Category Archives: Proverbs

Italian Proverb

Nationality: Italian
Age: 26
Occupation: Student
Residence: Italian
Performance Date: 01/27/2017
Primary Language: Italian

Original Script: Nella botte piccola c’è il vino buono

Translation: In the small barrel, there is the good wine.

Background information: This Italian proverb refers to the fact that the finest wine is usually produced in limited quantities. It’s in contrast to the thought that “big” necessarily means “better,” suggesting that the concept of quality often doesn’t coincide with that of quantity.

Thoughts about the piece: Like lots of provers in Italy are related to wine, this one uses wine as a metaphor to talk about people and things in general.

Portuguese Proverb

Nationality: Portuguese
Age: 21
Occupation: student
Residence: Lisbon
Performance Date: 03/21/2017
Primary Language: English

Original Script: Quem não tem cão, caça com gato.

Translation: those who don’t have a dog, hunt with a cat.

Background information: the original proverb is “caça como gato”, which means “hunts like a cat.” Dogs help people during hunting,  but cats are always alone. The original meaning of the proverb is that when you want to do something but cannot find a companion, you should go doing it alone. Now the meaning of the proverb changed slightly and it used to indicate that when you cannot find the necessary means to do what you need, you should try to find other means.

Thoughts about the piece: cats always give people the impression of lonely and independent.

 

Italian Proverb

Nationality: Italian
Age: 43
Occupation: Professor
Residence: California
Performance Date: 04/20/2017
Primary Language: English

Original Script: La Befana vien di notte, con le scarpe tutte rotte

Translation: La Befana comes in the night, with her broken shoes.

Background information: Le Befana is an old, white-haired, wrinkly woman. She would come to only good kids on January 6th, leaving them candies and chocolates. And she would leave bad kids with charcoal in empty socks.

Thoughts about the piece: the story of La Befana is similar to Santa Claus.

 

Families in China

Nationality: USA
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: USA
Performance Date: April 14th, 2017
Primary Language: English
Language: Chinese

“男的要让女的，姐要让弟“

Context: Whenever my sister and I used to fight, my dad would always tell us that “the boy must let the girl, but the older one must let the younger one.” So in the end, we shouldn’t actually be fighting at all.”

After thoughts: Similar to China’s traditions and beliefs about familial roles, the man is viewed as the head of the household and should be respected. However, the elders of the families are also well respected.

Promises

Nationality: Singapore
Age: 22
Occupation: Student
Residence: USA
Performance Date: April 17th, 2017
Primary Language: English
Language: Chinese, Singaporean

Interviewee: My dad always said: always under promise and over deliver and never over promise and under deliver.

Interviewer: What does that mean to you?

Interviewee: That’s who you should be as a person. Show them you can do better and impress them. Say what they are content with and then do more.

After thoughts: This is similar to many Chinese motifs on trust and friendships, especially “guanxi” the basic dynamic in relationships with others. Reciprocal favors are the key to “guanxi” and failure to reciprocate is considered unforgivable. This is central in Chinese society and describes the importance of  personal connection between two people.