不以规矩,不能成方圆
bù yǐ guī ju , bù néng chéng fāng yuán
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1 without rules, nothing can be done (idiom, from Mencius); one must follow some rules
劝善惩恶
quàn shàn chéng è
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1 to encourage virtue and punish evil (idiom); fig. poetic justice
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2 you get what's coming to you
墨守成规
mò shǒu chéng guī
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1 hidebound by convention (idiom)
循规蹈矩
xún guī dǎo jǔ
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1 to follow the compass and go with the set square (idiom); to follow the rules inflexibly
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2 to act according to convention
没有规矩,不成方圆
méi yǒu guī ju , bù chéng fāng yuán
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1 without rules, nothing can be done (idiom); one must follow some rules
没有规矩,何以成方圆
méi yǒu guī ju , hé yǐ chéng fāng yuán
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1 without rules, how can anything be done (idiom); one must follow some rules
萧规曹随
Xiāo guī Cáo suí
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1 lit. Xiao's 蕭何|萧何[Xiāo Hé] governance followed by Cao 曹參|曹参[Cáo Cān] (idiom)
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2 fig. to strictly adhere to the policies of the predecessor
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3 to follow precedent
规矩准绳
guī ju zhǔn shéng
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1 compasses, set square, spirit level and plumbline (idiom); fig. established standard
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2 norms
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3 criteria
规矩绳墨
guī ju shéng mò
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1 compasses, set square and straight line marker (idiom); fig. established standard
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2 norms
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3 criteria
规行矩步
guī xíng jǔ bù
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1 to follow the compass and go with the set square (idiom); to follow the rules inflexibly
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2 to act according to convention