Dripping Water, Wears Through Stone

http://blog.freehead.com/attachments/2007/07/114294_200707281559391.jpg

Informant: Rebecca Liu, 18, F

Date Collected: 5/19/14

Genre: Proverb

Informant Data: Rebecca was born in Canada to Chinese immigrant parents, and then resided in California for 14 years. She currently attends Dartmouth College. Her background is Chinese-American, and speaks Chinese at conversational-level. She first heard the proverb in a conversation when she was in middle school. This proverb was collected through an interview at the DCCS (Dartmouth Chinese Culture Society) club at Dartmouth.

Text/Texture 

Chinese:

Literal Translation: Dripping water, wears through stone

Free Translation: Slowly dripping water can wear through stone

Context: The proverb can be used when encouraging someone to persevere patiently, even when the obstacle or challenge is apparently insurmountable. The proverb highlights work ethic and encourages someone to stick to his/her goals even when there are severe obstacles.

Meaning/Interpretation: Rebecca provided no known origin for this proverb