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Shí wŭ ge diào tŏng dă shuǐ – qī shàng bā xià
十五个吊桶打水 – 七上八下
Have one's heart clang like fifteen buckets in one well, seven going up and eight going down – have one's heart pound with uncertainty, fear or turmoil
Niú tóu bù duì mă zuĭ – hú lā luàn chĕ
牛头不对马嘴 – 胡拉乱扯
Horses' jaws don't match cows' heads – incongruous; irrelevant |
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Tū tóu shàng de shī zi – míng băi zhe
秃头上的虱子 – 明摆着
Like a flea on a bald head – perfectly clear
Kŏng fū zǐ bān jiā – jìn shì shū (shū)
孔夫子搬家 – 尽是书（输）
When Confucius moves (houses), there is nothing but books (because he is a philosopher). – Figuratively, it means you always lose (书 is a homophone for 输) |
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