路遙知馬力，事久見人心

Chinese

		a long road tests a horse's strength; distance tests a horse's stamina; only time can reveal a person's true strength		matter; thing; item matter; thing; item; work; affair	(long) time; (long) duration of time	to see; to meet; to appear to see; to meet; to appear; to interview	people's thoughts; public feeling; moral nature
trad. (路遙知馬力，事久見人心)		路遙知馬力	，	事	久	見	人心
simp. (路遥知马力，事久见人心)		路遥知马力	，	事	久	见	人心

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): lùyáozhīmǎlì, shìjiǔjiànrénxīn

  (Zhuyin): ㄌㄨˋ ㄧㄠˊ ㄓ ㄇㄚˇ ㄌㄧˋ , ㄕˋ ㄐㄧㄡˇ ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄖㄣˊ ㄒㄧㄣ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: lùyáozhīmǎlì, shìjiǔjiànrénxīn
    • Zhuyin: ㄌㄨˋ ㄧㄠˊ ㄓ ㄇㄚˇ ㄌㄧˋ , ㄕˋ ㄐㄧㄡˇ ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄖㄣˊ ㄒㄧㄣ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: lùyáojhihmǎlì, shìhjiǒujiànrénsin
    • Wade–Giles: lu⁴-yao²-chih¹-ma³-li⁴, shih⁴-chiu³-chien⁴-jên²-hsin¹
    • Yale: lù-yáu-jr̄-mǎ-lì-, shr̀-jyǒu-jyàn-rén-syīn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: luhyaujymaalih, shyhjeoujiannrenshin
    • Palladius: луяочжимали, шицзюцзяньжэньсинь (lujaočžimali, šiczjuczjanʹžɛnʹsinʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lu⁵¹ jɑʊ̯³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ mä²¹⁴⁻²¹ li⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹ ʐən³⁵ ɕin⁵⁵/

Proverb

路遙知馬力，事久見人心

1. a long road tests a horse's strength, and a long task proves a person's heart

   • 遊擊戰爭沒有正規戰爭那樣迅速的成效和顯赫的名聲，但是「路遙知馬力，事久見人心」，在長期和殘酷的戰爭中，遊擊戰爭將表現其很大的威力，實在是非同小可的事業。 [MSC, trad.]
     游击战争没有正规战争那样迅速的成效和显赫的名声，但是「路遥知马力，事久见人心」，在长期和残酷的战争中，游击战争将表现其很大的威力，实在是非同小可的事业。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 1938, 毛澤東 (Mao Zedong), 《論持久戰》 (On Protracted War), 《毛澤東選集》. English translation based on the Foreign Languages Press edition

     Yóujī zhànzhēng méiyǒu zhèngguī zhànzhēng nàyàng xùnsù de chéngxiào hé xiǎnhè de míngshēng, dànshì “lùyáozhīmǎlì, shìjiǔjiànrénxīn”, zài chángqī hé cánkù de zhànzhēng zhōng, yóujī zhànzhēng jiāng biǎoxiàn qí hěn dà de wēilì, shízài shì fēitóngxiǎokě de shìyè. [Pinyin]

     Guerrilla warfare does not bring as quick results or as great renown as regular warfare, but "a long road tests a horse's strength and a long task proves a person's heart", and in the course of this long and cruel war guerrilla warfare will demonstrate its immense power; it is indeed no ordinary undertaking.

Synonyms

• 路遙知馬力，日久見人心／路遥知马力，日久见人心 (lùyáozhīmǎlì, rìjiǔjiànrénxīn)