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可望而不可及
kě wàng ér bù kě jí
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in sight but unattainable (idiom);
inaccessible
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待价而沽
dài jià ér gū
|
to sell only for a good price (idiom);
to wait for a good offer
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知难而退
zhī nán ér tuì
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to sound out the difficulties and retreat to avoid defeat (idiom); fig. to back out of an awkward situation;
to get out on finding out what it's really like
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迎面而来
yíng miàn ér lái
|
directly;
head-on (collision);
in one's face (of wind)
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铩羽而归
shā yǔ ér guī
|
to return in low spirits following a defeat or failure to achieve one's ambitions (idiom)
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一拥而上
yī yōng ér shàng
|
to swarm around;
flocking (to see)
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不胫而走
bù jìng ér zǒu
|
to get round fast;
to spread like wildfire
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形而上学
xíng ér shàng xué
|
metaphysics
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心有余而力不足
xīn yǒu yú ér lì bù zú
|
the will is there, but not the strength (idiom);
the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak
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拂袖而去
fú xiù ér qù
|
to storm off in a huff (idiom)
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泛泛而谈
fàn fàn ér tán
|
to speak in general terms
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满载而归
mǎn zài ér guī
|
to return from a rewarding journey
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自上而下
zì shàng ér xià
|
top-down
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一概而论
yī gài ér lùn
|
to lump different matters together (idiom)
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一蹴而就
yī cù ér jiù
|
to get there in one step (idiom); easily done;
success at a stroke;
to get results overnight
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一跃而起
yī yuè ér qǐ
|
to jump up suddenly;
to bound up;
to rise up in one bound
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慕名而来
mù míng ér lái
|
to come to a place on account of its reputation (idiom); attracted to visit a famous location
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戛然而止
jiá rán ér zhǐ
|
with a grunting sound it stops (idiom); to come to an end spontaneously (esp. of sound)
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扑面而来
pū miàn ér lái
|
lit. sth hits one in the face;
directly in one's face;
sth assaults the senses;
blatant (advertising);
eye-catching;
(a smell) assaults the nostrils
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而立之年
ér lì zhī nián
|
aged thirty (see 三十而立)
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听而不闻
tīng ér bù wén
|
to hear but not react (idiom); to turn a deaf ear;
to ignore deliberately
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不约而同
bù yuē ér tóng
|
to agree by chance (idiom); taking the same action without prior consultation
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望而却步
wàng ér què bù
|
to shrink back;
to flinch
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置之死地而后生
zhì zhī sǐ dì ér hòu shēng
|
place sb on a field of death and he will fight to live (idiom based on Sunzi's "The Art of War" 孫子兵法|孙子兵法[Sun1 zi3 Bing1 fa3]); to fight desperately when confronting mortal danger;
fig. to find a way out of an impasse
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闻风而动
wén fēng ér dòng
|
to respond instantly;
to act at once on hearing the news
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