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The Guizhou donkey
May 17, 2009, Sunday
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MANY expressions in the Chinese language can be used to describe something that is formidable in appearance only.
Late Chairman Mao Zedong, for instance, once likened reactionaries and the atom bomb to "paper tigers."
Along with "paper tiger," an idiom about a Guizhou donkey is also frequently cited to describe something that is not as powerful as it seems.
The idiom qian2 lv2 ji4 qiong2, or "the Guizhou donkey has exhausted his tricks," is based on a story about a tiger and a donkey.
In ancient times, the story goes, there were no donkeys in Guizhou, now a province in southwest China. One day, however, after traveling to other provinces around the country, a local man brought home a donkey. Since he did not know how to use the animal, he decided to let it roam and graze in some nearby woods.
The newcomer, with its long legs, large ears, black hair and big eyes, almost frightened a tiger living in the woods out of its wits. The tiger thought the donkey must be a divine animal sent by a god. So it hid in thick bushes and dared to only occasionally take a quick peep at the interloper.
Out of curiosity, the tiger decided several days later to move a bit closer to get a better look at the donkey. But suddenly, the donkey let out a thundering bray, which made the tiger flee for its life.
Only when the tiger became used to the donkey's loud braying did it dare take another look at the mysterious animal.
After long observation, the tiger decided that the donkey did not look as fearsome as it first did. So the tiger became bolder and bolder with each passing day. One day, it even stood only a few yards away, to make a careful study of the donkey. But still the tiger did not dare make a move.
To find out what weapons the donkey had in its arsenal, the tiger one day came out to tease the donkey. The donkey was angered and gave the tiger a kick. The tiger was greatly relieved.
It then wasted no more time and jumped onto the donkey, which turned into the most delicious dinner the big cat had ever had.
The expressions "paper tiger" and qian2 lv2 ji4 qiong2 are but two of a number of Chinese sayings for describing something outwardly strong and inwardly weak.
However, the two are different in a way. Perhaps it would be a good idea to think of an atom bomb as a "paper tiger" only before it explodes ? and a Guizhou donkey as a weakling only after it explodes.
Late Chairman Mao Zedong, for instance, once likened reactionaries and the atom bomb to "paper tigers."
Along with "paper tiger," an idiom about a Guizhou donkey is also frequently cited to describe something that is not as powerful as it seems.
The idiom qian2 lv2 ji4 qiong2, or "the Guizhou donkey has exhausted his tricks," is based on a story about a tiger and a donkey.
In ancient times, the story goes, there were no donkeys in Guizhou, now a province in southwest China. One day, however, after traveling to other provinces around the country, a local man brought home a donkey. Since he did not know how to use the animal, he decided to let it roam and graze in some nearby woods.
The newcomer, with its long legs, large ears, black hair and big eyes, almost frightened a tiger living in the woods out of its wits. The tiger thought the donkey must be a divine animal sent by a god. So it hid in thick bushes and dared to only occasionally take a quick peep at the interloper.
Out of curiosity, the tiger decided several days later to move a bit closer to get a better look at the donkey. But suddenly, the donkey let out a thundering bray, which made the tiger flee for its life.
Only when the tiger became used to the donkey's loud braying did it dare take another look at the mysterious animal.
After long observation, the tiger decided that the donkey did not look as fearsome as it first did. So the tiger became bolder and bolder with each passing day. One day, it even stood only a few yards away, to make a careful study of the donkey. But still the tiger did not dare make a move.
To find out what weapons the donkey had in its arsenal, the tiger one day came out to tease the donkey. The donkey was angered and gave the tiger a kick. The tiger was greatly relieved.
It then wasted no more time and jumped onto the donkey, which turned into the most delicious dinner the big cat had ever had.
The expressions "paper tiger" and qian2 lv2 ji4 qiong2 are but two of a number of Chinese sayings for describing something outwardly strong and inwardly weak.
However, the two are different in a way. Perhaps it would be a good idea to think of an atom bomb as a "paper tiger" only before it explodes ? and a Guizhou donkey as a weakling only after it explodes.
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