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
扭转乾坤
niǔ zhuǎn qián kūn
1 lit. to upend heaven and earth (idiom)
2 fig. to change the course of events
3 to turn things around
苍蝇不叮无缝蛋
cāng ying bù dīng wú fèng dàn
1 lit. flies do not attack an intact egg (idiom)
2 fig. no smoke without a fire
鸡蛋碰石头
jī dàn pèng shí tou
1 lit. an egg colliding with a rock (idiom)
2 fig. to attack sb stronger than oneself
3 to overrate one's abilities
鸡蛋里挑骨头
jī dàn li tiāo gǔ tou
1 to look for bones in an egg
2 to find fault
3 to nitpick (idiom)
鸡飞蛋打
jī fēi dàn dǎ
1 the chicken has flown the coop and the eggs are broken
2 a dead loss (idiom)
鸟不拉屎，鸡不生蛋
niǎo bù lā shǐ , jī bù shēng dàn
1 lit. (a place where) birds don't defecate and hens don't lay eggs (idiom)
2 fig. god-forsaken
3 remote and desolate
鸟不生蛋，狗不拉屎
niǎo bù shēng dàn , gǒu bù lā shǐ
1 lit. (a place where) birds don't lay eggs and dogs don't defecate (idiom)
2 fig. god-forsaken
3 remote and desolate
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