Chinese allegories
歇后語(yǔ)
Two-part allegorical saying (of which the first part, always stated, is descriptive, while the second part, often unstated, carries the message)

bān mén nòng f? – zì bù liàng lì
班門(mén)弄斧 – 自不量力
Wield the axe before Lu Ban (the ancient master carpenter); display one's learning or parade one's skill in the presence of an expert – overestimate oneself or one's strength; overrate oneself

l?o b?o m? dài hái zi – rén jiā de
老保姆帶孩子 – 人家的
A babysitter looks after kids. – The kids are not his/her own. Figuratively, it means something one has is not his/her own, or something one does with effort is for the sake of others.

bā xiān guò h?i – gè xi?n shén tōng
八仙過(guò)海 – 各顯神通
Like the Eight Celestials or Immortals crossing the sea, each displays his or her special prowess; each relies on his or her own resource and proves his or her own worth.

cái shén yé jiào mén – tiān dà de h?o shì
財(cái)神爺叫門(mén) – 天大的好事
God of Wealth knocks on your door. – What a great godsend!

dà pào hōng cāng ying – dà cái xi?o yòng
大炮轟蒼蠅 – 大材小用
Bombard a fly with cannon – waste one's talent on a petty job

diàn xiàn gān shang b?ng jī máo – h?o dà de d?n (d?n) zi
電線桿上綁雞毛 – 好大的膽（撣）子
Bind chicken feathers around a wire pole – What a nerve! (a pun on 撣子 and 膽子, which are homophones in Chinese. "撣子" refers to "feather duster", while "膽子" means "boldness, courage or nerve".)

ná zhe jī máo dāng lìng jiàn – xi?o tí dà zuò
拿著雞毛當(dāng)令箭 – 小題大做
Take a chicken feather for a warrant to give commands – treat one's superior's casual remark as an order and make a big fuss about it

jī fēi dàn d? – li?ng luò kōng li?ng tóu kōng
雞飛蛋打 – 兩落空；兩頭空
The hen has flown away and the eggs in the coop are broken. – All is lost; fall between two stools

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