一山不容二虎
yī shān bù róng èr hǔ
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1 lit. the mountain can't have two tigers (idiom)
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2 fig. this town ain't big enough for the two of us
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3 (of two rivals) to be fiercely competitive
不识泰山
bù shí Tài Shān
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1 can't recognize Mt Taishan (idiom); fig. not to recognize a famous person
不显山不露水
bù xiǎn shān bù lù shuǐ
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1 lit. to not show the mountain and to not reveal the water (idiom); fig. to hide the key facts
人不可貌相,海水不可斗量
rén bù kě mào xiàng , hǎi shuǐ bù kě dǒu liáng
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1 you can't judge a person by appearance, just as you can't measure the sea with a pint pot (idiom)
他山之石可以攻玉
tā shān zhī shí kě yǐ gōng yù
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1 lit. the other mountain's stone can polish jade (idiom); to improve oneself by accepting criticism from outside
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2 to borrow talent from abroad to develop the nation effectively
侯门似海
hóu mén sì hǎi
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1 lit. the gate of a noble house is like the sea
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2 there is a wide gap between the nobility and the common people (idiom)
倒悬之危
dào xuán zhī wēi
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1 lit. the crisis of being hanged upside down (idiom); fig. extremely critical situation
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2 dire straits
倒悬之急
dào xuán zhī jí
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1 lit. the crisis of being hanged upside down (idiom); fig. extremely critical situation
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2 dire straits
倒悬之苦
dào xuán zhī kǔ
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1 lit. the pain of being hanged upside down (idiom); fig. extremely critical situation
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2 dire straits
倒打一耙
dào dǎ yī pá
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1 lit. to strike with a muckrake (idiom), cf Pigsy 豬八戒|猪八戒 in Journey to the West 西遊記|西游记; fig. to counterattack
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2 to make bogus accusations (against one's victim)
倒行逆施
dào xíng nì shī
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1 to go against the tide (idiom); to do things all wrong
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2 to try to turn back history
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3 a perverse way of doing things
八仙过海,各显神通
Bā xiān guò hǎi , gè xiǎn shén tōng
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1 lit. the Eight Immortals cross the sea, each showing his own special talent (idiom)
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2 fig. (of each individual in a group) to give full play to one's unique capabilities
兵败如山倒
bīng bài rú shān dǎo
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1 troops in defeat like a landslide (idiom); a beaten army in total collapse
刀山火海
dāo shān huǒ hǎi
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1 lit. mountains of daggers and seas of flames
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2 fig. extreme danger (idiom)
力排众议
lì pái zhòng yì
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1 to stand one's ground against the opinion of the masses (idiom)
名扬四海
míng yáng sì hǎi
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1 to become known far and wide (idiom)
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2 famous
名落孙山
míng luò Sūn Shān
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1 lit. to fall behind Sun Shan 孫山|孙山[Sūn Shān] (who came last in the imperial examination) (idiom)
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2 fig. to fail an exam
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3 to fall behind (in a competition)
四海升平
sì hǎi shēng píng
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1 lit. all four oceans are peaceful
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2 worldwide peace (idiom)
四海为家
sì hǎi wéi jiā
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1 to regard the four corners of the world all as home (idiom)
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2 to feel at home anywhere
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3 to roam about unconstrained
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4 to consider the entire country, or world, to be one's own
四海皆准
sì hǎi jiē zhǔn
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1 appropriate to any place and any time (idiom); universally applicable
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2 a panacea