一人得道,鸡犬升天
yī rén dé dào , jī quǎn shēng tiān
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1 lit. when a man achieves the Dao, his poultry and dogs rise to Heaven (idiom)
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2 fig. to ride on sb else's success
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3 Once one man gets a government position, all his cronies get in too
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4 Once sb has cracked the problem, every Tom, Dick and Harry can do it
一语道破
yī yǔ dào pò
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1 one word says it all (idiom)
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2 to hit the nail on the head
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3 to be pithy and correct
丈二和尚,摸不着头脑
zhàng èr hé shang , mō bu zháo tóu nǎo
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1 lit. like a three-meter high monk, you can't rub his head (idiom)
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2 fig. at a total loss
三个和尚没水喝
sān gè hé shang méi shuǐ hē
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1 lit. three monks have no water to drink (idiom)
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2 fig. everybody's business is nobody's business
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3 (If there is one monk, he will fetch water for himself. If there are two, they will fetch water together. But if there are three or more, none will take it upon himself to fetch water.)
不足为外人道
bù zú wéi wài rén dào
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1 no use to tell others
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2 let's keep this between ourselves (idiom)
仁义道德
rén yì dào dé
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1 compassion, duty, propriety and integrity (idiom); all the traditional virtues
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2 mainly used sarcastically, to mean hypocritical
以其人之道,还治其人之身
yǐ qí rén zhī dào , huán zhì qí rén zhī shēn
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1 to use an opponent's own methods to obtain retribution (idiom, from Song dynasty neo-Confucianist Zhu Xi 朱熹); to get revenge by playing sb back at his own game
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2 to give sb a taste of his own medicine
你走你的阳关道,我过我的独木桥
nǐ zǒu nǐ de Yáng guān Dào , wǒ guò wǒ de dú mù qiáo
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1 lit. you hit the high road, I'll cross the log bridge (idiom)
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2 fig. you go your way, I'll go mine
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3 you do it your way, I'll do it mine
假道伐虢
jiǎ dào fá Guó
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1 to obtain safe passage to conquer the State of Guo
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2 to borrow the resources of an ally to attack a common enemy (idiom)
做一天和尚撞一天钟
zuò yī tiān hé shang zhuàng yī tiān zhōng
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1 lit. as a monk for today, toll today's bell (idiom)
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2 fig. to do one's job mechanically
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3 to hold a position passively
传道受业
chuán dào shòu yè
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1 to teach (idiom); lit. to give moral and practical instruction
分道扬镳
fēn dào yáng biāo
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1 lit. to take different roads and urge the horses on (idiom)
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2 fig. to part ways
卑卑不足道
bēi bēi bù zú dào
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1 to be too petty or insignificant to mention
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2 to not be worth mentioning (idiom)
口碑载道
kǒu bēi zài dào
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1 lit. praise fills the roads (idiom); praise everywhere
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2 universal approbation
和尚打伞,无法无天
hé shang dǎ sǎn , wú fǎ wú tiān
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1 lit. like a monk holding an umbrella — no hair, no sky (idiom) (punning on 髮|发[fà] vs 法[fǎ])
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2 fig. defying the law and the principles of heaven
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3 lawless
问道于盲
wèn dào yú máng
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1 lit. to ask a blind man the way (idiom)
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2 fig. to seek advice from an incompetent
坐而论道
zuò ér lùn dào
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1 to sit and pontificate; to find answers through theory and not through practice (idiom)
天公地道
tiān gōng dì dào
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1 absolutely fair and reasonable (idiom); equitable
天道酬勤
tiān dào chóu qín
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1 Heaven rewards the diligent. (idiom)
失道寡助
shī dào guǎ zhù
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1 an unjust cause finds little support (idiom, from Mencius)
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2 cf 得道多助[dé dào duō zhù] a just cause attracts much support