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Fungua akaunti mpya

Makala / Methali Methali ya Leo
Taarifa
Majadiliano
Methali

A penny saved is a penny earned

Jiunge
au ingia
Ili kupiga KURA kwa Methali ya Mwezi
Kura
1
Iliharirishwa miezi 6 iliyopita
by
Brighid McCarthy
View this proverb in Swahili
Kuokoa mia ni kuingiza mia
A penny that stays in your pocket can be used for another purpose. It could be used to buy something else, or you could lend or invest it to yield more money in the future. In economics, this principle is called "opportunity cost". When we spend money or time on one thing, we also lose the opportunity to use it for something else.

This proverb is usually attributed to Benjamin Franklin, but he did not originate it, nor did he use the exact phrase. Similar versions of the proverb appear in earlier sources. For example:
A penny spar'd is twice got.
- Outlandish Proverbs by George Herbert (1640) 

In Poor Richard's Almanac (1736), Benjamin Franklin quotes the proverb and explains it well:
Necessary Hints to Those That Would Be Rich
The use of money is all the advantage there is in having money. For six pounds a year [interest] you may have the use of one hundred pounds [a loan], provided you are a man of known prudence and honesty.
He that spends a groat [4 pence] a day idly spends idly above six pounds a year, which is the price for the use of one hundred pounds.
He that wastes idly a groat's [4  pence] worth of his time per day, one day with another, wastes the privilege of using one hundred pounds each day.
He that idly loses five shillings' worth of time loses five shillings, and might as prudently throw five shillings into the sea.
He that loses five shillings not only loses that sum, but all the advantage that might be made by turning it in dealing, which by the time that a young man becomes old will amount to a considerable sum of money.
Again, he that sells upon credit asks a price for what he sells equivalent to the principal and interest of his money for the time he is to be kept out of it, therefore, he that buys upon credit pays interest for what he buys, and he that pays ready money might let that money out to use, so that he that possesses anything he has bought pays interest for the use of it.
Yet in buying goods it is best to pay ready money, because he that sells upon credit expects to lose five per cent by bad debts; therefore he charges on all he sells upon credit an advance that shall make up that deficiency. Those who pay for what they buy upon credit pay their share of this advance. He that pays ready money escapes, or may escape, that charge.
"A penny saved is twopence clear;
A pin a day's a groat a year."

So, next time you think about spending money or time on something, ask yourself what the opportunity cost might be. If you didn't spend it, could you lend it to someone else? Could you pay off your existing debts? Could you invest in something that might bring a larger profit in the future?

Marejeleo
Outlandish Proverbs by George Herbert (Explained and Translated to modern English)
Origin and meaning of the proverb (Snopes) (Grammarist) (Forbes) (Wiktionary)

You might enjoy Mark Twain's satirical criticism of Franklin:
[Benjamin Franklin]'s maxims were full of animosity toward boys [whose fathers had read Franklin’s pernicious autobiography]. Nowadays a boy cannot follow out a single natural instinct without tumbling over some of those everlasting aphorisms and hearing from Franklin, on the spot. If he buys two cents’ worth of peanuts, his father says, “Remember what Franklin has said, my son—‘A groat a day’s a penny a year,’” and the comfort is all gone out of those peanuts. If he wants to spin his top when he has done work, his father quotes, “Procrastination is the thief of time.” If he does a virtuous action, he never gets anything for it, because “Virtue is its own reward.” And that boy is hounded to death and robbed of his natural rest, because Franklin said once, in one of his inspired flights of malignity:
Early to bed and early to rise
Makes a man healthy and wealthy and wise.
As if it were any object to a boy to be healthy and wealthy and wise on such terms.

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Ingia akaunti yako ili kuona na kutoa maoni
Methali zaidi
Mtoto akilia wembe, mpe
Habari zenu wapenzi wa lugha na hekima! Karibuni tena katika kipindi chetu cha leo cha Methali! Methali ya leo ni “Mtoto akilia wembe, mpe.” Je, unaijua? Kwa walezi wengi, inaweza kuonewa… kali sana, au sivyo? Ina maana gani kwako? Je, unakubaliana nayo? Tushirikiane mawazo. 

Nikisikia nitasahau, nikiona nitakumbuka, nikifanya nitaelewa.
-Mwalimu Amos 

Mtoto akitaka wembe, basi mpe ili aelewe kwanini alionywa dhidi ya kucheza nao. Methali hii inaonyesha umuhimu wa kuwapa watu nafasi za kujifunza kutokana na uzoefu wao wenyewe, hata kama wanaweza kuumiwa (kidogo). Vilevile, hata ukikataa kumpa, labda hatatiii na atacheza nao ukiwa nje. Methali hii inaweza kutumika pia kama onyo kwa mtu anayepuuza ushauri au kusisitiza njia yake. Ingawa ni muhimu kusikiliza ushauri na maonyo kutoka kwa wengine, wakati mwingine tunahitaji kuona matokeo ya vitendo vyetu wenyewe ili kuelewa madhara yake. 

