APAD: One swallow does not make a summer

Meaning:

Don't draw a premature conclusion based on a single fact

 

Background:

In Aesop's fable, a young man sees a swallow on a warm winter day. Thinking that

winter is over, he sells off his woolen coat, and with the money he's made he

goes to the bar and drinks. Unfortunately, in the days that follow the

temperature drops and the young man, shivering in the cold, realizes that one

swallow does not make a summer.

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

On the other hand, people invoking the proverb can wait too long for mature

conclusions and miss the boat. It's about risk-control. One should watch out or

just skip it when risks are high, but otherwise shouldn't fear mistakes as pain,

in the right dosage, is a good teacher. Success and failures are but illusions.

Life is a continuous process of learning from (small) missteps.

所有跟帖： 

• I think that man would find any excuse to sell for a drink;) -最西邊的島上- ♀ (0 bytes) () 02/25/2024 postreply 10:25:26

• The dipso had missed his AA meetings three times in a row:-) -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 02/25/2024 postreply 10:35:40

• He might not have survived. -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 02/25/2024 postreply 10:36:44

• Yes, every coin has two sides, and 小失敗是大成功之母 ;-) -最西邊的島上- ♀ (0 bytes) () 02/25/2024 postreply 11:11:17

• A sound mind in a sound body--the only success I want. -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 02/25/2024 postreply 11:25:23

• don't we all brother, don't we all. -最西邊的島上- ♀ (0 bytes) () 02/25/2024 postreply 13:05:59

• Success and failures are but illusions.+100086 -暖冬cool夏- ♀ (0 bytes) () 02/25/2024 postreply 12:20:03

• This APAD is opposite to春江水暖鴨先知.Ducks are a better presage：） -暖冬cool夏- ♀ (0 bytes) () 02/25/2024 postreply 12:25:09

• And they speak an ancient tongue:-) -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 02/25/2024 postreply 12:47:28

• Like Aesop's fable！Do three swallows make a summer？：） -妖妖靈- ♀ (0 bytes) () 02/25/2024 postreply 12:59:03

• On the contrary, one leaf makes a fall. 一葉知秋 -godog- ♂ (0 bytes) () 02/25/2024 postreply 13:14:03

• 還是伊索寓言更有道理，萬一是因為主人沒澆水一片葉子變黃了呢？：） -妖妖靈- ♀ (0 bytes) () 02/25/2024 postreply 13:43:53

• On 1 hand goodies come2 those who wait on the other hand -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 02/25/2024 postreply 14:07:28

• Fortune favours the bold -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 02/25/2024 postreply 14:07:40

• 一花獨放 -moonlight7- ♂ (0 bytes) () 02/25/2024 postreply 17:26:45

• 不是春？ -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 02/25/2024 postreply 19:24:36

• 可以把問號去掉：）） -衛寧- ♂ (0 bytes) () 02/26/2024 postreply 08:17:47

• Sure. ：）） -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 02/26/2024 postreply 13:21:39

• 這個和”一葉知秋”正好相反。中文中似乎沒有恰好相對應的成語。 -方外居士- ♂ (0 bytes) () 02/25/2024 postreply 17:42:11

• 我也沒想到合適的中文成語 -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 02/25/2024 postreply 19:23:25

• 樓上月光哥的“一花獨放不是春”，好像還挺適合。：） -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 02/26/2024 postreply 06:43:17

• 謝謝盈盈鼓勵！ -moonlight7- ♂ (0 bytes) () 02/26/2024 postreply 08:26:52

• 還真是合適 -方外居士- ♂ (0 bytes) () 02/26/2024 postreply 11:09:42

• Success and failures are but illusions.+100086 - 暖冬cool夏 - -盈盈一笑間- ♀ (0 bytes) () 02/25/2024 postreply 19:24:01