<p>I suggest: &quot;(Good or bad), <strong>no deed is trivial</strong>&quot; - &quot;(好或壞），沒有任何行為是微不足道的&quot;</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-02-18T10:09:46.560Z
2024-02-18T10:09:46.560Z
Tang Ho
<p>“勿以恶小而为之，勿以善小而不为。”<br />
Don't do even a small bad deed, don't skip even a small good deed.</p>
<p>Too long-winded?</p>
<p>Bad deed no, good deed yes.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>不要因为是件较小的坏事就去做，也不要因为是件较小的善事就毫不关心。</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-02-18T12:49:22.353Z
2024-02-18T12:49:22.353Z
Pedroski
<p>Commit no bad deeds no matter how small; perform good deeds no matter how trival.</p>
<p>Or more colloquially</p>
<p>Don't do bad things just because they are small; don't ignore good deeds just because they are trival.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-02-19T12:31:23.670Z
perform...thumbs up
LetterQuest
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-02-19T03:14:08.573Z
2024-02-19T03:14:08.573Z
fat penguin
<p>no evil is too small, no good is too trivial?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-02-18T10:03:14.580Z
In a nutshell, I cannot do even a small improvement on your own translation :)
Wayne Cheah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-02-18T10:25:37.023Z
But I'll try anyway. "Do no evil however small, do good however trifle"
Wayne Cheah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-02-18T11:03:16.087Z
I'd rather go with trifling, but it doesn't rime with small
LetterQuest
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-02-19T12:32:26.727Z
this one is even shorter and fitter for my purpose: every deed, evil or good, counts.
LetterQuest
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-02-18T09:37:52.647Z
2024-02-18T09:37:52.647Z
LetterQuest
<p>The translation would be:</p>
<ul>
<li>Don't do evil nor evade doing good because thing's small.</li>
</ul>
<p>But I think the real message was &quot;<strong>Do no evil</strong> (because thing's small/trivial).&quot;</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-02-18T16:20:34.110Z
a bit off: the original means do not under-estimate the significance of your deed.
LetterQuest
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-02-18T16:26:00.793Z
@LetterQuest Agree, revised.
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-02-18T16:12:30.813Z
2024-02-18T16:52:52.813Z
2024-02-18T16:52:52.813Z
r13
<p>context:  meeting btwn Chinese and American Foreign affairs bosses.</p>
<p>original:
双方就开展人文交流，便利人员往来交换了意见。王毅敦促美方停止无端滋扰盘查中国公民，多做有利于增进两国人民相互了解的事情，并送美方一句古话：“<em>勿以恶小而为之，勿以善小而不为</em>。” During their exchange of views on people to people exchange, Wang urged US (Homeland Security) to stop picking on Chinese visitors, to do more to favor mutual understanding between the peoples of the 2 nations, and quoted &quot;no evil is too small to do, and no good is too small to pass up&quot;.</p>
<p>what I'm looking for: an idiomatic succinct rendering in English, the shorter the sweeter.
what I'm NOT looking for: explanatory long-winded sentence -I'm native Chinese speaker in quest of a perfect English equivalent.
thanks</p>

<translation><idioms><saying>
Looking for an English equivalent of : 勿以恶小而为之，勿以善小而不为
# Looking for an English equivalent of : 勿以恶小而为之，勿以善小而不为

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-02-18)

context: meeting btwn Chinese and American Foreign affairs bosses.

original:
双方就开展人文交流，便利人员往来交换了意见。王毅敦促美方停止无端滋扰盘查中国公民，多做有利于增进两国人民相互了解的事情，并送美方一句古话：“*勿以恶小而为之，勿以善小而不为*。” During their exchange of views on people to people exchange, Wang urged US (Homeland Security) to stop picking on Chinese visitors, to do more to favor mutual understanding between the peoples of the 2 nations, and quoted "no evil is too small to do, and no good is too small to pass up".

what I'm looking for: an idiomatic succinct rendering in English, the shorter the sweeter.
what I'm NOT looking for: explanatory long-winded sentence -I'm native Chinese speaker in quest of a perfect English equivalent.
thanks

**Tags:** translation, idioms, saying


---

## 5 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2024-02-18. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

I suggest: "(Good or bad), **no deed is trivial**" - "(好或壞），沒有任何行為是微不足道的"


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### Answer by username_2 on 2024-02-18. Score: 1

“勿以恶小而为之，勿以善小而不为。”  
Don't do even a small bad deed, don't skip even a small good deed.

Too long-winded?

Bad deed no, good deed yes.

> 不要因为是件较小的坏事就去做，也不要因为是件较小的善事就毫不关心。


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### Answer by username_3 on 2024-02-19. Score: 1

Commit no bad deeds no matter how small; perform good deeds no matter how trival.

Or more colloquially

Don't do bad things just because they are small; don't ignore good deeds just because they are trival.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: perform...thumbs up  

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### Answer by username_0 on 2024-02-18. Score: 0

no evil is too small, no good is too trivial?

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: In a nutshell, I cannot do even a small improvement on your own translation :)  
> **username_4**: But I'll try anyway. "Do no evil however small, do good however trifle"  
> **username_0**: I'd rather go with trifling, but it doesn't rime with small  
> **username_0**: this one is even shorter and fitter for my purpose: every deed, evil or good, counts.  

---

### Answer by username_5 on 2024-02-18. Score: 0

The translation would be:

* Don't do evil nor evade doing good because thing's small.

But I think the real message was "**Do no evil** (because thing's small/trivial)."

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: a bit off: the original means do not under-estimate the significance of your deed.  
> **username_5**: @username_0 Agree, revised.  

---

