This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. English to Chinese
  3. Idioms / Maxims / Sayings

throw out the baby with the bath water

Chinese translation: 把孩子连同洗澡水一起泼掉

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:throw out the baby with the bath water
Chinese translation:把孩子连同洗澡水一起泼掉
Entered by: Krzysztof Achinger (X)

17:16 Mar 17, 2011
English to Chinese translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings / Chengyu
English term or phrase: throw out the baby with the bath water
How would this be translated into Chinese? I am looking rather for chengyu than literal translation.

Throw out the baby with the bath water is an idiomatic expression used to suggest an avoidable error in which something good is eliminated when trying to get rid of something bad, or in other words, rejecting the essential along with the inessential.
A slightly different explanation suggests that this flexible catchphrase has to do with discarding the essential while retaining the superfluous because of excessive zeal. In other words, the idiom is applicable not only when it's a matter of throwing out the baby with the bath water, but also when someone might throw out the baby and keep the bath water.
Krzysztof Achinger (X)
Poland
把孩子连同洗澡水一起泼掉
Explanation:
把孩子连同洗澡水一起泼掉

This appears to be a literal translation but it is not. It is one of the Chinese idioms that has been used for many years. It is hard to say if it was originally translated from English. It is even possible that the Chinese idiom came before the English one.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 8 hrs (2011-03-18 01:19:37 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

浦发银行(sh600000) 被低估把孩子当洗澡水给泼了——&*小刘τ&it---寻找 ... - [ Translate this page ]2010年3月15日 ... “别把孩子和洗澡水一起泼掉”，这是一句老掉牙的谚语，在全世界各种语言中 ... 还有联通的公司也能否入股其他的商业银行，这样一来是否全国的商业银行 ...
blog.eastmoney.com/liuzq21/blog_140307807.html - Cached

ON this site, this sentence was called as 一句老掉牙的谚语. If you can google it, you will see many hits.
Selected response from:

jyuan_us
United States
Local time: 17:43
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +1把孩子连同洗澡水一起泼掉
jyuan_us
3 +2因噎费食
Su Hong
4 +1良莠不分；全盘否定
Zhi Huang
3不分好坏 or 糟华齐扔 or 不分好坏 糟华齐扔
jarv95888


  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
因噎费食


Explanation:
因噎费食 was the first thing that came into my mind, or maybe 良莠不分 is another possiblility.

Su Hong
United States
Local time: 17:43
Native speaker of: Native in ChineseChinese, Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Pierrick Jaouen, CFA: Or is it 因噎废食 ? Which one is more correct ?
3 hrs
  -> Thank you for pointing that out. My mistake.
neutral  jyuan_us: 因噎废食 means quite differently.
5 hrs
agree  James_xia
4 days
  -> Thank you.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
不分好坏 or 糟华齐扔 or 不分好坏 糟华齐扔


Explanation:
just a suggestion

jarv95888
Local time: 17:43
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in ChineseChinese, Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  jyuan_us: I googled 糟华齐扔but I got 0 hit. Did you make it up?
2 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
把孩子连同洗澡水一起泼掉


Explanation:
把孩子连同洗澡水一起泼掉

This appears to be a literal translation but it is not. It is one of the Chinese idioms that has been used for many years. It is hard to say if it was originally translated from English. It is even possible that the Chinese idiom came before the English one.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 8 hrs (2011-03-18 01:19:37 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

浦发银行(sh600000) 被低估把孩子当洗澡水给泼了——&*小刘τ&it---寻找 ... - [ Translate this page ]2010年3月15日 ... “别把孩子和洗澡水一起泼掉”，这是一句老掉牙的谚语，在全世界各种语言中 ... 还有联通的公司也能否入股其他的商业银行，这样一来是否全国的商业银行 ...
blog.eastmoney.com/liuzq21/blog_140307807.html - Cached

ON this site, this sentence was called as 一句老掉牙的谚语. If you can google it, you will see many hits.

jyuan_us
United States
Local time: 17:43
Native speaker of: Native in ChineseChinese
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Sharon Toh, MITI MCIL: Agree. This is indeed an old Chinese proverb.
2 days 7 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

9 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
良莠不分；全盘否定


Explanation:
切勿良莠不分一起抛；
不分精华糟粕全盘否定。

Zhi Huang
Local time: 07:43
Native speaker of: Native in ChineseChinese, Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Bin Tiede (X)
4 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:
ProZ.com term search
Search millions of term translations
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search