立牌坊

English translation: pretend to be a chaste widow

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

Chinese term or phrase:	立牌坊
English translation:	pretend to be a chaste widow
Entered by:	Wenjer Leuschel (X)

15:06 Jul 3, 2007

Chinese to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings / Chinese Saying

Chinese term or phrase: 立牌坊

The context: Dialog

A: 遇上既要当婊子又要{立牌坊}的当道小人，你能怎样？

B: 不能怎样，立个牌坊给他就是了，反正大家会知道他不配。

The question: {立牌坊}
I am wondering if there is a saying in English speaking culture which come close to this one of Chinese.

Wenjer Leuschel (X) KudoZ activity Questions: 367 (3 open) (5 closed without grading) Answers: 4078 Taiwan
Local time: 21:41

chaste widow

Explanation:
遇上既要当婊子又要{立牌坊}的当道小人，你能怎样？
what would you do if you meet a vile person who
wants to be a prostitute yet pretends to be a chaste widow?

中国孔子论坛Furthermore, the government maintained a registry of both chaste widows and thrice-married women. The chaste widows received accolades from the government (Kendall and Peterson 1983, 35), while the thrice-married women received nothing ...
www.chinakongzi.com/kzubb/showtopic.asp?topicid=1187 - 34k - 网页快照 - 类似网页

female medical workers in ancient china该网站可能含有恶意软件，有可能会危害您的电脑。
I am a widow. How can I let males see me," she replied. Finally she died of the illness . 9 Another example was a certain Madam Hu, who was paised as a "chaste widow." Sticken with disease and when her family was about to send for a ...
www.cintcm.com/e_cintcm/e_forum/female medical workers in a... - 类似网页

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Note added at 1小时 (2007-07-03 16:58:40 GMT)
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立牌坊 = 贞节妇人
there's no need not say 'erect/construct a chaste monumental arch'

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Note added at 2小时 (2007-07-03 17:52:09 GMT)
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孔子本来就是官家子弟，会创造出的思想，出发点在于维护权威并延伸到社会的秩序到家庭的伦理。他的思想伴随了我们从古到今，他的存在必有它的价值，要不然老早就被淘汰了。但再想想一个三千多年前的人的思想虽有许多不足之处，但也有许多可取之处，特别是‘中庸之道’。
balancing everything to their optimum state, such as balancing between analysis & decisiveness, hah,sounds familiar?

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Note added at 7小时 (2007-07-03 22:27:58 GMT)
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oops, I concentrated too much on the '立牌坊‘.
verbatim and gender neutral translation would be:
what would you do if you meet a cad in power who wants to be a prostitute yet pretends to be a chaste person?

true sense of the sentence should be:
what would you do if you meet a double faced cad who is in power?

要当婊子又要立牌坊的当道小人 = 双面小人 = double faced cad

Selected response from:

karcsy
Local time: 21:41

Grading comment

Thank you! I guess, this is the closest one. I was waiting for some more interesting suggestions, but got reminded by a "haste note" to choose a "chaste widow."
2 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

5 +1

boasting one's chastity

ZhiBing SUN

Keeping A Mistress and the Gentleman's Code

pkchan

chaste widow

karcsy

Answers

18 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

boasting one's chastity

Explanation:
又想当婊子,又想立牌坊.
Indulge oneself in prostitution while boasting one's chastity.

这是标准的英文翻译。详见
http://ks.cn.yahoo.com/question/?qid=1407052501086

Example sentence(s):

又想当婊子,又想立牌坊.
Indulge oneself in prostitution while boasting one's chastity.

Reference: http://ks.cn.yahoo.com/question/?qid=1407052501086

ZhiBing SUN
China
Local time: 21:41
Native speaker of:

Chinese

Notes to answerer

Asker: 牌坊一般都是由别人立的，婊子不希望人家知道她是婊子，所以装模作样，让别人帮她立牌坊。主动的 boast 似乎不太对口。

1 hr confidence:

Keeping A Mistress and the Gentleman's Code

Explanation:
or:You cannot RUN with the hare and hunt with the hounds

POW (90), Happy weekend! Friday, 13th!- [ Translate this page ]让他顺杆儿爬，终要摔死他。 4. You cannot RUN with the hare and hunt with the hounds. 当婊子不能立牌坊，逛窑子哪能去扫黄？ 5. SAFE bind, safe find. ...
www.bilinguist.com/data/hy00/messages/24026.html - 28k - Cached - Similar pages

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Note added at 1 hr (2007-07-03 16:28:56 GMT)
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other alternatives:
you can't have your cake and eat it
you can't have it both ways
you can't have both the butter and the butter money

pkchan
United States
Local time: 09:41
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Chinese
PRO pts in category: 28

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thanks, PK! Hahaha, do you really believe that there aren't people who have the butter and keep the butter money as well? How about an Arch of Chastity for Mata Hari?

1 hr confidence:

chaste widow

karcsy
Local time: 21:41
Native speaker of:

Chinese
PRO pts in category: 6

Grading comment

Thank you! I guess, this is the closest one. I was waiting for some more interesting suggestions, but got reminded by a "haste note" to choose a "chaste widow."

Notes to answerer

Asker: Wow! I would call that a fundamentalistic interpretation of Confucianism. Nice way to keep law and order, isn't it?

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立牌坊

English translation: pretend to be a chaste widow

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English translation: pretend to be a chaste widow

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