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1. |
[exp]
[proverb]
▶ a diamond on a dunghill is still a diamond ▶ quality is quality ▶ an old eagle is better than a young crow ▶ [lit] even if it's rotten, it's still sea bream |
7. | A 2018-01-14 11:18:13 Jim Breen <...address hidden...> | |
6. | A* 2018-01-09 06:53:04 Marcus Richert <...address hidden...> | |
Refs: | daij |
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Comments: | removed first sense because this is a proverb, not a noun referring to the figurative bream. |
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Diff: | @@ -12 +12,2 @@ -<gloss>something that is not what it once was but it is still high class</gloss> +<misc>&proverb;</misc> +<gloss>a diamond on a dunghill is still a diamond</gloss> |
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5. | A 2014-02-08 04:36:18 Jim Breen <...address hidden...> | |
Refs: | ルミナス, 中辞典 (extra gloss). |
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Comments: | Bear in mind it's a proverb. I don't think a language learner should be worrying too much about the literal meaning of the Japanese, much less agonizing over any ellipsis. We have plenty of expressions where we also give a "lit" Japanese version, and I'd hate to see the English mangled just to make it more 直訳. |
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Diff: | @@ -13,0 +14 @@ +<gloss>an old eagle is better than a young crow</gloss> |
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4. | A* 2014-02-06 11:05:01 Francis | |
Refs: | See below. |
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Comments: | I have not changed the above. My thoughts were triggered by the fact that in some text the above expression is followed by "です" or "だ"; plus also sometimes an exphasis, etc., e.g., "な". What I was thinking is this: that the parts in the meanings above which turn the expression into a complete statement should be included in brackets, e.g., [lit] even if (it's) rotten, (it's still) sea bream. I am stating this because when the meaning is preceded by the concept of "the literal meaning", namely; upholding the exact or primary meaning of a word or words, the inclusion of "it's" and "it's still" seems to be incorrect. I don't wish to become the pedant, but I am thinking that the novice may be deviated from the true concept of such an expression when trying to balance literal meaning of the Japanes head-word with the meaning given following the prefix [lit]. I think that I would like to see such an entry for the meaning of such expressions set out something like this: "[this expression is idiomatically usually used simply as 'くさってもたい' and conveys the meaning of] something that is not what it once was but it is still high class; quality is quality; [lit] even if (it's) rotten, (it's still) sea bream. |
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3. | A 2010-11-29 08:18:15 Rene Malenfant <...address hidden...> | |
Diff: | @@ -14,1 +14,1 @@ -<gloss>even if it's rotten, it's still sea bream</gloss> +<gloss g_type="lit">even if it's rotten, it's still sea bream</gloss> |
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