Adhabu ya Asili  (Natural Consequences)

Katika eneo la malezi, methali hii inafundisha kanuni ya Natural Consequences (Adhabu Halisi au Adhabu ya Asili). Adhabu ya asili ni matokeo yatakayokuja kwa sababu ya tabia ya mtoto mwenyewe. Tofauti na adhabu ya kutolewa au adhabu ya viboko, adhabu ya asili hujitokeza bila mlezi kujiingilia. Kwa mfano, fikiria kama mwanako amesahau daftari yake nyumbani. Ungefanyaje? Wazazi wengine wanajibu “Singefanya chochote, maana atahitaji kueleza kwa mwalimu wake.” Wengine wanasema “Ningekimbia shuleni ili kumletea daftari, halafu jioni ningempa adhabu.” Ipi bora?  Jibuni hapo chini… 

Swali: Je, mtoto akilia nyoka utampa?

Sawa tumekubaliana mtoto akilia wembe, mpe. Lakini… fikiria kama mtoto analia kitu cha hatari zaidi— je utakubali? Yesu aliwauliza wazazi: “Mtoto akiomba samaki, je, atampa nyoka?” Akilia nyoka, utampa? Wembe unaweza kusababisha jeraha ndogo, lakini si hatari sana kama nyoka mwenye sumu. 
Wewe kama mzazi, utakubali kiasi gani cha hatari ili ajifunze mwenyewe? Kama anaomba kuacha masomo ili kucheza michezo za simu sikuzote? Kama anaomba kumwoa/kumwolewa na mtu ambaye haumwamini katika umri mdogo? Yaani pia kuna maamuzi muhimu ambayo watoto hawako tayari kujifanyia. 
Je wewe kama mzazi unawezaje kuamua au kutambua kama unapaswa kumwokoa / kumlinda mwanako, ama kama unapaswa kumwachia afunzwe na ulimwengu? Wazazi na walezi wote tunaomba maoni yenu!

Nyoka ana madhara.
-Mwalimu Shila  

Utekelezaji wa methali hii katika maisha ya kila siku

Elimu: Watu hukumbuka walichojifunza kwa vitendo kuliko walichoambiwa kwa maneno. Utafute nafasi za kutekeleza kile unachojifunza.
Malezi: Mpe mtoto uhuru na nafasi za kujifunza kupitia uzoefu. Usimtatulie kila jambo, na usiogope anapofeli, kama hakuna hatari wala madhara ya muda mrefu, maana kufeli ni nafasi ya kujifunza kwake.
Kusikiliza: Ukipuuza maonyo na shauri, usishangaye kuona madhara yaliyotabiriwa.
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Picha hii imetengenezwa na akili bandia (AI)

Iliharirishwa miezi 6 iliyopita
by
Brighid McCarthy
Strike while the iron is hot
Have you ever seen a blacksmith at work? Or maybe an artisan shaping hot glass? It's pretty incredible to watch, right? (If not, visit Shanga Foundation in Arusha or check out video links below)
In our everyday experience, glass is hard, brittle and breakable, but glass is actually made by melting sand and shaping it like liquid.

Some things in life seem unchangeable; they just will not bend. If we use all our strength, they only shatter in our hands and hurt us. But a skillful craftsman can make brittle things soft and malleable by preparing them appropriately, and taking decisive action at the right moment.

This proverb is often used to mean that you should take action quickly when an opportunity arises, so that you don't miss it. See also: There is a tide
 There is a tide in the affairs of men,
 Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
 Omitted, all the voyage of their life
 Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
- Brutus in Julius Caesar, Act 4, Scene 3 by William Shakespeare
However, it's worth noting that in the play, this advice has pretty bad consequences for Brutus, who didn't exactly sail on to fortune after this speech (read more...)

Many cultures and languages have a proverb that is very similar to "Strike while the iron is hot." It seems likely that the proverb has multiple independent origins.
Chinese: 趁熱打鐵
Thai: ตีเหล็กเมื่อแดง
Hindi: लोहा गरम हैं. मार दो हथौड़ा.
Irish: buail an t-iarann te
Swahili: Fua chuma wakati kingali moto

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Image: Elimu Yetu teachers visit to Shanga Foundation, Arusha, Tanzania

Iliharirishwa miezi 6 iliyopita
by
Brighid McCarthy
Ukitaka cha uvunguni sharti uiname
Methali yetu ya leo inasemwa pia kama:
Mtaka cha mvunguni sharti ainame
Methali hii hutumika kuwahimiza watu kufanya kazi kwa bidii na kujitahidi. Hatupaswi kutarajia kupata vitu tunavyotafuta isipokuwa tumekubali kuvitafuta katika mahali ambapo ni vigumu kupafikia.

