English translation: a fox flaunting in the tuition of a tiger
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Chinese to English translations [PRO] Marketing - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings / Chinese Fable
Chinese term or phrase:狐假虎威
Almost every Chinese knows the story behind this idiom in Chinese. However, I would like to know how you, my dear colleagues, would translate this idiom from a Chinese fable into English.
Explanation: One who vaunts in the advent or protective influence of another who is mightier, not necessarily a fox who borrows or conceals itself in a lion or tiger's skin. Certainly not specific to name-dropping or bluffing. It is simply someone who is capable of strutting freely under the protection of another, or "狗仗人勢"
I always prefer literal translations that are faithful to the tone, style and meaning of the source text.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 4 days (2008-07-13 00:15:52 GMT) Post-grading --------------------------------------------------
Michael Lickorish: "Vaunt" and "Tuition" are not in the least archaic, only less used by laymen, please check your dictionary of English usage or OED before reaching such conclusions.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 4 days (2008-07-13 16:34:19 GMT) Post-grading --------------------------------------------------
Michael's "A fox exulting under the tiger's protection" is very compatible as well, though the use of 'exult' excludes the idea of 'flaunting' especially 'vaunting' central to the idiom, since 'exult' means to rejoice exceedingly, to be elated or glad. The preposition that follows exult, however is grammatically incorrect, as exult is constant to "in, (at, on, over).
As to Malcom's comment, the word choice can be somewhat advance to "half-educated Englishmen" (reference to Fowler) but certainly is not unworldly--it is prosodic, and adaptable for literary use.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 5 days (2008-07-14 00:09:55 GMT) Post-grading --------------------------------------------------
while there are those who remain incredulous of their own ignorance or suffer from an acute native pride what not? I don't have enough time to debate with you when you can yourself check a free online dictionary or better yet a real dictionary. Case closed. The asker has chosen.
Hi, your disscussion is interesting for me. I will be back to you in about 10 days. I am now travelling around and sometimes it's not easy to get an internet connection.
I challenge anyone to find tuition being used in the sense it is being used here in any modern text. You don't find its usage here at all strange Malcolm?
Hi Wenjer, "A fox vaunting in the tuition of a tiger" uses two terms that are quite archaic. Many native speakers would need to reach for a dictionary in order to understand an idiom expressed in this way (cont..)
汉英大辞典（吴光华/交大出版社）:burrowing power to do evil; assume someone else's authority;assuming self importance by one's connection; to take advantage of sb else' influence; the fox that profited by the tiger's might.
An Ass once found a Lion's skin which the hunters had left out in the sun to dry. He put it on and went towards his native village. All fled at his approach, both men and animals, and he was a proud Ass that day. In his delight he lifted up his voice and brayed, but then every one knew him, and his owner came up and gave him a sound cudgelling for the fright he had caused. And shortly afterwards a Fox came up to him and said: "Ah, I knew you by your voice."
Fine clothes may disguise, but silly words will disclose a fool.
看来情况相似，中外表达的寓意不同。
alvinliu Local time: 18:23 Works in field Native speaker of: Chinese PRO pts in category: 4
7 hrs confidence:
To take advantage of somebody else’s power to bully people
Explanation: I think nowadays it is usually used to mean using someone else's power to bully others, rather than to disguise oneself.
- means to parade or display conspicuously, defiantly, or boldly.
- implies falsity, i.e., the flaunter doesn't necessarily have the means to back up his/her claims.
- can also mean to "go against" or "flout ". So here the fox is flaunting the tiger's authority in two senses.
Michael Lickorish Australia Local time: 19:53 Native speaker of: English
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you very much. The double sense of "flaunting" is a very good one.
除了其他各位同仁提供的建议外, 很多情况下，此成语不妨意译,如“那小子说起话来好象跟很多大人物关系很好，狐假虎威的”，其实就相当于“That guy is really a name-dropper...”.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 19 hrs (2008-07-09 15:25:19 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
大陆这边一样的，也有“摆谱”一说，而且口语常用，至少在北方是如此。不过，按我们日常用法，“摆谱”的人到不一定“name-dropping”，只是有些装模作样、好像自己有多了不起，就是“put on airs”，真拿自己当“爷”（当然也可能确实是“爷”）；“name-dropper”则是借他人来作势，所谓“拉大旗作虎皮”，拉抬自己的地位，而实际上往往本来是“孙子”，一般而言，纯粹是“孙子”装“爷”。
orientalhorizon Local time: 18:23 Native speaker of: Chinese PRO pts in category: 12
Explanation: One who vaunts in the advent or protective influence of another who is mightier, not necessarily a fox who borrows or conceals itself in a lion or tiger's skin. Certainly not specific to name-dropping or bluffing. It is simply someone who is capable of strutting freely under the protection of another, or "狗仗人勢"
I always prefer literal translations that are faithful to the tone, style and meaning of the source text.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 4 days (2008-07-13 00:15:52 GMT) Post-grading --------------------------------------------------
Michael Lickorish: "Vaunt" and "Tuition" are not in the least archaic, only less used by laymen, please check your dictionary of English usage or OED before reaching such conclusions.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 4 days (2008-07-13 16:34:19 GMT) Post-grading --------------------------------------------------
Michael's "A fox exulting under the tiger's protection" is very compatible as well, though the use of 'exult' excludes the idea of 'flaunting' especially 'vaunting' central to the idiom, since 'exult' means to rejoice exceedingly, to be elated or glad. The preposition that follows exult, however is grammatically incorrect, as exult is constant to "in, (at, on, over).
As to Malcom's comment, the word choice can be somewhat advance to "half-educated Englishmen" (reference to Fowler) but certainly is not unworldly--it is prosodic, and adaptable for literary use.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 5 days (2008-07-14 00:09:55 GMT) Post-grading --------------------------------------------------
while there are those who remain incredulous of their own ignorance or suffer from an acute native pride what not? I don't have enough time to debate with you when you can yourself check a free online dictionary or better yet a real dictionary. Case closed. The asker has chosen.
AJL MedCom Canada Local time: 06:23 Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
All the suggestions are very good. It's a pity that I can choose only one. Many thanks to all of you!
Notes to answerer
Asker: Great explanation! Thank you very much!
Asker: I like especially the usage of "vaunt" and "tuition," though I would take Michael's "flaunt" in place of the former, that is, "a fox flaunting in the tuition of a tiger." By the way, "tuition" comes from Latin word "tuitio/tuitionis" which is an interesting word in its usage.
Explanation: Anthony provided excellent background in a most vivid manner. Everybody using this phrase ought to read this story.
However, popularity of this story has led the term to widespread use in a very general manner. I try to replace it with the widely accepted and easily understood American usage, at the expense of forfeiting the original pictures and animals.
Literal translation would be "putting everyone in awe of a ferocious tiger."
Francis Fine Local time: 03:23 Specializes in field Native speaker of: Chinese, English PRO pts in category: 4
The translation workplace 
peer agreement (net): +2
