# "螳臂当车" 就来自于这个故事...而与原先的意思多少有所不同了



## Mauro86

Buonasera a tutti! Come tradurreste questa frase?

Hi to you all! How would you translate this sentence?

"螳臂当车" 就来自于这个故事， 但是现在用这个成语，主要是比喻有的人做事不自
量力，因而必然导致失败， 具有贬意， 而于原先的意思多少有所不同了。


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## xiaolijie

Here is one from me, but note that it's a fairly liberal translation:
"_The set phrase "螳臂当车" originated from this tale, but nowadays it is normally used as a metaphor for someone who overrates their own ability and ends up in failure. The meaning is derogatory, and is somewhat different from that in the past._"


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## Mauro86

Thank you very much!!


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## OneStroke

Is that statement true in the mainland and Taiwan? In my experience, 螳臂擋車 is used as a synonym of 不自量力.

Also, is 螳臂當車 or 螳臂擋車 the preferred form in the Mainland? In Hong Kong, we usually prefer the one with the semantic radical, e.g. 一曝十寒 is preferred over 一暴十寒. Thanks!


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## xiaolijie

> In my experience, 螳臂擋車 is used as a synonym of 不自量力.


That is pretty much what the Chinese sentence is saying.


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## Youngfun

I would translate it in Italian:

Fare il passo più lungo della gamba. = _make a step longer than the leg._


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## phill84

OneStroke said:


> Is that statement true in the mainland and Taiwan? In my experience, 螳臂擋車 is used as a synonym of 不自量力.
> 
> Also, is 螳臂當車 or 螳臂擋車 the preferred form in the Mainland? In Hong Kong, we usually prefer the one with the semantic radical, e.g. 一曝十寒 is preferred over 一暴十寒. Thanks!



螳臂當車 is the correct one


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## OneStroke

xiaolijie said:


> That is pretty much what the Chinese sentence is saying.



Oops, misread that sentence. Lately, I've been misreading things quite a lot. I really ought to be more careful. 



phill84 said:


> 螳臂當車 is the correct one



It wasn't until a couple of yeras ago that I first saw 螳臂當車. Anyway, I've checked the Xiandai Hanyu Cidian, which says both are acceptable - I'd like to know which one is preferred, however (though I feel sure that 螳臂當車 is the original one because the one without the radical usually is). Thanks anyway.


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## Youngfun

I also think that 當 should be the original one, probably somebody uses 擋 thinking about its meaning, but ancienly 當 had the meaning of today's 擋.

Are 當/擋 homophones in Cantonese? In Mandarin it's 當 dang1/擋dang3
According to Web search, it's read dang1 in this 成语 。


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## OneStroke

Nope, they're pronounced differently in Cantonese too.

However, I think in most cases, we pronounce the form before 通假, e.g. yi2 pu4 shi2 han2 instead of yi2 bao4 shi2 han2, isn't it?


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## Youngfun

In ancient Chinese classes at my university, we are taught to read the correct character instead of the 通假字 (when in modern Mandarin they have different pronunciation).
So 不亦说(yue4)乎, not shuo1.


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## OneStroke

Yep - that's what we do here too, only I'm not in university, but secondary school!


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## italiese

hello, i'm blocked with this translation especially the last sentence , can anyone help me? 
"螳臂当车"就来自于这个故事,但是现在用这个成语,主要是比喻有的人做事不自量力,因而必然导致失败,具有贬意,而与原生的意思多少有所不同了.


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## Youngfun

Vedi il post #2.


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## SuperXW

因为现代汉语中「当」主要意思是「当作」，容易引起歧义；而「挡」吻合原意，所以用「挡」不奇怪……
还有就是，你们读「车ju1」还是读「车che1」……？


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## Youngfun

我一直以为下棋的时候才读ju1……


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## Skatinginbc

italiese said:


> i'm blocked with this translation especially the last sentence...具有贬意,而与原生的意思多少有所不同了.


I take 而 as 因而 "as a result, so" (causal subordinating conjunction) rather than 而且"also, and" (coordinating conjunction).
My translation attempt: It entails a derogatory connotation, so its meaning is somewhat different from the original.


SuperXW said:


> 你们读「车ju1」还是读「车che1」……？


che1 and ju1 為語音、讀音之分，意義上沒有區別.  某些文言詞上今日仍習慣使用讀音 (e.g., 車馬炮, 學富五車).  che1 is the common pronunciation for 螳臂當車; ju1 sounds somewhat affected but is arguably correct as well.


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## SuperXW

Skatinginbc said:


> I take 而 as 因而 "as a result, so" (causal subordinating conjunction) rather than 而且"also, and" (coordinating conjunction).
> My translation attempt: It entails a derogatory connotation, so its meaning is somewhat different from the original.
> 
> che1 and ju1 為語音、讀音之分，意義上沒有區別.  某些文言詞上今日仍習慣使用讀音 (e.g., 車馬炮, 學富五車).  che1 is the common pronunciation for 螳臂當車; ju1 sounds somewhat affected but is arguably correct as well.


我看到古装片说的「螳臂当车ju1」，还有我的拼音输入法可以按ju1打出来（但会提示我读che1），挺有意思。
学富五车，我读che1，也是因为听电视里这样说过……


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## Jerry Chan

SuperXW said:


> 我看到古装片说的「螳臂当车ju1」，还有我的拼音输入法可以按ju1打出来（但会提示我读che1），挺有意思。
> 学富五车，我读che1，也是因为听电视里这样说过……



古裝片, 讀「居」比較正常吧
在香港(港式廣州話), 多數成語都會讀「居」, 除了上面的例子, 還有誤中副車, 閉門造車, 前車可鑑等
但很奇怪, 「杯水車薪」又會讀成「奢」


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## Skatinginbc

自漢以來就是二音并存, 很难断定谁古谁今, 咱们就按自己喜好随便念吧 .  我嘛除了車馬炮, 其余都念 che1.


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