三下两下
sān xià liǎng xià
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1 quickly and effortlessly (idiom)
上下其手
shàng xià qí shǒu
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1 to raise and lower one's hand (idiom); to signal as conspiratorial hint
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2 fig. conspiring to defraud
上有天堂,下有苏杭
shàng yǒu tiān táng , xià yǒu Sū Háng
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1 lit. there is heaven above, and there is 蘇杭|苏杭[Sū Háng] below (idiom)
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2 fig. the beauty and affluence of Suzhou and Hangzhou is comparable with heaven
上有政策,下有对策
shàng yǒu zhèng cè , xià yǒu duì cè
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1 The higher ups have policies while the lower downs have their own ways of getting around them. (idiom)
上有老下有小
shàng yǒu lǎo xià yǒu xiǎo
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1 lit. above are the elderly, below are the young (idiom)
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2 fig. to have to take care of both one's aging parents and one's children
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3 sandwich generation
上梁不正下梁歪
shàng liáng bù zhèng xià liáng wāi
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1 lit. If the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam will be crooked (idiom); fig. subordinates imitate their superiors' vices
上气不接下气
shàng qì bù jiē xià qì
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1 out of breath (idiom)
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2 to gasp for air
上行下效
shàng xíng xià xiào
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1 subordinates follow the example of their superiors (idiom)
不到黄河心不死
bù dào Huáng Hé xīn bù sǐ
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1 lit. not to stop until one reaches the Yellow River (idiom)
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2 fig. to persevere until one reaches one's goal
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3 to keep going while some hope is left
不愧下学
bù kuì xià xué
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1 not ashamed to learn from subordinates (idiom)
不是鱼死就是网破
bù shì yú sǐ jiù shì wǎng pò
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1 lit. either the fish dies or the net gets torn (idiom)
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2 fig. it's a life-and-death struggle
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3 it's either him or me
不知死活
bù zhī sǐ huó
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1 to act recklessly (idiom)
不要在一棵树上吊死
bù yào zài yī kē shù shàng diào sǐ
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1 don't insist on only taking one road to Rome (idiom)
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2 there's more than one way to skin a cat
世风日下
shì fēng rì xià
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1 public morals are degenerating with each passing day (idiom)
九死一生
jiǔ sǐ yī shēng
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1 nine deaths and still alive (idiom); a narrow escape
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2 new lease of life
干打雷,不下雨
gān dǎ léi , bù xià yǔ
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1 all thunder but no rain (idiom)
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2 a lot of noise but no action
人为财死,鸟为食亡
rén wèi cái sǐ , niǎo wèi shí wáng
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1 lit. human beings will die for riches, just as birds will for food (idiom)
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2 fig. man will do anything in his means to become rich
低首下心
dī shǒu xià xīn
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1 to be fawningly submissive (idiom)
你死我活
nǐ sǐ wǒ huó
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1 lit. you die, I live (idiom); irreconcilable adversaries
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2 two parties cannot coexist
先下手为强
xiān xià shǒu wéi qiáng
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1 strike first and gain the upper hand (idiom, martial arts term); Making the first move is an advantage.