S1E02 | Fen-Wise and Yuan-Foolish | 贪小失大
Saying: “Because you are greedy for the small thing, you end up losing the big thing”
Pinyin: Tān Xiǎo Shī Dà
Chinese: 贪小失大
In this 2nd episode of the Chinese Sayings Podcast, Laszlo introduces a story from the early 4th Century BCE; the Warring States period that preceded the unification of China under Qin Shihuang. It concerns the ruler down in the southwest kingdom of Shu, centered around Chengdu.
Thanks to his greediness for a small gift, he ended up losing big later on. He was so busy counting his pennies earned in a quick score that he lost sight of the pounds he’d lose down the road. This ruler’s moment of weakness was immortalized by Lü Buwei in his highly respected Lü Shi Chunqiu who called him out as one who Tān Xiǎo Shī Dà.
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Terms in Episode
| Pinyin/Term | Chinese | English/Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Bā State | 巴国 | Just east of Shu. Centered around Chongqing |
| chéngyǔ | 成语 | Chinese Saying, proverb, idiom |
| Dà | 大 | great or big |
| Fēn | 分 | 1/100th of a Yuan |
| King Huìwén of Qín | 秦惠文王 | King of the Qin State from 338-311 BCE (a century before Qin Dynasty founding emperor Qin Shihuang) |
| Lǚ Bùwéi | 吕不韦 | Early advisor to Qin King Ying Zheng (and rumored to be the King’s father). Later executed after Ying Zheng became Emperor Qin Shihuang |
| Lǚshì Chūnqiú | 吕氏春秋 | The Spring and Autumn Annals of Lü Buwei, a leading primary source of these times |
| Qín | 秦 | The name of the dynasty and state with the Ying 赢 family as its core |
| Qínlǐng Mountains | 秦岭山 | Mountain chain in southern Shaanxi separating northwest and southwest China |
| Shíniú Dào | 石牛道 | the Stone Cattle Road |
| Shī | 失 | to lose |
| Shī dà | 矢大 | lose big |
| Shǎnxī | 陕西 | Province in China |
| Shǔ | 蜀国 | Ancient kingdom centered around Chengdu |
| Sìchuān | 四川 | Province in China |
| Tān | 贪 | to covet or be greedy for something |
| Tān Xiǎo | 贪小 | greedy for small things |
| Tān Xiǎo Shī Dà | 贪小失大 | because you are greedy for the small thing, you end up losing the big thing |
| Xiǎo | 小 | small |
| Xīān | 西安 | Capital of Shaanxi Province, formerly known as Chang’an |
| Yúan | 元 | 1 Yuan (or 1 RMB) |
| Zhōngguó | 中国 | China, Middle Kingdom |
