Have you ever felt that there were times, no matter what you did, there were always things that did not go well and there were always bad luck followed you everywhere? This kind of situation can be hard at times, and sometimes it made you question your own ability and even doubt the purpose of living .
There is a Chinese proverb can be used to describe this unfortunate and difficult life situation:
屋漏偏逢连夜雨
wū lòu piān féng liányè yǔ
wū ( 屋 noun, house) lòu ( 漏 verb, to leak) piān (偏 contrary to expectations) féng ( 逢 verb, meet by chance or come across) lián (连 adjective, continuous) yè (夜 noun, night) yǔ ( 雨 noun, rains)
Literally, it means:
At the time that the roof was leaking, (unfortunately) it also happened that it got several continuous nights of rains.
Thus, for unfortunate events occur in quantity, this Chinese proverb carries this English idiom’s meaning:
It never rains but it pours.
Sample usage:
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他上星期发生车祸，这个星期被诊断出癌症，他的处境真是屋漏偏逢连夜雨，十分悲惨。
tā shàng xīngqī fāshēng chēhuò , zhège xīngqī bèi zhěnduàn chū áizhēng , tā de chǔjìng zhēnshì wū lòu piān féng liányè yǔ , shí fēn bēicǎn .
He had a car accident last week and this week he got diagnosed with cancer. His situation is like a leaky roof with continuous nights of rains, very tragic and miserable.
Similar Chinese idioms or proverbs to describe misfortunes never come single are:
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祸不单行
huò bù dān xíng
Misfortunes never come single.
她最近祸不单行，不旦被解雇，而且脚受伤。身心俱伤，很令人同情。
tā zuìjìn huòbùdānxíng , bù dàn bèi jiěgù , érqiě jiǎo shòushāng . shēnxīnjù shāng , hěn lìngrén tóngqíng .
Recently, she got multiple misfortunes. She not only got laid off, but also had foot injury. She was hurt both physically and mentally, very pitiful.
一波未平，一波又起
yī bō wèi píng yī bō yòu qǐ
Just when one wave subsides, another one surges.
她前一阵子破产，没想到一波未平，一波又起，现在她居然和她结婚多年的丈夫离婚了。
tā qiányīzhènzi pòchǎn , méi xiǎngdào yībōwèipíng , yībōyòuqǐ , xiànzài tā jūrán hé tā jiéhūn duōniánde zhàngfu líhūn le .
Not long ago, she was bankrupt. Who would have thought that one wave has not yet subsided, another one surges. Now, unexpectedly she divorced her husband who she was married for many years.
多灾多难
duō zāi duō nán
dogged with misfortunes and mishaps
她的人生多灾多难，非常不顺利。
tā de rénshēng duō zāi duō nán , fēicháng bù shùnlì.
Her life is full of disasters and misfortune, really not smooth.
福无双至
fú wú shuāng zhì
Felicity never turns out in pairs.
or
Blessings do not come hand in hand.
这世界上福无双至，好事接二连三而来的很少。
zhè shìjièshàng fú wúshuāng zhì , hǎoshìjiēèrliánsān ér lái de hěn shǎo .
In this world blessings don’t come hand in hand; good things that come one after another are very rare.
雪上加霜
xuě shàng jiā shuāng
Add frost to snow
or
One disaster after another
最近全球经济情况很差，使她原来就不好的生意雪上加霜，几乎破产。
zuìjìn quánqiújīngjì qíngkuàng hěn chā , shǐ tā yuánlái jiù bùlǐxiǎng shēngyi xuě shàng jiā shuāng , jīhū pòchǎn .
The recent global economic situation is very bad and it added hail to snow to her originally bad business to the point of near bankruptcy.
Some other idioms to describe misfortune situation occur are:
避坑落井
bì kēng luò jǐng
Literally it means: to dodge a pit only to fall into a well.
Jump out of the frying pan into the fire
or
To go from a bad situation to an even worse one
落井下石
luò jǐng xià shí
Originally it means: to throw stones at somebody who fell down a well.
So, it also implies: to hit a person who is down.
火上浇油
huǒ shàng jiāo yóu
A Chinese idiom: to pour oil on the fire.
It also implies: to aggravate a situation / to enrage people and make matters worse.
灾患丛生
zāi huàn cóng shēng
Disasters and misfortunes break out everywhere.
Below are some very positive and constructive words of wisdom on the internet I read a few days ago. If you are in a desolate life situation, hope these inspirational quotes can offer you a light of hope.
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希望
xī wàng
Hope
最使人疲憊的． 往往不是道路的遙遠，而是《 心中的鬱悶 》 ；
zuì shǐ rén pí bèi de . wǎng wǎng bù shì dàolù de yáoyuǎn , érshì [ xīn zhōng de mēn ]
The thing that exhausted people the most, often, it is not the long distance of roads, but the depression of heart.
最使人頹喪的． 往往不是前途的坎坷，而是《 自信的喪失 》；
zuì shǐ rén tuí sàng de . wǎngwǎng bù shì qiántú de kǎnkě , érshì [ zìxìn de sàngshī ]
The thing that disheartened people the most, often it is not the bumpy future outlook, but the loss of self-confidence.
最使人痛苦的． 往往不是生活的不幸，而是《 希望的破滅 》；
zuì shǐ rén tòngkǔ de . wǎngwǎng bù shì shēnghuó de bùxìng , érshì [ xīwàng de pò miè]
The thing that pained people the most, often it is not the misfortune of living, but the annihilation of hope.
最使人絕望的． 往往不是挫折的打撃，而是《 心靈的死亡 》；
zuì shǐ rén juéwàng de . wǎngwǎng bù shì cuòzhé de dǎ jí, érshì [ xīn líng de sǐwáng ]
The thing that despaired people the most, often it is not strike of defeat, but the death of heart and soul.
是啊！所以凡事要看淡些，心放開一點，相信一切都會慢慢變好的，也會過去的。
shì a ! suǒyǐ fánshì yào kàndànxiē , xīn fàng kāi Yī diǎn , xiāngxìn yīqiè dōu huì mànmàn biànhǎo de , yě huì guòqù de .
Ah, yes! So everything we should see them lightly, release our hearts a bit and believe everything will gradually turn well, and also will pass eventually.
There is another internet witty saying about how should we deal some daunting life experience:
快樂從來不是永恆，痛苦也只是過程，沒有誰能拒絕春天來臨，沒有誰能永遠都做好夢，快樂掌握在自己手裡，是要自己去找尋，看淡一切，善待自己！
kuài lè cónglái bù shì yǒng héng , tòngkǔ yě zhǐ shì guòchéng , yǒu shéi néng jù jué chūntiān láilín , yǒu shéi néng yǒng yuǎn dōu zuò hǎo mèng , kuài lè zhǎngwò zài zìjǐ shǒu , shì yào zìjǐ qù zhǎo xún , kàndànyīqiè , shàndāizìjǐ !
Happiness is never eternal, and suffering also is just the process. No one can refuse the arrival of spring, and no one can forever dream good dreams. Happiness is held in one’s own hands, and it needs oneself to seek for it. Treat everything lightly and be kind to oneself !
Daniel Powter-Bad Day (lyrics)
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Life is a journey – From the starting point to the finish line
纳兰性德 MV- 一程山水一程歌
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For lyrics, pinyin, and English of this beautiful song, see
http://www.chinesetolearn.com/?p=4989