Illustration: Liu Rui/Global Times

 Chat attack

grind an iron bar into a needle

/ 铁杵磨成针 / tiěchǔ móchénɡzhēn

A: I am writing a Chinese personal statement to apply for a graduate program. Can you help me?

我正在写一封中文个人陈述用于申请研究生,能请你帮帮我吗？

(wǒ zhènɡzài xiě yīfēnɡ zhōnɡwén ɡèrén chénshù yònɡyú shēnqǐnɡ yánjiūshēnɡ, nénɡ qǐnɡn ǐbānɡbānɡwǒ ma？)

B: Of course, I'd love to.

当然,我很乐意。
(dānɡrán, wǒ hěnlèyì.)

A: I want to apply for the oil painting major at the Academy of Fine Arts. But compared with many professional oil painters, I'm still an amateur. So I would like to express in the statement that although I am not yet a professional, I have the determination and patience to improve myself bit by bit.

我想申请美术学院的油画专业,但是相比很多专业油画画家,我还很业余。因此,我想在陈述中表达,虽然我还不够专业,但是我有决心和耐心一点一点地提升自己。

(wǒxiǎnɡ shēnqǐnɡ měishù xuéyuàn de yóuhuà zhuānyè, dànshì xiānɡbǐ hěnduō zhuānyè yóuhuà huàjiā, wǒ hái hě nyèyú. yīncǐ, wǒxiǎnɡ zài chénshù zhōnɡ biǎodá, suīrán wǒ hái bùɡòu zhuānyè, dànshì wǒyǒu juéxīn hé naixīn yīdiǎn yīdiǎn de tíshēnɡ zìjǐ.)

B: Well, I suggest that you use a Chinese proverb to express yourself. It is called "grind an iron bar into a needle." It literally means to grind a thick iron rod into a very thin needle, to signify a person's perseverance in doing one thing.

那我建议你可以用一句中国谚语去表达,它叫做 "铁杵磨成针"。它的字面意思是将一根很粗的铁棒磨成一根很细的针,比喻一个人只要有毅力、肯下功夫,做任何事情都能成功。

(nàwǒ jiànyì nǐ kěyǐ yònɡ yījù zhōnɡɡuó yànyǔ qùb iǎodá, tā jiàozuò tiěchǔ móchénɡzhēn. tā de zìmiàn yìsī shì jiānɡ yīɡēn hěncūde tiěbànɡ móchénɡ yīɡēn hěnxì de zhēn, bǐyù yīɡèrén zhīyào yǒuyìlì, kěn xiàɡōnɡfū, zuò rènhé shìqínɡ dōunénɡ chénɡɡōnɡ.)

A: That sounds very vivid. Thank you.

这听起来很生动,谢谢你。

(zhè tīnɡqǐlái hěn shēnɡdònɡ, xièxiènǐ.)