寧鳴而死，不默而生

Chinese

		peaceful; rather; Ningxia (abbrev.)	to cry (of birds)	and; as well as; but (not) and; as well as; but (not); yet (not); (shows causal relation); (shows change of state); (shows contrast)	to die; impassable; uncrossable to die; impassable; uncrossable; inflexible; rigid		not; no	silent; write from memory	and; as well as; but (not) and; as well as; but (not); yet (not); (shows causal relation); (shows change of state); (shows contrast)	to be born; to give birth; life to be born; to give birth; life; to grow; student; raw
trad. (寧鳴而死，不默而生)		寧	鳴	而	死	，	不	默	而	生
simp. (宁鸣而死，不默而生)		宁	鸣	而	死	，	不	默	而	生

Etymology

故割而可卷，孰為神兵？焚而可變，孰為英瓊？寧鳴而死，不默而生。 [MSC, trad.]

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故割而可卷，孰为神兵？焚而可变，孰为英琼？宁鸣而死，不默而生。 [MSC, simp.]

From: Fan Zhongyan, 《靈烏賦》

Gù gē ér kě juǎn, shú wèi shén bīng? Fén ér kě biàn, shú wèi yīng qióng? Níng míng ér sǐ, bù mò ér shēng. [Pinyin]

Therefore, how can you call a weapon as god-tier if it bends when you use it to cut things? How can you call a piece of jade as precious if its appearance changes when burnt? I would rather die for speaking out than living in silence.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): níngmíng'érsǐ, bùmò'érshēng

  (Zhuyin): ㄋㄧㄥˊ ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄦˊ ㄙˇ , ㄅㄨˋ ㄇㄛˋ ㄦˊ ㄕㄥ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ning⁴ ming⁴ ji⁴ sei², bat¹ mak⁶ ji⁴ sang¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: níngmíng'érsǐ, bùmò'érshēng [Phonetic: níngmíng'érsǐ, búmò'érshēng]
    • Zhuyin: ㄋㄧㄥˊ ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄦˊ ㄙˇ , ㄅㄨˋ ㄇㄛˋ ㄦˊ ㄕㄥ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: níngmíng-érsǐh, bùmò-érsheng
    • Wade–Giles: ning²-ming²-êrh²-ssŭ³, pu⁴-mo⁴-êrh²-shêng¹
    • Yale: níng-míng-ér-sž-, bù-mwò-ér-shēng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ningmingerlsyy, bumoherlsheng
    • Palladius: нинминъэрсы, бумоэршэн (ninminʺersy, bumoeršɛn)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /niŋ³⁵ miŋ³⁵ ˀɤɻ³⁵ sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ mu̯ɔ⁵¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: ning⁴ ming⁴ ji⁴ sei², bat¹ mak⁶ ji⁴ sang¹
    • Yale: nìhng mìhng yìh séi, bāt mahk yìh sāng
    • Cantonese Pinyin: ning⁴ ming⁴ ji⁴ sei², bat⁷ mak⁹ ji⁴ sang¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: ning⁴ ming⁴ yi⁴ séi², bed¹ meg⁶ yi⁴ seng¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /nɪŋ²¹ mɪŋ²¹ jiː²¹ sei̯³⁵ pɐt̚⁵ mɐk̚² jiː²¹ sɐŋ⁵⁵/

Proverb

寧鳴而死，不默而生

1. to rather speak up for justice and die than live in silence