The Monkey Kings 美猴王

The Kings have been learning Chinese idioms and have decided that English could benefit from them. We have thus decided to translate and disseminate some of them. We prefer the four word variety, and will give credit to the Chinese when using them in conversation. For example, when the traffic is heavy, one can say “As the Chinese say, ‘car water horse dragon’ [车水马龙].”

As things get worse, one can say “river stream sun under” [江河日下]。 Then you must “fight heaven stand ground” [顶天立地]; because, as we know, “more toil more get” [多劳多得]. You can “self have public speak” [自有公论] when you are popular, though it could mean “ten thousand water one thousand mountain” [万水千山] to get there.

We’ve also decided to streamline some English idioms into the four word/four syllable format in order to make everyone’s life easier. Instead of the cumbersome “beware of Greeks bearing gifts”, one can now simply say “watch out Greek horse” (translated into Chinese possibly as “希马注意”?). One ought not to “kill gold egg goose”, nor should one ever “make me monkey” (make a monkey out of someone)–unless, of course, you are the Monkey King. “Horse first then cart” is a lesson for anyone learning these new idioms, for as we know, “walk slow win race”.