Chinese Proverbs Illustrated: The Wisdom of Cheng-Yu

by James Trapp

This illustrated gift edition includes proverbs in both Chinese and English in a traditional Chinese binding.
 
The elegant pen strokes and visual harmony of Chinese writing have long been admired in the West. Classical Chinese calligraphy is a popular and valuable art form, and with the increasing economic and cultural power of China, its writing is becoming more widely appreciated and understood. In particular, the deep layers of history and symbolism that exist behind even the most everyday phrases have a strong appeal to those seeking understanding from an alternative philosophy. The sayings known as Cheng-yu, represented by four characters, are used frequently in Chinese. They are comparable to proverbs or idioms in English, but each adds a depth of meaning and linguistic color very unlike their English equivalents. Chinese Proverbs Illustrated  features a selection of the most famous and most interesting of the more than 5,000 Cheng-yu. Alongside the phrase is an accessible and inspiring explanation, its literal translation in English, what the particular strokes symbolize, and its various uses, as well as more than 80 images to complement the text.

Genres: Nonfiction

160 pages, Hardcover

Published April 14, 2024

Reviews

[Books_the_Magical_Fruit · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a Masters degree in Translation, so I’ve always been interested in different cultures and languages. This book is so interesting!! It explains the origins of the different characters/sayings and also has beautiful paintings and photos throughout the dynasties. The characters and stories are fascinating. This would be a great resource for a history class.

I received a free copy from NetGalley and Amber Books (thank you!) in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Ankit Saxena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author here collated idioms from the ancient and modern text of Chinese literature to his book. Many of these Chinese idioms are not so different from the idioms already in use in India (like, hit iron still hot) and few other parts of the world where literature was pre-existed to China, but they have their own references which author put here tells about their origin as well. I liked those referenced brief stories.
Idioms were invented to create metaphor mainly and to summarize the details, short. It was very prominent in India during long rules of varied emperors to use the coded words and indicative source of words to pass the details message. So did these were famous in adjacent part of the nation like China and Japan as many scholars visited India then to gain knowledge, wisdom and to attain enlightenment & eventually "Nirvana". Whole world knew Buddha born in India and influenced the whole world mainly China, Japan & Ceylon with his teachings even when he never left India.

I used to work with Chinese for a very long period and we found while our discussions that the culture were though different but both of our nations were well versed in maintaining the civilization in that time. However, for facts, when whole is emptied of old civilizations, only Indian culture is the one that is still carrying the same 'Way of Life' and knowledge, even to the present times.

I like this collectible of quotes and in addition, I repeat, the references were more entertaining and gripping.
Paintings under references were also good, mostly taken from Chinese scriptures.

My most favorite among the mentioned Quotes, is:

luò yè guī gēn (pronounced law yeah gwei gun)
Literal meaning: fall leaf return root
Idiomatic meaning: leaves don’t fall far from the tree; there’s no place like home.

My NetGalley review

[˖ ࣪ ‹ seri ; ⁺ ⸝⸝ · Rating 4 out of 5]

🦭 ꒰ 메모 ꒱ ۪ ݁ 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬

it was this is a great read ! especially to those who loves to learn more about China and Chinese culture. this one was definitely helpful in providing examples and short stories for the readers to better understand the meaning of each word. it also has a “literal meaning” and an “idiomatic meaning” which i find extremely interesting. Chinese literature has recently been added to my partner's courses and I do think this will be super helpful for them :)) highly recommend !

[Rebecca Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wasn't quite what I was expecting but I thought it was amazing! Having never heard of cheng-yu before I had no idea what they were going into this book (I'll be honest, I'd assumed it was a person) so I'd been expecting a book all about Chinese wisdoms and sayings, but not quite like this. I loved the layout of the cheng-yu and how they're presented, both in general and how this book was displayed. A cheng-yu is a series of 4 Chinese characters that is used to represent a saying, often coming from a story or parable, that has some idiom-like meaning/teaching to it. Having the cheng-yu take up so much of the page and in red too made it the focus of those pages which I loved, and then the explanation was smaller to allow you to understand without distracting from the actual cheng-yu. I also really loved the pronunciations so you could try to "read" the cheng-yu in your head more accurately rather than staring at what for a lot of people would sadly be completely indecipherable symbols. I wasn't expecting each one to have an English idiom equivalent but I liked it because it made it easier for us to understand the meaning quickly before reading the story and seeing where it came from. And those stories were fascinating! I knew very little about Chinese history before reading this but I definitely feel like I know more now without this book being heavily history-based and a hard read.
I read an eBook so I can't comment on the binding of the physical copy but there was a bit of information at the start of the book about how it's been bound in the traditional Chinese way and I couldn't quite picture it in my head from the explanation but it sounds really cool and I think it's a lovely idea! I'd love to see a physical copy.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Chinese Proverbs Illustrated: The Wisdom of Cheng-Yu is a beautifully curated collection of proverbs (Cheng-yu) translated by James Trapp and published as part of a series of Chinese bound classics. Due out 14th April (14 May outside the UK) from Amber Books, it's 160 pages and will be available in hardcover with a traditional sewn binding.

