一清如水
yī qīng rú shuǐ
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1 lit. as clear as water (idiom)
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2 fig. (of officials etc) honest and incorruptible
一碗水端平
yī wǎn shuǐ duān píng
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1 lit. to hold a bowl of water level (idiom)
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2 fig. to be impartial
一点水一个泡
yī diǎn shuǐ yī gè pào
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1 honest and trustworthy (idiom)
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.)
不遗余力
bù yí yú lì
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1 to spare no pains or effort (idiom); to do one's utmost
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
九牛二虎之力
jiǔ niú èr hǔ zhī lì
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1 tremendous strength (idiom)
人不可貌相,海水不可斗量
rén bù kě mào xiàng , hǎi shuǐ bù kě dǒu liáng
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1 you can't judge a person by appearance, just as you can't measure the sea with a pint pot (idiom)
人往高处走,水往低处流
rén wǎng gāo chù zǒu , shuǐ wǎng dī chù liú
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1 man seeks his way up just as water seeks its way down (idiom)
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2 one should constantly strive to make progress
兵来将挡,水来土掩
bīng lái jiàng dǎng , shuǐ lái tǔ yǎn
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1 counter soldiers with arms, water with an earth weir (idiom); different situations call for different action
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2 to adopt measures appropriate to the actual situation
兵来将敌,水来土堰
bīng lái jiàng dí , shuǐ lái tǔ yàn
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1 counter soldiers with arms, water with an earth weir (idiom); different situations call for different action
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2 to adopt measures appropriate to the actual situation
出水芙蓉
chū shuǐ fú róng
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1 as a lotus flower breaking the surface (idiom); surpassingly beautiful (of young lady's face or old gentleman's calligraphy)
力不胜任
lì bù shèng rèn
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1 not to be up to the task (idiom)
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2 incompetent
力不从心
lì bù cóng xīn
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1 less capable than desirable (idiom); not as strong as one would wish
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2 the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak
力所能及
lì suǒ néng jí
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1 as far as one's capabilities extend (idiom); to the best of one's ability
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2 within one's powers
力挽狂澜
lì wǎn kuáng lán
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1 to pull strongly against a crazy tide (idiom); fig. to try hard to save a desperate crisis
力排众议
lì pái zhòng yì
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1 to stand one's ground against the opinion of the masses (idiom)
力争上游
lì zhēng shàng yóu
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1 to strive for mastery (idiom); aiming for the best result
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2 to have high ambitions
力尽神危
lì jìn shén wēi
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1 totally exhausted as result of overexertion (idiom)