(indicating that sth turns out just the opposite of what one would wish) unfortunately / as it happened / (indicating that sth is the opposite of what would be normal or reasonable) stubbornly / contrarily / against reason / (indicating that sb or a group is singled out) precisely / only / of all people
to face off against one's adversary (military, sports etc)
吴三桂
Wú Sān guì
Wu Sangui (1612-1678), Chinese general who let the Manchus into China and helped them establish the Qing Dynasty, later leading a revolt against Qing in an effort to start his own dynasty
to take preventative measures / to guard against accident or disaster
对打
duì dǎ
to fight (one against one)
奸臣
jiān chén
a treacherous court official / a minister who conspires against the state
力挽狂澜
lì wǎn kuáng lán
to pull strongly against a crazy tide (idiom) / fig. to try hard to save a desperate crisis
谋反
móu fǎn
to plot a rebellion / to conspire against the state
逆行
nì xíng
to go the wrong way / to go against one-way traffic regulation
分辩
fēn biàn
to explain the facts / to defend against an accusation
钻牛角尖
zuān niú jiǎo jiān
lit. to penetrate into a bull's horn (idiom) / fig. to waste time on an insoluble or insignificant problem / to bash one's head against a brick wall / a wild goose chase / a blind alley / to split hairs
to leave one's native place, esp. against one's will (idiom)
争分夺秒
zhēng fēn duó miǎo
lit. fight minutes, snatch seconds (idiom) / a race against time / making every second count
兴师问罪
xīng shī wèn zuì
to send punitive forces against / (fig.) to criticize violently
同仇敌忾
tóng chóu dí kài
anger against a common enemy (idiom) / joined in opposition to the same adversary
上善若水
shàng shàn ruò shuǐ
the ideal is to be like water (which benefits all living things and does not struggle against them) (quotation from the "Book of Dao" 道德經|道德经[Dao4 de2 jing1])
新文化运动
Xīn Wén huà Yùn dòng
the New Culture Movement (mid-1910s and 1920s), intellectual revolution against Confucianism aiming to introduce Western elements, especially democracy and science
钟馗
Zhōng Kuí
Zhong Kui (mythological figure, supposed to drive away evil spirits) / (fig.) a person with the courage to fight against evil
赶工
gǎn gōng
to work against the clock / to hurry with work to get it done in time
逆水行舟
nì shuǐ xíng zhōu
lit. navigating a boat against the current (idiom) / fig. in a tough environment (one needs to work hard)
离经叛道
lí jīng pàn dào
to rebel against orthodoxy / to depart from established practices
guǐ zi