Posted by Andrew Craig-Bennett on May 30, 2003 at 18:11:58 from 195.93.32.8 user ACB.
In Reply to: Re: Shiver my Timbers posted by Jonathan Labaree on May 30, 2003 at 13:09:43:
There is almost bound to be a four character idiom that will do the job. Just don't ask me to think of it! A well known example of such idiomatic rendering is "Don't teach Grandmother to suck eggs!" which becomes, "Ban men nong fu!" ("hacking at wood before Lu Ban's door") - Lu Ban was a particularly celebrated woodworker. The meaning is identical, and at least we know who Lu Ban was, whereas no-one can explain why Grandma should wish to suck eggs in the first place!