諺語 · a single proverb
不怕慢，只怕站
What does 不怕慢，只怕站 (bù pà màn zhǐ pà zhàn) mean?
不怕慢，只怕站 (bù pà màn zhǐ pà zhàn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "not afraid of slow, only afraid of standing still." In use it means: It doesn't matter if you go slowly, as long as you keep moving; stop and you lose everything. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Earth note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Ox.
Literally: "not afraid of slow, only afraid of standing still."
The reading
Slowness preserves the direction; stopping abandons it. The snail arrives while the rabbit that sat down does not, and the only catastrophe along the road is not insufficient speed but the decision to stay. Any pace that maintains the direction will eventually cover the distance. The only unforgivable pace is no pace at all.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese folk proverb (suyu)
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Perseverance & the Long Road, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Ox, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 不怕慢，只怕站 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 不怕慢，只怕站 (bù pà màn zhǐ pà zhàn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese folk proverb (suyu). It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 不怕慢，只怕站?
In Mandarin it is bù pà màn zhǐ pà zhàn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 不怕慢，只怕站 aloud in Mandarin.