Between two stools one sits on the ground.

Chinese translation: 脚踩两条凳，早晚要坠地

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

English term or phrase:	Between two stools one sits on the ground.
Chinese translation:	脚踩两条凳，早晚要坠地
Entered by:	Qingyong Zhang

16:55 Jun 7, 2008

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

English term or phrase: Between two stools one sits on the ground.

是从法语谚语中翻译过来的[Fr., S'asseoir entre deux selles le cul a terre.] 本人实在愚钝，请指点。

Qingyong Zhang KudoZ activity Questions: 7 (none open) (1 without valid answers) Answers: 11 China
Local time: 18:58

脚踩两条凳，早晚要坠地

Explanation:
西南石油大学外语系--师生互动-大学英语四六级-浏览贴子:名言大全[转帖]- [ Translate this page ]Between two stools you fall to the ground. 中文脚踩两条凳，早晚要坠地（意同：脚踏两条船，两头要落空）. Birds of a feather flock together. ...
wyx.swpi.edu.cn/bbs_display.asp?banid=2&topic_id=608 - 39k - Cached - Similar pages

Selected response from:

karcsy
Local time: 18:58

Grading comment

Thanks a lot!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

3 +4

脚踩两条凳，早晚要坠地

karcsy

3 +1

fall between two stools

chica nueva

Discussion entries: 2

Answers

56 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

between two stools one sits on the ground.

脚踩两条凳，早晚要坠地

Language variant: 脚踏两条船，两头要落空

Explanation:
西南石油大学外语系--师生互动-大学英语四六级-浏览贴子:名言大全[转帖]- [ Translate this page ]Between two stools you fall to the ground. 中文脚踩两条凳，早晚要坠地（意同：脚踏两条船，两头要落空）. Birds of a feather flock together. ...
wyx.swpi.edu.cn/bbs_display.asp?banid=2&topic_id=608 - 39k - Cached - Similar pages

karcsy
Local time: 18:58
Native speaker of:

Chinese
PRO pts in category: 4

Grading comment

Thanks a lot!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

agree

ricochu0311: 还有一些译法可供参考: "脚踏两头要落空" http://bennu4000.blog.163.com/blog/static/116777282006925594... "脚踏双凳必坠地" http://jdh-2002.blog.163.com/blog/static/1063753200711710282... "脚踏两条船，迟早会落水" http://cneastar2008.blog.china.alibaba.com/

1 hr

-> 感恩！

agree

chica nueva: I've never heard of this idiom in English http://www.google.com/search?q=between two stools 俗语 &rls=co...

2 hrs

-> me too.

agree

orientalhorizon

7 hrs

-> 感恩！

agree

Wenjer Leuschel (X): 两凳居间坐，屁股要着地。//改一下：两凳居间坐，屁股稳着地。//我觉得英译不够传神，所以透过英译不像法文那么有趣。Sit between two chairs, the butt to the ground.

18 hrs

-> 感恩！非常喜欢您的译法。// 哈哈！更有趣！

3 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

between two stools one sits on the ground. fall between two stools

Explanation:
"fall between two stools (mainly British, mainly British)

if something falls between two stools, it fails because it is neither one type of thing nor another and if someone falls between two stools, they fail because they try to combine two different types of thing that cannot be combined. For me, it fell between two stools, being neither romantic fiction nor serious literature. If you try to organize an event that will appeal to both young and old, you can end up caught between two stools. " (Google)

"fall between two stools not clearly one type or the other, neither fish nor fowl This vehicle is part bike and part car. It falls between two stools." (Google)

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Note added at 3 hrs (2008-06-07 20:52:37 GMT)
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stool: Definition, Synonyms and Much More from Answers.com 凳子, 廁所, 大便 v. intr. - 長新枝. idioms:. fall between two stools 兩頭落空; stool pigeon 媒鴿, 眼線, 鴿子, 密探. 한국어 (Korean) n. - 걸상, 발판, 변기 ...
www.answers.com/topic/stool - 61k - Cached - Similar pages

每日习语[1.15]fall between two stools
据说，春秋时晋国有个乡巴佬和妻子一起到田上干活，看见附近桑林里有个漂亮姑娘在采桑，「因往追之」，却没有追上；回到家里，「其妻怒而去之」(《说苑 ‧ 正谏》)。英国人会说，这个乡巴佬是 fall between two stools了。

Stool是凳子；在两把凳子之间犹豫，决不定坐哪一把，结果往往是两把凳子都会给别人坐了。所以，人们说「两头落空」或「两边不讨好」，会用 fall between two stools(落在两把凳子之间 )这个成语，例如︰ Tom fell between two stools by trying to keep on good terms with Henry and James at the same time, for the two were bitter enemies (汤姆想跟亨利、詹姆斯同时保持良好关系，结果两边不讨好，因为亨利和詹姆斯是死敌 )。（Google)

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Note added at 4 hrs (2008-06-07 20:56:45 GMT)
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fall between two stools = neither fish nor fowl = 四不像，不容易归类的:

轻松调频CRI Easyfm，from Beijing for China - [ Translate this page ]12 Mar 2008 ... Idioms about fish 有关鱼的俗语 ... 5. be neither fish nor fowl 四不像，不容易归类的. if something is neither fish nor fowl, it is difficult ...
english.cri.cn/4926/2008/03/12/[email protected] - 24k - Cached - Similar pages

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Note added at 14 hrs (2008-06-08 07:17:29 GMT) Post-grading
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I didn't know this idiom:

“Proverbs: Between two stools one falls to the ground
Inability to choose between, or accommodate oneself to, alternative viewpoints or courses of action is likely to end in disaster.”
http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:dAJR-0mdmmAJ:www.answer...
http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:DOEF36LbhwEJ:www.phrase...

Between two stools one sits on the ground. [Fr., S'asseoir entre deux selles le cul a terre.]
Author: Francois Rabelais
Source: Gargantua (bk. I, ch. II)

Notebook to the ground. [Entre deux arcouns chet cul Ã terre. (Between two stools one sits on the ground. - Les Proverbes del Vilain, M. S. Bodleian circa 1303] ...
www.noteaccess.com/PEOPLE/EnglishCS.htm - 10k - Cached - Similar pages

chica nueva
Local time: 22:58
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4

Notes to answerer

Asker: thanks very much,both are very comprehensive. But I have to choose one.

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Between two stools one sits on the ground.

Chinese translation: 脚踩两条凳，早晚要坠地

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