This is a well illustrated group of 80 Cheng-yu (proverbs), with Chinese characters, English transcription, and an accessible explanation of the proverb.The English translation work is seamless and subtly/pleasingly wrought; understandable and accessible, but also nuanced.

Five stars. This would be an excellent choice for public or school library acquisition, home reference, and gift purposes.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Ink · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought the Art of War by Sun Tzu ( A New Translation) in Hardback from Amber Boooks years ago because my existing copy had worn out and I absolutely loved the presentation of this one (a beauty on my shelves) When I saw Chinese Proverbs illustrated, I absolutely jumped at the opportunity to request an arc! My mother is from Anshan and as such, I take huge delight in seeing Chinese classic literature becomming more popular

Having spent many an hour learning the beat and nuances of chinese poetry throught the years, idioms were always a reprieve for me, to keep the impetus going, but also to have a breather. Thisi book is wonderfully presented and perfectly translated. I like how there was a literal translation and an idiomatic meaning which will also help students of Mandarin

Whether learning a language, or just a lover of idioms, history or reference, this is a gorgeous volume

Thank you to NetGalley and Amber Books Ltd for this outstanding ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all reviews are my own

[J. d'Merricksson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chinese Proverbs Illustrated is a delightful lesson in linguistics, namely proverbs/idiomatic phrases in Chinese. A cheng-yu is a series of four characters that represents an idiom/proverb, often derived from a story. Each has the Chinese characters, pinyin, pronunciation, both the literal translation and the idiomatic meaning, a bit of a story behind it, and relevant artwork or photography. By far, the cheng-yu characters dominate. They are writ large in captivating red.

As someone who loves both language play and learning about other cultures, I enjoyed this book. I made a game of guessing what the idiom was based on the literal translation. Some I got, many I didn't, but it was lots of fun. I have big plans to get the hardcopy of this book. I have Amber’s haiku collection bound the same way and it's simply gorgeous in hardcopy. Highly recommended for those who love language play, or have an interest in Chinese culture.

***Many thanks to Netgalley & Amber Books for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you can't go to China right away, this book is the next best thing. The calligraphy is enormous and beautiful. The illustrations are from classic prints of Chinese scenes of villages, towns, and court life, as well as photographs and drawings of the arts, politics, and natural life of China. And the sayings are fun, giving a sense of how different Chinese and English are, and how difficult a translator must find her job. For example, we might say in English, "let things take their course," and the Chinese might say "ya miao zhu zhang" meaning (literally) "pull shoots help grow" but referring to the parable of Mencius of the farmer who was impatient to see his seeds grow, so finally he spent one day pulling each of the plants that had finally sprouted a little out of the ground to help them grow. Of course, when he returned the next day, they had all died. Let things take their course.

The combination of all this beauty and insight is like a trip to China.

[Lisa Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I took a class in Chinese history, my professor "cheated" by exposing us to a lot of Chinese culture, too. While I really enjoyed the language aspects of this book, I would give it 5 stars just for the artwork. The proverbs are fascinating -- we get to see the characters, a literal translation, and an explanation with the proverb itself. This would be a fantastic coffee table book, a gift, and/or a resource in a culture, language or history class. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

[Red Bird · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Chinese culture has always been very interesting to me so.when I saw this book, I knew I had to read it. The stories are beautifully presented and the photos enhance the text very well. It was fun to learn that as Americans we share some of the same proverbs. The idioms are explained well and you learn the stories behind each of the sets of characters.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderfully illustrated book that makes these proverbs more accessible to readers unfamiliar with them. I like that the author included not only the original Chinese characters, the pronunciation, the idiomatic and literal meanings, but also that they included some context around the proverbs and historical imagery. 4/5 Stars

[Belle · Rating 5 out of 5]

So very interesting. Great layout, simplified and easy to read. Would love to see a physical copy with the traditional Chinese binding.

*Temporary access to e-copy received in exchange for an honest review.