Language/Multiple-languages/Culture/Common-Allusions
Hi all. In this lesson, we will see similar allusions around the world.
This page has a parent: Language/Multiple-languages/Culture/Similar-Sayings.
In progress.
Costly victory
This comes from the story of the Battle of Heraclea and the Battle of Asculum, where King Pyrrhus of Epirus defeated Rome, suffering heavy casualties.
| language | term |
|---|---|
| Armenian | պյուռոսյան հաղթանակ |
| Azerbaijani | Pirr qələbəsi |
| Bulgarian | Пирова победа |
| Chinese | 皮洛士式勝利／皮洛士式胜利 |
| Czech | Pyrrhovo vítězství |
| Danish | pyrrhussejr |
| Dutch | pyrrusoverwinning |
| Esperanto | Pirha venko |
| Finnish | Pyrrhoksen voitto |
| French | victoire à la Pyrrhus |
| German | Pyrrhussieg |
| Hungarian | pirruszi győzelem |
| Indonesian | kemenangan piris |
| Italian | vittoria di Pirro |
| Japanese | ピュロスの勝利 |
| Latin | victoria Pyrrhica |
| Macedonian | Пирова победа |
| Modern Greek | Πύρρειος νίκη |
| Norwegian Bokmål | pyrrhosseier |
| Norwegian Nynorsk | pyrrhossiger |
| Polish | pyrrusowe zwycięstwo |
| Portuguese | vitória de Pirro
vitória pírrica |
| Romanian | victorie à la Pirus |
| Russian | Пиррова победа |
| Slovak | Pyrrhovo víťazstvo |
| Spanish | victoria pírrica |
| Swedish | pyrrhusseger |
Device or person placed within the enemy
This comes from the story of Trojan War in Aeneid, where Odysseus built a wooden horse, hid himself and soldiers inside, let the Trojan force capture the wooden horse as a trophy, then opened the gate of Troy at night to let the Greek army in.
| language | term |
|---|---|
| Armenian | Տրոյական ձի |
| Chinese | 特洛伊木馬／特洛伊木马 |
| Czech | trojský kůň |
| Danish | trojansk hest |
| English | Trojan horse |
| Esperanto | troja ĉevalo |
| Finnish | Troijan hevonen |
| French | cheval de Troie |
| German | trojanisches Pferd |
| Hebrew | סוס טרויאני |
| Hungarian | trójai faló |
| Icelandic | trójuhestur |
| Italian | cavallo di Troia |
| Japanese | トロイの木馬 |
| Korean | 트로이 목마 |
| Latin | equus Troianus |
| Macedonian | Тројанскиот коњ |
| Modern Greek | δούρειος ίππος |
| Polish | koń trojański |
| Portuguese | cavalo de Troia |
| Romanian | cal troian |
| Russian | Троянский конь |
| Spanish | caballo de Troya |
Face hostilities from all sides
This comes from the story of Battle of Gāixià in the Records of the Grand Historian, where the coalition force of Hàn surrounded the Chǔ army and sang Chǔ folk songs.
| language | term |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 四面楚歌 |
| Japanese | 四面楚歌 |
| Korean | 사면초가 |
Impose oneself hardships to accomplish something
This comes from the story in Records of the Grand Historian, where the King Gōujiàn of Yuè was defeated by the State of Wú; he forced himself to sleep on firewood and lick a gallbladder every day to remind himself to revenge.
| language | term |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 臥薪嘗膽／卧薪尝胆 |
| Japanese | 臥薪嘗膽 |
| Korean | 와신상담 |
| Vietnamese | nếm mật nằm gai
nằm gai nếm mật |
This comes from the story in the Commentary of Zuǒ, where the marquis of Jìn asked the duke of Yū for military passage to attack the State of Guó; Gōng Zhīqí admonished the duke of Yū, comparing the relation between Guó and Yū as lips and teeth, saying “When the lips perish, the teeth become cold”.
| language | term |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 脣亡齒寒／唇亡齿寒 |
| Japanese | 唇亡歯寒 |
| Korean | 순망치한 |
| Vietnamese | môi hở răng lạnh |
Take damage for others without getting proper rewards
This comes from the fable The Monkey and the Cat, where the cat is tricked by the monkey to pull some chestnuts out of the fire, getting its paws burnt and can't stop the monkey from taking all chestnuts away.
| language | term |
|---|---|
| Catalan | treure les castanyes del foc |
| Chinese | 火中取栗 |
| Danish | rage kastanjerne ud af ilden |
| English | pull someone's chestnuts out of the fire |
| Finnish | hoitaa jonkun homma |
| French | tirer les marrons du feu |
| German | die Kastanien aus dem Feuer holen |
| Italian | cavar le castagne dal fuoco |
| Modern Greek | βγάζω τα κάστανα από τη φωτιά |
| Norwegian Bokmål | rake kastanjene ut av ilden |
| Norwegian Nynorsk | rake kastanjane ut av elden |
| Polish | wyciągać kasztany z ognia |
| Spanish | sacar las castañas del fuego |
| Swedish | kratsa kastanjerna ur elden |
Vulnarability
This comes from the Greek myth, where Thetis dipped Achilles in River Styx to make him invulnerable, holding his heel, leaving it his only weakness.
| language | term |
|---|---|
| Arabic | كعب أخيل |
| Armenian | աքիլեսյան գարշապար |
| Asturian | calcañu d'Aquiles |
| Bulgarian | Ахилесова пета |
| Catalan | taló d'Aquil·les |
| Chinese | 阿喀琉斯之踵 |
| Czech | Achilova pata |
| Danish | akilleshæl |
| Dutch | achilleshiel |
| English | Achilles' heel |
| Finnish | akilleenkantapää |
| French | alon d’Achille |
| Galician | talón de Aquiles |
| Georgian | აქილევსის ქუსლი |
| German | Achillesferse |
| Hungarian | Achilles-sarok |
| Interlingua | calce de Achilles |
| Iranian Persian | پاشنه آشیل |
| Italian | tallone di Achille |
| Japanese | アキレス腱 |
| Korean | 아킬레스 건 |
| Macedonian | Ахилова пета |
| Modern Greek | αχίλλειος πτέρνα |
| Norwegian | akilleshæl |
| Polish | pięta Achillesa |
| Portuguese | calcanhar de Aquiles |
| Romanian | călcâiul lui Ahile |
| Russian | ахиллесова пята |
| Serbo-Croatian | Ахилова пета / Ahilova peta |
| Spanish | talón de Aquiles |
| Swedish | akilleshäl |
| Tagalog | sakong ni Akiles |