ChinesePod

1 lit. to clasp the Buddha's feet when danger arises (idiom); fig. to profess devotion only when in trouble
2 doing things at the last minute
3 to make a hasty last-minute effort (often refers to cramming for exams)

抱佛脚

bào fó jiǎo

1 lit. to clasp the Buddha's feet (without ever having burned incense) (idiom); fig. to profess devotion only when in trouble
2 panic measures in place of timely preparation

抱残守缺

bào cán shǒu quē

抱薪救火

bào xīn jiù huǒ

1 lit. to carry firewood to put out a fire (idiom); fig. to make a problem worse by inappropriate action

抱头鼠窜

bào tóu shǔ cuàn

以前同学们就老说你有抱负，是块做生意的料，大家没看走眼。

yǐqián tóngxué men jiù lǎo shuō nǐ yǒu bàofù ，shì kuài zuò shēngyì de liào ，dàjiā méi kànzǒuyǎn 。

In the past, our classmates always said you were ambitious. They said you were made of the right stuff for doing business. They weren’t mistaken.

我想实现自己的政治抱负，我要辅佐君主建立一个井井有条的国家，该怎么做呢？

wǒ xiǎng shíxiàn zìjǐ de zhèngzhì bàofù ，wǒ yào fǔzuǒ jūnzhǔ jiànlì yī ge jǐngjǐngyǒutiáo de guójiā ，gāi zěnme zuò ne ？

I want to realize my own political aspirations. I want to assist a monarch in creating a methodical and systematic country. How do I do that?