- Beat
the grass and alert the snake.
(Chinese original: 打草惊蛇Chinese
Pinyin:  Dǎ-cǎo-jīng-ché.)
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- An imprudent
act can alert the enemy before the right moment comes.
|
- Fish
a needle in the sea.
(Chinese original: 大海捞针 Chinese Pinyin: Dà-hǎi-láo-zhēn.)
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- Probably
you have already thought of the English counterpart: “looking for a needle
in a haystack."
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- Make
a decision when a decision is called for. Hesitation only
brings disaster.
(Chinese original: 当断不断，反受其乱 Chinese Pinyin: Dāng duàn bù duàn, fǎn shòu qí luàn.)
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- A
spectator sees more than a player in the heat of a game.
(Chinese original: 当局者迷 Chinese
Pinyin: Dāng-jú-zhě-mí.)
|
The
third party usually has a better perspective than those deeply involved
in a transaction. |
- Don't
mention the word "dwarf" in front of a short
person.
(Chinese original: 当着矮人别说矮话 Chinese Pinyin: Dāng
zhe ǎi rén bié shuō ǎi huà.)
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- Mentioning
a person's shortcomings will hurt his feelings. One needs to be tactful
or diplomatic when communicating with others.
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- A
mountain of knives and a sea of fire.
(Chinese original: 刀山火海 Chinese Pinyin: Dāo-shān-huǒ-hǎi.)
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- Extremely
difficulty and dangerous situation.
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- Have
a mouth as sharp as a dagger but a heart as soft as tofu.
(Chinese original: 刀子嘴，豆腐心 Chinese Pinyin: Dāozi
zuǐ， dòufu xīn.)
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- Extremely
difficulty and dangerous situation.
|
- Respect
out of fear is never genuine; reverence out of respect
is never false.
(Chinese original: 打怕的人是假的，敬怕的人是真的
Chinese Pinyin: Dǎ pà de rén shì jiǎ de; jìng pà de rén
shì zhēn de.)
|
It's true! |
- Don't
hit one on the face.
(Chinese original: 打人不打脸 Chinese Pinyin: Dǎ rén
bù dǎ liǎn.)
|
- Disclose
one's shortcomings in public would only antagonize him. Be diplomatic
or tactic and he may accept your criticism.
|
- Guard
against disgrace in times of favor; be prepared for danger
in times of safety.
(Chinese original: 得宠思辱，安居思危 Chinese Pinyin: Dé-chǒng-sī-rǔ, ān-jū-sī-wēi.)
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|
- Forget
the fishing gear as soon as the fish is caught.
(Chinese original: 得鱼忘筌 Chinese Pinyin: Dé yú
wàng quán.)
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- Forget
the means by which the end is attained.
|
- Turn
stone into gold by the touch.
(Chinese original: 点石成金
Chinese Pinyin: Diǎn-shí-chéng-jīn.)
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To
say one can turn iron into gold by the touch is to describe him as having
superb editing skills that can turn a mediocre work into a masterpiece. |
- Lure
a tiger down its mountain.
(Chinese original: 调虎离山 Chinese Pinyin: Diào-hǔ-lí-shān.)
|
- Lure
an enemy out of its well defended base to annihilate it. This is one
of Sunzi's thirty-six strategems in his Art of War.
The little bird at my backyard knows how to defend its brood with this strategy.
|
- Dripping
water can eat through a stone.
(Chinese original: 滴水穿石 Chinese Pinyin: Dī-shuǐ-chuān-shí.)
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- Perseverance
will lead to success.
|
- A
girl apes her neighbor's frowning.
(Chinese original: 东施效颦 Chinese Pinyin: Dōngshī
xiào pìn.)
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A beauty
is beautiful even when she was sick and frowned all day. A homely girl
in her neighborhood tried to ape her frowning thinking that she could
become pretty but instead made herself look uglier. |
- Play
a harp before a cow
(Chinese original: 对牛弹琴
Chinese Pinyin: Duì-niú-tán-qín.)
|
- Similar
to "Cast pearls to a swine."
|
- A
single tree makes no forest; one string makes no music.
(Chinese original: 独木不成林，单弦不成音
Chinese Pinyin: Dú mù bù chéng lín, dān xián bù chéng
yīn.)
|
- This
proverb illustrates the significance of team work
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- Read
critically, and you will find each word worth a thousand
ounces of gold.
(Chinese original: 读书需用意，一字值千斤Chinese
Pinyin: Dú shū xū yòng yì, yī zì zhí qiān jīn.)
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- Prescribe
the right medicine for a symptom.
(Chinese original: 对症下药
Chinese Pinyin: Duì-zhèng-xià-yào.)
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- Take
the right measures to tackle a problem to achieve the best result.
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