一木难支
yī mù nán zhī
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1 lit. a single post cannot prop up a falling house (idiom)
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2 fig. one is helpless alone
三下两下
sān xià liǎng xià
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1 quickly and effortlessly (idiom)
上下其手
shàng xià qí shǒu
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1 to raise and lower one's hand (idiom); to signal as conspiratorial hint
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2 fig. conspiring to defraud
上有天堂,下有苏杭
shàng yǒu tiān táng , xià yǒu Sū Háng
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1 lit. there is heaven above, and there is 蘇杭|苏杭[Sū Háng] below (idiom)
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2 fig. the beauty and affluence of Suzhou and Hangzhou is comparable with heaven
上有政策,下有对策
shàng yǒu zhèng cè , xià yǒu duì cè
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1 The higher ups have policies while the lower downs have their own ways of getting around them. (idiom)
上有老下有小
shàng yǒu lǎo xià yǒu xiǎo
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1 lit. above are the elderly, below are the young (idiom)
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2 fig. to have to take care of both one's aging parents and one's children
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3 sandwich generation
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
上气不接下气
shàng qì bù jiē xià qì
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1 out of breath (idiom)
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2 to gasp for air
上行下效
shàng xíng xià xiào
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1 subordinates follow the example of their superiors (idiom)
不愧下学
bù kuì xià xué
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1 not ashamed to learn from subordinates (idiom)
世风日下
shì fēng rì xià
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1 public morals are degenerating with each passing day (idiom)
干打雷,不下雨
gān dǎ léi , bù xià yǔ
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1 all thunder but no rain (idiom)
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2 a lot of noise but no action
人生一世,草木一春
rén shēng yī shì , cǎo mù yī chūn
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1 Man has but one life, grass but one spring (idiom). fig. the brevity of human existence
低首下心
dī shǒu xià xīn
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1 to be fawningly submissive (idiom)
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
先下手为强
xiān xià shǒu wéi qiáng
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1 strike first and gain the upper hand (idiom, martial arts term); Making the first move is an advantage.
兵临城下
bīng lín chéng xià
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1 soldiers at the city walls (idiom); fig. at a critical juncture
刚毅木讷
gāng yì mù nè
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1 resolute and taciturn (idiom)
包打天下
bāo dǎ tiān xià
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1 to run everything (idiom); to monopolize the whole business
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2 not allow anyone else to have a look in
十年树木,百年树人
shí nián shù mù , bǎi nián shù rén
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1 It takes ten years to nurture a tree, but a hundred years to train a man (idiom). A good education program takes a long time to develop.