不求有功,但求无过
bù qiú yǒu gōng , dàn qiú wú guò
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1 lit. not aiming to achieve the best possible result, but rather trying to avoid making mistakes (idiom)
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2 fig. to take a risk-averse approach
不求甚解
bù qiú shèn jiě
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1 lit. not requiring a detailed understanding (idiom); only looking for an overview
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2 not bothered with the details
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3 superficial
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4 content with shallow understanding
乞哀告怜
qǐ āi gào lián
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1 begging for pity and asking for help (idiom)
刻舟求剑
kè zhōu qiú jiàn
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1 lit. a notch on the side of a boat to locate a sword dropped overboard (idiom); fig. an action made pointless by changed circumstances
千军易得,一将难求
qiān jūn yì dé , yī jiàng nán qiú
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1 Easy to raise an army of one thousand, but hard to find a good general. (idiom)
可遇不可求
kě yù bù kě qiú
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1 can be discovered but not sought (idiom)
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2 one can only come across such things serendipitously
吹毛求疵
chuī máo qiú cī
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1 lit. to blow apart the hairs upon a fur to discover any defect (idiom); fig. to be fastidious
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2 nitpick
哀兵必胜
āi bīng bì shèng
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1 an army burning with righteous indignation is bound to win (idiom)
哀告宾服
āi gào bīn fú
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1 to bring tribute as sign of submission (idiom); to submit
哀哭切齿
āi kū qiè chǐ
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1 weeping and gnashing one's teeth (idiom)
哀而不伤
āi ér bù shāng
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1 deeply felt but not mawkish (idiom)
哀莫大于心死
āi mò dà yú xīn sǐ
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1 nothing sadder than a withered heart (idiom attributed to Confucius by Zhuangzi 莊子|庄子[Zhuāng zǐ])
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2 no greater sorrow than a heart that never rejoices
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3 the worst sorrow is not as bad as an uncaring heart
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4 nothing is more wretched than apathy
哀鸿遍野
āi hóng biàn yě
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1 lit. plaintive whine of geese (idiom); fig. land swarming with disaster victims
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2 starving people fill the land
梦寐以求
mèng mèi yǐ qiú
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1 to yearn for sth even in one's dreams (idiom)
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2 to long for sth day and night
孜孜以求
zī zī yǐ qiú
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1 diligent and tireless (idiom)
守株待兔,缘木求鱼
shǒu zhū dài tù , yuán mù qiú yú
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1 to guard a tree-stump, waiting for rabbits, and climb a tree to catch fish (idiom); without any practical course of action
实事求是
shí shì qiú shì
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1 to seek truth from facts (idiom)
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2 to be practical and realistic
急于求成
jí yú qiú chéng
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1 anxious for quick results (idiom); to demand instant success
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2 impatient for result
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3 impetuous
舍身求法
shě shēn qiú fǎ
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1 to abandon one's body in the search for Buddha's truth (idiom)
死中求生
sǐ zhōng qiú shēng
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1 to seek life in death (idiom); to fight for one's life