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
一石二鸟
yī shí èr niǎo
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1 to kill two birds with one stone (idiom)
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
一落千丈
yī luò qiān zhàng
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1 lit. to drop a thousand zhang in one fall (idiom)
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2 fig. (of business, popularity etc) to suffer a sudden, devastating decline
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3 to take a dive
一言既出，驷马难追
yī yán jì chū , sì mǎ nán zhuī
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1 lit. once said, a team of horses cannot unsay it (idiom); a promise must be kept
一点水一个泡
yī diǎn shuǐ yī gè pào
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1 honest and trustworthy (idiom)
一鼻孔出气
yī bí kǒng chū qì
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1 lit. to breathe through the same nostril (idiom); fig. two people say exactly the same thing (usually derog.)
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2 to sing from the same hymn sheet
七零八落
qī líng bā luò
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1 (idiom) everything broken and in disorder
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.)
不见棺材不落泪
bù jiàn guān cai bù luò lèi
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1 lit. not to shed a tear until one sees the coffin (idiom)
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2 fig. refuse to be convinced until one is faced with grim reality
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
中箭落马
zhòng jiàn luò mǎ
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1 lit. to be struck by an arrow and fall from one's horse
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2 to suffer a serious setback (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
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
以卵击石
yǐ luǎn jī shí
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1 lit. to strike a stone with egg (idiom); to attempt the impossible
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2 to invite disaster by overreaching oneself
仓皇出逃
cāng huáng chū táo
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1 to run off in a great panic (idiom)
倾巢而出
qīng cháo ér chū
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1 the whole nest came out (idiom); to turn out in full strength
光明磊落
guāng míng lěi luò
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1 open and candid (idiom); straightforward and upright