1 The higher ups have policies while the lower downs have their own ways of getting around them. (idiom)
不由自主
bù yóu zì zhǔ
1 can't help; involuntarily (idiom)
以其人之道,还治其人之身
yǐ qí rén zhī dào , huán zhì qí rén zhī shēn
1 to use an opponent's own methods to obtain retribution (idiom, from Song dynasty neo-Confucianist Zhu Xi 朱熹); to get revenge by playing sb back at his own game
2 to give sb a taste of his own medicine
六神无主
liù shén wú zhǔ
1 out of one's wits (idiom)
2 distracted
3 stunned
冤有头,债有主
yuān yǒu tóu , zhài yǒu zhǔ
1 for every grievance someone is responsible, for every debt there is a debtor (idiom)
2 when settling disputes one should not involve third parties
勤政廉政
qín zhèng lián zhèng
1 honest and industrious government functionaries (idiom)
反客为主
fǎn kè wéi zhǔ
1 lit. the guest acts as host (idiom); fig. to turn from passive to active behavior
名花有主
míng huā yǒu zhǔ
1 the girl is already taken (idiom)
喧宾夺主
xuān bīn duó zhǔ
1 lit. the voice of the guest overwhelms that of the host (idiom)
2 fig. a minor player upstages the main attraction
3 minor details obscure the main point
4 the sauce is better than the fish
垂帘听政
chuí lián tīng zhèng
1 lit. to govern from behind the curtain
2 to rule in place of the emperor (idiom)
打狗还得看主人
dǎ gǒu hái děi kàn zhǔ rén
1 lit. when one beats a dog, one must answer to its master (idiom)
2 fig. before punishing sb, one should consider how that would affect others associated with him
政通人和
zhèng tōng rén hé
1 efficient government, people at peace (idiom); all is well with the state and the people
文治武功
wén zhì wǔ gōng
1 political and military achievements (idiom)
治丧从俭
zhì sàng cóng jiǎn
1 to be frugal in attending to funeral rites (idiom)
治大国若烹小鲜
zhì dà guó ruò pēng xiǎo xiān
1 ruling a large nation is like cooking a small delicacy (idiom)
2 effective government requires minimal intervention
物各有主
wù gè yǒu zhǔ
1 everything has a rightful owner (idiom)
独立自主
dú lì zì zhǔ
1 independent and autonomous (idiom); self-determination
2 to act independently
3 to maintain control over one's own affairs
当家作主
dāng jiā zuò zhǔ
1 to be in charge in one's own house (idiom)
2 to be the master of one's own affairs
自作主张
zì zuò zhǔ zhāng
1 to think for oneself and act accordingly (idiom); to act on one's own initiative
臻于郅治
zhēn yú zhì zhì
1 to attain a state of perfect governance (idiom)
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