English translation: He that serves God for money will serve the devil for better wages
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11:04 Jul 12, 2008
Chinese to English translations [PRO] Art/Literary - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings / Common Usage
Chinese term or phrase:有奶便是娘
This phrase/sentence is usually regarded a disparaging expression. The translations provided by Yahoo!Dictionary are:
1. The person who feeds me with milk is my mother.
2. One obeys those who give him money or power.
I am somehow unsatified with these two translations. Could anyone provide some other insightful translations for this phrase/sentence? It could be most interesting to know how Chinese natives understand or interpret the phrase/sentence.
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具体用起来，可适当予以微调。
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或者也可以说：Anybody is his master who can give any favor to him， 而圣经有云："Ye cannot serve two masters" [Matthew 6:24]，正可说明这种人为人所齿。
还看到有人说："lick the hand of anyone who throws one a few crumbs"、“whoever suckles one is one's mother "、"submit to whoever feeds one"，似乎也可接受。
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“为人所齿”应为“为人所不齿”。
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anthonyjoellee, language is always developing and very few idioms, apothegms or sayings would keep their original meanings forever. For most of these fixed expressions, most people wouldn't even know where and how they originated. Just like the Chinese fixed phrases "付之东流", "仙山琼阁","高屋建瓴", so on and so forth, no original literal meanings would remain unchanged. I once read some investment stuff, the author first gave a warning of "don't be too greedy" or the like, followed just by the expression "He that serves God for money will serve the devil for better wages", and then proceeded with something like "if you are too greedy you will not succeed", so contexts and perspectives do matter in expressions.
Thanks for all the suggestions. I will come back to you in about 10 days, since I am travelling around and there is not always an internet connection or enough time to response to the proposals. Thanks again for the interesting observations and suggestions!
I understand fully the disagreement of Anthony. However, it is so difficult to import the disparaging sense of this phrase. For instance, "the person who feeds me with milk is my mother" or "whoever suckles one is one's mother" doesn't import that sense at all. Some people like me would ask, "Well, the one who suckles me IS my mother! Why should it be otherwise?" Why people use this Chinese phrase to disparage a person? I have been puzzled by the usage of the phrase for as long as I can remember and sometimes I could make use of it without reflection upon its real meaning. This is why I ask the question.
Automatic update in 00:
Answers
1 hr confidence:
He that serves God for money will serve the devil for better wages
Explanation: 从某种程度上来说，上述英文谚语可以对应该汉语习语。
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 hr (2008-07-12 12:15:47 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
具体用起来，可适当予以微调。
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 hr (2008-07-12 12:29:27 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
或者也可以说：Anybody is his master who can give any favor to him， 而圣经有云："Ye cannot serve two masters" [Matthew 6:24]，正可说明这种人为人所齿。
还看到有人说："lick the hand of anyone who throws one a few crumbs"、“whoever suckles one is one's mother "、"submit to whoever feeds one"，似乎也可接受。
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 hr (2008-07-12 12:32:09 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
“为人所齿”应为“为人所不齿”。
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 15 hrs (2008-07-13 02:08:34 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
anthonyjoellee, language is always developing and very few idioms, apothegms or sayings would keep their original meanings forever. For most of these fixed expressions, most people wouldn't even know where and how they originated. Just like the Chinese fixed phrases "付之东流", "仙山琼阁","高屋建瓴", so on and so forth, no original literal meanings would remain unchanged. I once read some investment stuff, the author first gave a warning of "don't be too greedy" or the like, followed just by the expression "He that serves God for money will serve the devil for better wages", and then proceeded with something like "if you are too greedy you will not succeed", so contexts and perspectives do matter in expressions.
orientalhorizon Local time: 18:23 Native speaker of: Chinese PRO pts in category: 12
Grading comment
Though God and the devil could be the same one for some people, it is well said with "better wages."
