不由自主
bù yóu zì zhǔ
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1 can't help; involuntarily (idiom)
之乎者也
zhī hū zhě yě
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1 lit. 之[zhī], 乎[hū], 者[zhě] and 也[yě] (four grammatical particles of Classical Chinese) (idiom); fig. archaic expressions
仁者见仁，智者见智
rén zhě jiàn rén , zhì zhě jiàn zhì
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1 The benevolent sees benevolence, the wise sees wisdom.
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2 Different views are admissible. (idiom)
任人宰割
rèn rén zǎi gē
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1 to get trampled on (idiom)
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2 to be taken advantage of
来者不善，善者不来
lái zhě bù shàn , shàn zhě bù lái
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1 He who comes is surely ill-intentioned, no-one well-meaning will come (idiom).
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2 Be careful not to trust foreigners.
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3 Beware of Greeks bearing gifts!
来者不拒
lái zhě bù jù
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1 to refuse nobody (idiom)
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2 all comers welcome
六神无主
liù shén wú zhǔ
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1 out of one's wits (idiom)
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2 distracted
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3 stunned
冤有头，债有主
yuān yǒu tóu , zhài yǒu zhǔ
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1 for every grievance someone is responsible, for every debt there is a debtor (idiom)
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2 when settling disputes one should not involve third parties
前不见古人，后不见来者
qián bù jiàn gǔ rén , hòu bù jiàn lái zhě
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1 unique
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2 unprecedented (idiom)
胜者王侯败者寇
shèng zhě wáng hóu bài zhě kòu
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1 the winners become princes and marquises; the losers are vilified as bandits (idiom)
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2 history is written by the victors
反客为主
fǎn kè wéi zhǔ
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1 lit. the guest acts as host (idiom); fig. to turn from passive to active behavior
名花有主
míng huā yǒu zhǔ
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1 the girl is already taken (idiom)
喧宾夺主
xuān bīn duó zhǔ
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1 lit. the voice of the guest overwhelms that of the host (idiom)
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2 fig. a minor player upstages the main attraction
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3 minor details obscure the main point
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4 the sauce is better than the fish
太公钓鱼，愿者上钩
tài gōng diào yú , yuàn zhě shàng gōu
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1 Jiang Ziya is fishing, if you want take the hook (idiom, refers to early sage 姜子牙 fishing with no bait and the hook above the water); to put one's head in the noose
始作俑者
shǐ zuò yǒng zhě
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1 lit. the first person to bury funerary dolls (idiom)
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2 fig. the originator of an evil practice
姜太公钓鱼，愿者上钩
Jiāng tài gōng diào yú , yuàn zhě shàng gōu
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1 Jiang Ziya is fishing, if you want it, take the hook (idiom, refers to early sage 姜子牙 fishing with no bait and the hook above the water); to put one's head in the noose
宰予昼寝
Zǎi Yǔ zhòu qǐn
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1 Zai Yu sleeps by day (idiom); refers to story in Analects of Confucius remonstrating bitterly with his student for sleeping during lectures
打狗还得看主人
dǎ gǒu hái děi kàn zhǔ rén
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1 lit. when one beats a dog, one must answer to its master (idiom)
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2 fig. before punishing sb, one should consider how that would affect others associated with him
旁观者清
páng guān zhě qīng
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1 The person on the spot is baffled, the onlooker sees clear (idiom). The spectator sees more of the game.
智者千虑，必有一失
zhì zhě qiān lu:4 , bì yǒu yī shī
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1 lit. a wise person reflecting a thousand times can still make a mistake (idiom); fig. nobody is infallible