一粒老鼠屎坏了一锅粥
yī lì lǎo shǔ shǐ huài le yī guō zhōu
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1 lit. a piece of rat feces spoiled the whole pot of congee (idiom)
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2 fig. one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch
一颗老鼠屎坏了一锅汤
yī kē lǎo shǔ shǐ huài le yī guō tāng
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1 lit. a piece of rat feces spoiled the whole pot of soup (idiom)
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2 fig. one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch
不到火候不揭锅
bù dào huǒ hòu bù jiē guō
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1 don't act until the time is ripe (idiom)
吃大锅饭
chī dà guō fàn
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1 lit. to eat from the common pot (idiom)
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2 fig. to be rewarded the same, regardless of performance
吃着碗里，看着锅里
chī zhe wǎn lǐ , kàn zhe guō lǐ
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1 lit. eyeing what's in the pot as one eats from one's bowl (idiom)
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2 not content with what one already has
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3 (of men, typically) to have the wandering eye
平时不烧香，临时抱佛脚
píng shí bù shāo xiāng , lín shí bào fó jiǎo
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1 lit. to clasp the Buddha's feet when danger arises (idiom); fig. to profess devotion only when in trouble
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2 doing things at the last minute
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3 to make a hasty last-minute effort (often refers to cramming for exams)
惹火烧身
rě huǒ shāo shēn
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1 stir up the fire and you get burnt (idiom); to get one's fingers burnt
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2 fig. to suffer on account of one's own meddling
打破砂锅问到底
dǎ pò shā guō wèn dào dǐ
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1 to go to the bottom of things (idiom)
拣佛烧香
jiǎn fó shāo xiāng
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1 to choose which Buddha to burn incense to (idiom); fig. to curry favor from the right person
火烧眉毛
huǒ shāo méi mao
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1 lit. the fire burns one's eyebrows (idiom); fig. desperate situation
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2 extreme emergency
留得青山在，不怕没柴烧
liú de qīng shān zài , bù pà méi chái shāo
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1 While the green hills last, there'll be wood to burn (idiom). Where there's life there's hope.
砸锅卖铁
zá guō mài tiě
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1 to be willing to sacrifice everything one has (idiom)
蜡烛两头烧
là zhú liǎng tóu shāo
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1 to burn the candle at both ends (idiom)
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2 to labor under a double burden
连锅端
lián guō duān
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1 to take even the cooking pots (idiom)
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2 to clean out
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3 to wipe out