1 lit. sitting at ease in a fishing boat despite wind and storm (idiom); to stay calm during tense situation
2 a cool head in a crisis
债台高筑
zhài tái gāo zhù
1 lit. build a high desk of debt (idiom); heavily in debt
儿孙自有儿孙福
ér sūn zì yǒu ér sūn fú
1 younger generations will do all right on their own (idiom)
八字还没一撇儿
bā zì hái méi yī piě r5
1 lit. there is not even the first stroke of the character 八 (idiom)
2 fig. things have not even begun to take shape
3 no sign of success yet
又要马儿跑,又要马儿不吃草
yòu yào mǎ r5 pǎo , yòu yào mǎ r5 bù chī cǎo
1 lit. you can't expect the horse to run fast but not let it graze (idiom)
2 fig. you can't have your cake and eat it, too
咬人狗儿不露齿
yǎo rén gǒu r5 bù lù chǐ
1 lit. the dog that bites does not show its fangs (idiom)
2 fig. You can't tell the really dangerous enemy from his external appearance.
唱对台戏
chàng duì tái xì
1 to put on a rival show (idiom); to set oneself up against sb
2 to get into confrontation
康庄大道
kāng zhuāng dà dào
1 broad and open road (idiom); fig. brilliant future prospects
男儿有泪不轻弹
nán ér yǒu lèi bù qīng tán
1 real men do not easily cry (idiom)
看人下菜碟儿
kàn rén xià cài dié r5
1 (dialect) to treat sb according to their social status, relationship with them etc (idiom)
2 not to treat everyone equally favorably
稳坐钓鱼台
wěn zuò diào yú tái
1 lit. sitting at ease in a fishing boat despite storms (idiom); to stay calm during tense situation
2 a cool head in a crisis
台上一分钟,台下十年功
tái shàng yī fēn zhōng , tái xià shí nián gōng
1 ten years of practice for one minute on the stage (idiom)
视同儿戏
shì tóng ér xì
1 to regard sth as a plaything (idiom); to consider unimportant
2 to view as trifling
走马章台
zǒu mǎ zhāng tái
1 to go to the brothel on horseback (idiom); to visit prostitutes
近水楼台
jìn shuǐ lóu tái
1 lit. a pavilion near the water (idiom); fig. using one's proximity to the powerful to obtain favor
近水楼台先得月
jìn shuǐ lóu tái xiān dé yuè
1 the pavilion closest to the water enjoys moonlight first (idiom)
2 to benefit from intimacy with an influential person
项庄舞剑
Xiàng Zhuāng wǔ jiàn
1 lit. Xiang Zhuang performs the sword dance, but his mind is set on Liu Bang 劉邦|刘邦[Liú Bāng] (idiom, refers to plot to kill Liu Bang during Feast at Hongmen 鴻門宴|鸿门宴[Hóng mén Yàn] in 206 BC)
2 fig. an elaborate deception hiding malicious intent
项庄舞剑,意在沛公
Xiàng Zhuāng wǔ jiàn , yì zài Pèi gōng
1 lit. Xiang Zhuang performs the sword dance, but his mind is set on Liu Bang 劉邦|刘邦[Liú Bāng] (idiom); refers to 206 BC plot to murder Liu Bang, aka Duke of Pei 沛公[Pèi gōng] and the future Han emperor, during a sword dance at Feast at Hongmen 鴻門宴|鸿门宴[Hóng mén Yàn]
2 an elaborate deception to hide malicious intent
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