Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Chinese term or phrase:
不上学等着穷，上学立刻穷
English translation:
If you don\'t go to school you can expect poverty, go to school and you can have it immediately
Added to glossary by
Carol C.W. CHUNG
Aug 18, 2011 14:51
12 yrs ago
Chinese term
xiaohua78
不上学等着穷，上学立刻穷
Chinese to English
Social Sciences
Education / Pedagogy
I would like a translation for this popular Chinese saying. This popular saying describes the dilemma facing rural parents in sending their children to school. Thank you!
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
12 hrs
Selected
If you don't go to school you can expect poverty, go to school and you can have it immediately
It seems to me like there is a bit of criticism of the cost of school or a comment on the conditions of those who are in school.
立刻 right away, why wait? a little humor too.
立刻 right away, why wait? a little humor too.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "thanks"
19 mins
Sharon Toh, MITI MCIL
Singapore
Singapore
Native in Chinese
&
English
Singapore
Culturally Attuned CHI/ENG Solutions™
Native in: English (Variant: Singaporean) 
, Chinese
Works in: Chinese to English, English to Chinese, English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
6
2 options below
There seems to be a word limit to the term field, so I am typing both options that occur to my mind right now below. Feel free to edit it.
1. Be prepared to stay poor if you don't get an education, but you get poorer immediately after going to school.
2. If you don't get an education, you get stuck in poverty, but once you go to school, you get poorer straightaway.
Something like that.
1. Be prepared to stay poor if you don't get an education, but you get poorer immediately after going to school.
2. If you don't get an education, you get stuck in poverty, but once you go to school, you get poorer straightaway.
Something like that.
+1
2 hrs
No school, a poor future; with school, a poor present
还挺上口，但听着心里不好受。
14 hrs
Either skip education and live a poor life someday, or get education and feel the pinch right away.
You may need to adapt the translation to match the overall style of your text.
Discussion