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Animal Proverbs: Ant's Leg or Sparrow's Mouth?

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IN THIS LESSON
ID: 4515 Intermediate
Animal metaphors are prevalent in almost every language, but people from different cultures may regard the same animal differently. In Chinese proverbs, you will see a lot of animal metaphors to symbolize human actions. In this episode, we focus on the animal "sparrow".
Tue Feb 02 2021 | Joy, Joshua
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Detailed Vocabulary
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SIMPLIFIED PINYIN ENGLISH  
麻雀虽小，五脏俱全 máquèsuīxiǎo,wǔzàngjùquán small but fully-equipped
宁做蚂蚁腿，不学麻雀嘴 nìngzuòmǎyǐtuǐ,bùxuémǎquèzuǐ Do more and talk less.
螳螂捕蝉，黄雀在后 tánglángbǔchán,huángquèzàihòu pursuing the gain ahead but unaware of potential danger
小区 xiǎoqū community; neighborhood
麻雀虽小，五脏俱全
máquèsuīxiǎo,wǔzàngjùquán
Although a sparrow is tiny, it has all five vital organs.
中国的小区“麻雀虽小，五脏俱全”。有学校，有公园，还有图书馆。
Zhōngguó de xiǎoqū “máquèsuīxiǎo,wǔzàngjùquán ”。yǒu xuéxiào ，yǒu gōngyuán ，háiyǒu túshūguǎn 。
Some communities in China are quite small, but they are equipped with all essential facilities. There're schools, parks, and libraries around.
便利店“麻雀虽小，五脏俱全”。可以买东西、打印、或者是洗衣服。
biànlìdiàn “máquèsuīxiǎo,wǔzàngjùquán ”。kěyǐ mǎi dōngxi 、dǎyìn 、huòzhě shì xǐ yīfu 。
Convenience stores are small but they have everything. You can buy groceries, print, or even do the laundry.
智能手机“麻雀虽小，五脏俱全”。你可以打电话，传信息，还可以拍照。
zhìnéngshǒujī “máquèsuīxiǎo,wǔzàngjùquán ”。nǐ kěyǐ dǎdiànhuà ，chuán xìnxī ，hái kěyǐ pāizhào 。
A smartphone is small but it has every function you may need. You can make a call, text and also take pictures.
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