一山不容二虎
yī shān bù róng èr hǔ
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1 lit. the mountain can't have two tigers (idiom)
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2 fig. this town ain't big enough for the two of us
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3 (of two rivals) to be fiercely competitive
三个女人一台戏
sān ge nu:3 rén yī tái xì
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1 three women are enough for a drama (idiom)
上不了台面
shàng bù liǎo tái miàn
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1 better kept under the table (idiom)
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2 not to be disclosed
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3 too inferior to show in public
上不得台盘
shàng bù dé tái pán
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1 too uncouth to appear in public (idiom)
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2 unfit for a public role
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
不分伯仲
bù fēn bó zhòng
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1 lit. unable to distinguish eldest brother from second brother (idiom); they are all equally excellent
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2 nothing to choose between them
不识泰山
bù shí Tài Shān
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1 can't recognize Mt Taishan (idiom); fig. not to recognize a famous person
不显山不露水
bù xiǎn shān bù lù shuǐ
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1 lit. to not show the mountain and to not reveal the water (idiom); fig. to hide the key facts
他山之石可以攻玉
tā shān zhī shí kě yǐ gōng yù
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1 lit. the other mountain's stone can polish jade (idiom); to improve oneself by accepting criticism from outside
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2 to borrow talent from abroad to develop the nation effectively
任凭风浪起，稳坐钓鱼台
rèn píng fēng làng qǐ , wěn zuò diào yú tái
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1 lit. sitting at ease in a fishing boat despite wind and storm (idiom); to stay calm during tense situation
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2 a cool head in a crisis
偷梁换柱
tōu liáng huàn zhù
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1 lit. to steal a rafter and replace it with a column
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2 to replace the original with a fake
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3 to perpetrate a fraud (idiom)
债台高筑
zhài tái gāo zhù
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1 lit. build a high desk of debt (idiom); heavily in debt
兵败如山倒
bīng bài rú shān dǎo
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1 troops in defeat like a landslide (idiom); a beaten army in total collapse
刀山火海
dāo shān huǒ hǎi
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1 lit. mountains of daggers and seas of flames
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2 fig. extreme danger (idiom)
千里马常有，而伯乐不常有
qiān lǐ mǎ cháng yǒu , ér Bó Lè bù cháng yǒu
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1 lit. there are many swift horses, but very few who can spot them (idiom)
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2 fig. many have talent, but few can recognize talent when they see it
名落孙山
míng luò Sūn Shān
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1 lit. to fall behind Sun Shan 孫山|孙山[Sūn Shān] (who came last in the imperial examination) (idiom)
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2 fig. to fail an exam
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3 to fall behind (in a competition)
含英咀华
hán yīng jǔ huá
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1 to savor fine writing (idiom)
唱对台戏
chàng duì tái xì
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1 to put on a rival show (idiom); to set oneself up against sb
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2 to get into confrontation
地动山摇
dì dòng shān yáo
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1 the earth quaked, the mountains shook (idiom); a tremendous battle
坐吃山空
zuò chī shān kōng
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1 lit. just sitting and eating, one can deplete even a mountain of wealth (idiom)
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2 fig. to spend one's money without generating any income