the empty city stratagem (in which Zhuge Liang presents himself as unperturbed while making it evident that his city is undefended, hoping his adversary will suspect an ambush) / double bluff
不愤不启
bù fèn bù qǐ
a student shall not be enlightened until he has tried hard by himself (idiom)
人不为己，天诛地灭
rén bù wèi jǐ , tiān zhū dì miè
Look out for yourself, or heaven and earth will combine to destroy you. / Every man for himself, and the Devil take the hindmost.
太史公
Tài shǐ gōng
Grand Scribe, the title by which Sima Qian 司馬遷|司马迁[Si1 ma3 Qian1] refers to himself in Records of the Historian 史記|史记[Shi3 ji4]
家累千金，坐不垂堂
jiā lěi qiān jīn , zuò bù chuí táng
lit. a wealthy person does not sit under the eaves (idiom) / fig. a rich man does not expose himself to danger
a novice making a fool of himself / to make oneself ridiculous before experts
狗改不了吃屎
gǒu gǎi bù liǎo chī shǐ
lit. a dog can't stop himself from eating shit (idiom) / fig. bad habits are hard to change
三个和尚没水喝
sān gè hé shang méi shuǐ hē
lit. three monks have no water to drink (idiom) / fig. everybody's business is nobody's business / (If there is one monk, he will fetch water for himself. If there are two, they will fetch water together. But if there are three or more, none will take it upon himself to fetch water.)
看笑话
kàn xiào hua
to watch with amusement as sb makes a fool of himself
出头的椽子先烂
chū tóu de chuán zi xiān làn
lit. rafters that jut out rot first (idiom) / fig. anyone who makes himself conspicuous will be targeted for attack
本尊
běn zūn
(Buddhism) yidam (one's chosen meditational deity) / the principal object of worship on a Buddhist altar / (of a monk who has the ability to appear in multiple places at the same time) the honored one himself (contrasted with his alternate forms, 分身[fen1 shen1]) / (fig.) (jocular) the genuine article / the real McCoy / the man himself / the woman herself / the original manifestation of sth (not a spin-off or a clone)
qīn