最牛之牛 (animal)

I read about the story of the fugitive German cow 'Yvonne' in the paper with a picture of the cow entitled as “史上最牛(shi3 shang4 zhui4 niu2),” the “cowest” cow in history.

The “cowest” cow? What exactly does it mean? When someone always sticks to his principles and refuses to give in so as to the extent of stubbornness, we’ll say that he has a “cow’s temper,” 牛脾氣(niu2 pi2 qi4). The cow, who ran away from a farm in May and has frustrated people striving hard to capture her many times, has been dubbed as “the cow that wants to be a deer” and “the heroin of the summer.” (BBC News Europe 13, Aug 2011) Her牛脾氣 has finally brought a happy ending for herself. She would never end up a steak on the table.

In English you say someone or something is moving at a sail’s pace; in Mandarin, we say at a “bull’s” pace, 牛步(niu2 bu4). For example, before hitting Taiwan earlier this month, Typhoon Nanmadol had ravaged Philippines for a couple of days at her snail’s pace. She was dubbed as牛步Nanmadol by the press. 牛means bull while步 means step.

When someone plays a leading role in a certain field or business, we’ll say he’s playing a執牛耳(zhi2 niu2 er3) role to show his heavyweight status. For example, Oprah plays a 執牛耳role in American show business. 執means to hold; 牛耳,a bull’s ears.

According to 左傳(zuo3 zhuan4) Chronicle of Zuo, in the past when vassal states were forming alliances with each other, they would have the ritual of smearing the blood as a sign of their oath, 歃血為盟(sha4 xie3 wei2 meng2), where a bull’s ear was cut and put on a plate which was held by the host, the most powerful vassal. The ritual of 執牛耳later turns to refer to those leading roles.

Confucius’ birthday is coming at the end of this month and as usual we’ll have a grand worship ceremony at Confucian Temple. Before 1981, there had been a very popular activity after the worship, where people rushed toward the sacrifice bull rifling to pull his hair, which was called 智慧毛(zhi4 hui4 mao2), hair of wisdom. People had believed it would help them with their schoolwork or enhance their wisdom. This ritual of bull hair-pulling was cancelled in 1981 for the potential risk it might cause when people were rushing and fighting to pull the hair.  

Bull’s hair is also often used to describe abundance as in多如牛毛(duo ru2 niu2 mao2), as much as bull’s hair. For example, the regulations of the new law are多如牛毛 that it’s hard to remember them.

Compared to her sister, who ran away with her but returned the next day, Yvonne is really very牛. But for a cow that has escaped from so many captures and lures, including one from a 型男*(xing2 nan2)bull, I think she deserves the happy ending. I wish you a happy life, Yvonne!

* For the term型男.Please read my writing Black cat vs. 辣妹 in Aug.

      

牛脾氣=牛脾气

執牛耳=执牛耳      

左傳=左传

歃血為盟=歃血为盟