Hapa kuna hadithi fupi inayoeleza methali hii, juu ya Mulla Nasreddin, mhusika mcheshi katika ngano za Kisufi.
Mulla [Nasreddin] alikuwa amepoteza pete yake sebuleni. Aliitafuta kwa muda, lakini kwa kuwa hakuipata, alitoka nje hadi uani na kuanza kuchungulia pale. Mkewe, ambaye aliona alichokifanya, akamwuliza: “Mulla, umepoteza pete yako sebuleni , kwa nini unaitafuta uani?” Mulla alishika ndevu zake akisema: “Chumbani kuna giza na sioni vizuri. Nilitoka nje kwenda uani ili kutafuta pete yangu kwa sababu kuna mwanga mwingi zaidi hapa.
- Usimulizi wa Houman Farzad. Imetafsiriwa kwa Kiingereza kutoka lugha ya Kiajemi na Diane L. Wilcox (1989), halafu nimeitafsiri kwa Kiswahili.

Kwa Kiingereza, kuna hadithi inayosimuliwa juu ya mlevi anayetafuta pesa (au funguo) karibu na taa. Hili ni toleo liliochapishwa katika gazeti ya Boston Herald (mwaka wa 1924): 
[Afisa wa polisi alikutana na mwanamume akipapasa-papasa akipiga magoti] “Nilipoteza noti ya $2 kwenye barabara ya Atlantic,” kasema mwanamume huyo. "Nini kile?" aliuliza afisa aliyeshangaa. "Umepoteza notiya $2 kwenye barabara ya Atlantic? Kwa nini basi unaitafuta hapa Copley Square?" “Kwa sababu,” akasema akiendelea na utafutaji wake, “mwanga ni bora hapa."

Hadithi hii imekuja kujulikana kama "Streetlight effect" katika sayansi.

Asante kwa mshiriki mwenzetu kwa kupendekeza methali hii! Je, una methali ya kupendekeza? Shiriki hapa!
...

Mchoro huu umetengenezwa kwa kutumia Akili Bandia (AI). Unafikiriaje?

Iliharirishwa miezi 6 iliyopita
by
Brighid McCarthy
Roma haikujengwa kwa siku moja

Je, una ndoto kubwa?

Ndoto ambayo huwezi kuitimiza peke yako? Labda hata ambayo haiwezi kukamilika katika kizazi kimoja?

Kuna makanisa ya kigothi barani Ulaya ambayo yalichukua zaidi ya miaka 600 -- zaidi ya vizazi 20 -- ili kukamilisha ujenzi!

Ingawa Piramidi kubwa zaidi ya Giza imejengwa kwa kasi (ndani ya kizazi kimoja), ila pia ilichukua makumi ya maelfu ya watu.

Nchini Tanzania, Msikiti Mkuu wa Kilwa Kisiwani ulijengwa katika karne za 11-14, ukajengwa upya baada ya tetemeko la ardhi, na uliendelea kufanyiwa ukarabati hadi karne ya 18. Ulitajwa pia miaka ya 1300 na msafiri Ibn Battuta. (Je ulijua unaweza kuona Kilwa Kisiwani kupitia "ziara ya mtandaoni" yaani 3D Virtual Tour? Ona kiungo chini kwenye "Rasilimali")

Maajabu ya dunia, ya kisasa na ya kale, yalianza kama ndoto kubwa, ndoto ambazo zilichukua vizazi vingi kutimiza. Kila kizazi kiliendeleza kazi ya zamani na pia walitoa mchango wao kwa kubadilisha mipango ya siku zijazo. 

Hivyo bhasi, kama unajaribu kufanya jambo kubwa -- jambo ambalo hakika litabadilisha ulimwengu - usitarajie litafanyika kwa siku moja. Na usijaribu kuijenga peke yako. 

Methali Zinazohusiana:


 Kiswahili:
Ukitaka kwenda haraka, nenda peke yako, ukitaka kwenda mbali, nenda na wenzako

Kifaransa:
Rome ne fu[t] pas faite toute en un jour
Kutoka kitabu cha Li Proverbe au Vilain kilichochapishwa takriban mwaka wa 1190
Kifaransa cha kisasa: Rome ne s'est pas faite en un jour
Maana yake: Roma haikujengwa kwa siku moja

Kichina:
冰凍三尺，非一日之寒
Mita ya barafu sio kwa sababu ya siku moja ya baridi

Kigaelic
Chan ann leis a’ chiad bhuille a thuiteas a’ chraobh
Sio pigo la kwanza linaloangusha mti
...

Picha: Shukran kwa Zamani Project waliounda ziara ya mtandaoni ya Kilwa Kisiwani!

Iliharirishwa miezi 6 iliyopita
by
Brighid McCarthy