16 hrs confidence: peer agreement (net): +1
Follow the hand that feeds you
Explanation: 或者：Like the hand that feeds you （考虑到与被篡改英文的压韵问题）。
大胆一试，请批评指教。
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or perhaps "kiss the hand that feeds you";
or "shake the hand that feeds you" if the situation is in a more positive way
Jason Young China Local time: 18:23 Works in field Native speaker of: Chinese
Explanation: The previous translations are too antiquated or not commonly in usage in current spoken English. Jason's answer doesn't seem to be a disparaging remark, but rather an admonishment. Oriental Horizon's answer is too Bible-based. This is a fairly common Chinese phrase that, from my understanding, simply means someone who is disloyal because they are always looking for whatever will benefit them. I cannot think of an exact "idiom" to fit this meaning, but I hope this explanation helps a bit. Good luck!
Darren Wright United States Local time: 04:23 Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 4
Explanation: Orientalhorizon's addendum is the correct target phrase. All credit should be given to him.
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Orientalhorizon, the meaning of an idiom cannot be interpreted by different perspectives, certainly not apothegms or parables--or there would never be a uniform definition we can adhere to (we won't know how to use the idiom). God has nothing to do with one's mercenary devotion to MEN, not one's devotion to any other supernal or metaphysical existence.
Wenjen: "Whoever suckles one is one's mother" does not implicate that the breast feeder is one's biological mother. There are wet nurses, strangers---one can be breast fed from goats, pigs, horses, dogs even, depending on where you live. The meaning is there, and describes the volatility and venal character of one who can call another his mother simply by being breast fed, as long as there is milk.
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I don't understand how the ProZ localisation process is related to my proposed answer?
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Ah, I see now. It would seem to be the case, as freelancing means sole proprietorship---or working mercenarily to cater the needs of many clients rather than remaining faithful to one "mother", so to speak.
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Michael Lickorish while it is true that a mercenary will serve both god and the devil, the source text has no recourse to either metaphysical existences. The source text pertains to the mercenary devotion to MEN and MEN alone.
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Orientalhorizon though word usages evolve over time, idiomatic phrases do not. Etymological sources are only subjected to ignorance and collective amnesia. Please consult Fowler's Modern English Usage and "Tzi-hai" (Word Sea, or Chinese Etymology Dictionary).
Darren, I have perfect knowledge over the two words you misused. Neither words make any sense with respect to Jason's proposed answer, which was why I 'slapped' a negative rating on you.
I have also no qualms over protecting my proposed answer, as it is not mine, but Orientalhorizon's addendum. If credit should be given, it should be given to him, as I have said before (please make anote of this Wenjer). Self-serving itself is just not descriptive of the idiomatic phrase required, self-serving is a compound adjective, NOT an idiomatic phrase.
AJL MedCom Canada Local time: 06:23 Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 4
Asker: By the way, if there is any volunteer jobs which can lead to 好处 or have 好处 in prospect, I would suggest everyone to grasp the opportunities. It helps you procuring clients definitely. Since one is not allowed to do advertisement except putting a profile here, why not seizes the opportunities and makes oneself known to the industry?
Asker: Just 借题发挥一下. Never mind. I wanted to say that there is nothing wrong with 有奶便是娘 because a lot of people profitted from this website and it can well be 娘.
Explanation: the relevant definitions (American Heritage Dictionary) being
(adj) Motivated solely by a desire for monetary or material gain
(n.) One who serves or works merely for monetary gain; a hireling
I see that Michael Lickorish used the word above in his comment to Jason Young's answer.
For an idiom, perhaps "knows which side his/her bread is buttered" or "does not want to bite the hand that feeds him/her".
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I cannot fathom the mental space this man (W. L.) appears to inhabit. How he goes from 奶奶 to the devil is a mystery to me.
Mao Kong United States Local time: 18:23 Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 4
Notes to answerer
Asker: Would you care to know how to fill up the space between 奶奶 to the devil? I propose a Powwow Meeting with the title "How to Handle Bigger Projects" last September which was cancelled for I had to go over to China for a onsite project. I will propose the same Powwow Meeting in Taipei soon. Your participation would be highly welcome and we could talk about this issue as well.
The translation workplace 
