不入虎穴，焉得虎子
bù rù hǔ xué , yān dé hǔ zǐ
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1 How do you catch the tiger cub without entering the tiger's lair? (idiom); Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
千里之堤，溃于蚁穴
qiān lǐ zhī dī , kuì yú yǐ xué
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1 an ant hole may cause the collapse of a great dike (idiom)
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2 huge damage may result from a moment's negligence
城门失火，殃及池鱼
chéng mén shī huǒ , yāng jí chí yú
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1 a fire in the city gates is also a calamity for the fish in the moat (idiom); the bystander will also suffer
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2 fig. you can't escape responsibility for your actions
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3 ask not for whom the bell tolls - it tolls for thee
是非曲直
shì fēi qū zhí
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1 lit. right and wrong, crooked and straight (idiom); fig. merits and demerits
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2 pros and cons
曲突徙薪
qū tū xǐ xīn
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1 lit. to bend the chimney and remove the firewood (to prevent fire) (idiom)
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2 fig. to take preventive measures
曲肱而枕
qū gōng ér zhěn
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1 lit. to use one's bent arm as a pillow (idiom)
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2 fig. content with simple things
曲里拐弯
qū lǐ guǎi wān
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1 winding and turning (idiom)
曲高和寡
qǔ gāo hè guǎ
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1 difficult songs find few singers (idiom)
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2 highbrow
异曲同工
yì qǔ tóng gōng
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1 different tunes played with equal skill (idiom)
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2 different methods leading to the same result
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3 different approach but equally satisfactory outcome
盘旋曲折
pán xuán qū zhé
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1 lit. windy and circuitous
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2 difficult (idiom)
空穴来风
kōng xué lái fēng
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1 lit. wind from an empty cave (idiom)
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2 fig. unfounded (story)
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3 baseless (claim)
空穴来风未必无因
kòng xué lái fēng wèi bì wú yīn
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1 wind does not come from an empty cave without reason
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2 there's no smoke without fire (idiom)
迂回曲折
yū huí qū zhé
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1 meandering and circuitous (idiom); complicated developments that never get anywhere
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2 going around in circles
酒池肉林
jiǔ chí ròu lín
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1 lakes of wine and forests of meat (idiom); debauchery
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2 sumptuous entertainment
高城深池
gāo chéng shēn chí
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1 high walls and deep moat (idiom); impenetrable defense