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Answer to A Surprisingly Useful Chinese Proverb Used To Say Something Is Impossible

Oct. 18, 2019

Answer:
1. B

Analysis:

Jack: Nǐ zěnme néng ràng Alan shàngchǎng? Tā jīhū méi dǎguò lánqiú.
Jack:你怎么能让Alan上场?他几乎没打过篮球。
Jack: How did you get Alan to compete? He has hardly ever played basketball.

Bob: Méi bànfa, yǐjīng méiyǒu qítā de duìyuán le.
Bob:没办法,已经没有其他的队员了。
Bob: I can’t help it. There are no other team members.

Jack: Nǐ zhè zhēnshì gǎn yāzi shàng jià a!
Jack:你这真是赶鸭子上架啊!
Jack: You’re really driving a duck onto a perch!

When Jack says that Alan has hardly ever played basketball, and asks how Bob was able to persuade Alan to play, we can assume that it is beyond Alan’s ability to play, considering that he was chosen to participate in the game only because there were no more participants left to choose from. This means that Alan is being asked by Bob to do something beyond his ability, similarly as driving a duck onto a perch. Hence, the correct answer is B.

<<Back to “A Surprisingly Useful Chinese Proverb Used To Say Something Is Impossible”

Know More Interesting Popular Chinese Proverbs:
留得青山在,不怕没柴烧 Where There is Life, There is Hope (Intermediate)
一年之计在于春 A Year’s Plan Starts with Spring (Beginner)
站着说话不腰疼 It’s easier said than done (Advanced)

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