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If you spend one hour each day watching Chinese language TV or movies it will help your comprehension greatly.

Look for "SinoVision" in your channel guide.
idiom: yu gong yi shan 愚公移山-foolish old man move mountain PDF Print E-mail
to succeed through determined actions

There was an old man of nearly ninety. In front of his house there were two big mountains blocking the way. The old man and his family decided to move away the two mountains. The wise man Zhi Sou said they would never succeed. The old man said, "When I die, my son will continue. When my son die, my grandsom will conntinue... One day these two mountains will be moved away."

The fable reflects the Chinese national character of steadfastness and perseverance.

"Yu" in Chinese means foolish. This character is not always negative. A person can act foolishly, but for some very wise reason. There is anothere idiom "da zhi ruo yu", meaning "big wisdom seems foolish".

idiom/cheng yu
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