb


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_0 on 2018-06-14. Score: 4

the internet archive is your friend. unfortunately, it's blocked in "that area" :(

the first one: [a handbook of the chinese language](http://www.archive.org/details/handbookofchines00summiala), by james summers, printed in 1863

in page 95 & page 97, there're several proverbs translated in english:

<https://archive.org/stream/handbookofchines00summiala#page/95/mode/1up>

<https://archive.org/stream/handbookofchines00summiala#page/97/mode/1up>

on page 393, the original text:

<https://archive.org/stream/handbookofchines00summiala#page/n392/mode/1up>

sample: **恭敬不如從命　⋯　"to feel reverence is not as good as to give obedience"**

the next one: [essays on the chinese language](http://www.archive.org/details/essaysonchinesel00wattrich), by thomas watters, printed in 1889

page 493 - 496, there're chinese proverbs of Buddhist origin

<https://archive.org/stream/essaysonchinesel00wattrich#page/492/mode/2up>
<https://archive.org/stream/essaysonchinesel00wattrich#page/494/mode/2up>
<https://archive.org/stream/essaysonchinesel00wattrich#page/496/mode/1up>

sample: **與人方便與己方便　⋯　"do good to others and you do good to yourself"**

last one is: [an english and chinese dictionary](http://www.archive.org/details/chinesedienglish00lobsrich), a "revised version" of william lobscheid's dictionary, printed in 1883, in tokio.

the appendix is the gem, from page 1227-1373. which has bilingual texts ranged from trimetrical classic (三字經), wisdom verses, merits, **thousands** of famous phrases and proverbs; and miscellaneous "common knowledges" of the days of yore. all in literary chinese and english.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/B25Tq.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/B25Tq.jpg)

samples:

**有利必興．有害必除　⋯　"what is profitable must be put into action, what is injurious must be removed"**

**有緣千里能相會．無緣對面不相逢　⋯　"no distance can separate what heaven unites, or unite what heaven separates"**

**月明月明不可獨行．寔要獨行手提紅燈　⋯　"bright moon, bright moon, but don't walk alone; if you must walk alone, take a red lantern in your hand"**

anyone who want a genuine "chinese proverb", have a read of these books, particularly the last one.

or, anyone who want to "fake" one, study these thoroughly.

do it better, please


---

