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
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
偏邪不正
piān xié bù zhèng
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1 biased
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2 prejudiced (idiom)
刀不磨要生锈,人不学要落后
dāo bù mó yào shēng xiù , rén bù xué yào luò hòu
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1 a blade will get rusty if it is not sharpened; a man will fall behind if he doesn't study (idiom)
切中要害
qiè zhòng yào hài
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1 to hit the target and do real damage (idiom)
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2 fig. to hit where it hurts
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3 fig. to hit home
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4 an argument that hits the nail on the head
又要马儿跑,又要马儿不吃草
yòu yào mǎ r5 pǎo , yòu yào mǎ r5 bù chī cǎo
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1 lit. you can't expect the horse to run fast but not let it graze (idiom)
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2 fig. you can't have your cake and eat it, too
只要功夫深,铁杵磨成针
zhǐ yào gōng fu shēn , tiě chǔ mó chéng zhēn
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1 If you work at it hard enough, you can grind an iron bar into a needle.
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2 cf idiom 磨杵成針|磨杵成针, to grind an iron bar down to a fine needle (idiom); fig. to persevere in a difficult task
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3 to study diligently
天要落雨,娘要嫁人
tiān yào luò yǔ , niáng yào jià rén
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1 the rain will fall, the womenfolk will marry (idiom)
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2 fig. the natural order of things
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3 something you can't go against
就地正法
jiù dì zhèng fǎ
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1 to execute on the spot (idiom); summary execution
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2 to carry out the law on the spot
扶正压邪
fú zhèng yā xié
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1 to uphold good and suppress evil (idiom)
舍正从邪
shě zhèng cóng xié
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1 to be corrupted by evil influences (idiom)
改邪归正
gǎi xié guī zhèng
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1 to mend one's ways (idiom)
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2 to turn over a new leaf
横正暴敛
héng zhèng bào liǎn
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1 to levy exorbitant taxes (idiom)
正中要害
zhèng zhòng yào hài
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1 to hit the nail on the head (idiom)
正襟危坐
zhèng jīn wēi zuò
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1 to sit upright and still (idiom)
正言厉色
zhèng yán lì sè
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1 solemn in word and countenance (idiom); strict and unsmiling
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2 also written 正顏厲色|正颜厉色
正颜厉色
zhèng yán lì sè
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1 solemn in countenance (idiom); strict and unsmiling
死要面子活受罪
sǐ yào miàn zi huó shòu zuì
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1 to go through hell for the sake of keeping up appearances (idiom)
矫枉过正
jiǎo wǎng guò zhèng
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1 to overcorrect (idiom)
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2 to overcompensate
简明扼要
jiǎn míng è yào
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1 brief and to the point (idiom)
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2 succinct