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
1 The benevolent sees benevolence, the wise sees wisdom.
2 Different views are admissible. (idiom)
来者不善,善者不来
lái zhě bù shàn , shàn zhě bù lái
1 He who comes is surely ill-intentioned, no-one well-meaning will come (idiom).
2 Be careful not to trust foreigners.
3 Beware of Greeks bearing gifts!
来者不拒
lái zhě bù jù
1 to refuse nobody (idiom)
2 all comers welcome
前不见古人,后不见来者
qián bù jiàn gǔ rén , hòu bù jiàn lái zhě
1 unique
2 unprecedented (idiom)
胜者王侯败者寇
shèng zhě wáng hóu bài zhě kòu
1 the winners become princes and marquises; the losers are vilified as bandits (idiom)
2 history is written by the victors
太公钓鱼,愿者上钩
tài gōng diào yú , yuàn zhě shàng gōu
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
1 lit. the first person to bury funerary dolls (idiom)
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
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
旁观者清
páng guān zhě qīng
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
1 lit. a wise person reflecting a thousand times can still make a mistake (idiom); fig. nobody is infallible
更有甚者
gèng yǒu shèn zhě
1 furthermore (idiom)
有志者事竟成
yǒu zhì zhě shì jìng chéng
1 a really determined person will find a solution (idiom); where there's a will, there's a way
当局者迷,旁观者清
dāng jú zhě mí , páng guān zhě qīng
1 The person on the spot is baffled, the onlooker sees clear (idiom). The onlooker sees more of the game.
皎皎者易污
jiǎo jiǎo zhě yì wū
1 Virtue is easily sullied. (idiom)
知人者智,自知者明
zhī rén zhě zhì , zì zhī zhě míng
1 those who understand others are clever, but those who know themselves are truly wise (idiom, from Laozi's 道德經|道德经[Dào dé jīng]
窃国者侯,窃钩者诛
qiè guó zhě hóu , qiè gōu zhě zhū
1 steal the whole country and they make you a prince, steal a hook and they hang you (idiom, from Daoist classic Zhuangzi 莊子|庄子)
窃钩者诛,窃国者侯
qiè gōu zhě zhū , qiè guó zhě hóu
1 steal a hook and they hang you, steal the whole country and they make you a prince (idiom, from Daoist classic Zhuangzi 莊子|庄子)
能者多劳
néng zhě duō láo
1 it's the most capable people who do the most work (idiom) (intended as consolation for the overworked, or flattery when making a request etc)
行百里者半九十
xíng bǎi lǐ zhě bàn jiǔ shí
1 lit. ninety li is merely a half of a hundred li journey (idiom)
2 fig. the closer one is to completing a task, the tougher it gets
Well use of the army is to defeat the enemy and take down the city without going into battle. Complete destruction of the enemy’s country is not a long term solution rather to seek a comprehensive solution.
Know how to use the army without having to add more soldiers and food; arrange for the transportation of food and necessities once and seize these from the enemy to save our own inventory.