ChinesePod

1 lit. if you have to use force to break a melon off the vine, it won't taste sweet (because it's only when the melon is ripe that it can be removed with just a slight twist) (idiom)
2 fig. if sth is not meant to be, it's no use trying to force it to happen

忆苦思甜

yì kǔ sī tián

1 to view one's past as miserable and one's present as happy (idiom)

甜言美语

tián yán měi yǔ

1 sweet words, beautiful phrases (idiom); hypocritical flattery

Sample Sentences

我猜味道也都是酸酸甜甜的吧。美国人怎么那么喜欢甜酸酱啊？

wǒ cāi wèidao yě dōu shì suānsuāntiántián de ba 。Měiguó rén zěnme nàme xǐhuan tiánsuānjiàng a ？

I'm guessing it's also all sweet and sour flavored. Why do Americans like sweet and sour so much?

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嗯……大概就是酸酸甜甜的酱汁里放上肉和蔬菜。或者把肉炸一炸。反正看起来就像一团浆糊一样。

ng4 ……dàgài jiùshì suānsuāntiántián de jiàngzhī lǐ fàng shang ròu hé shūcài 。huò zhě bǎ ròu zhá yī zhá 。fǎnzhèng kàn qǐlái jiù xiàng yī tuán jiànghú yīyàng 。

Yeah... Most of it is just meat and vegetables covered in sweet and sour sauce. Or the meat is deep fried. Anyway, it all looks like a bunch of mush.

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