identity / aspect of one's identity (i.e. sth that one is &ndash / mayor, father, permanent resident etc) / role / capacity (as in "in his capacity as a ..." 以…的身份[yi3 xx5 de5 shen1 fen4]) / status (social, legal etc) / position / rank
(in classical literature) young military officer of high rank for his age / (during the Cultural Revolution) young militant in the Red Guard / (in modern usage) rising star (in sport, politics etc)
Guanzi or Guan Zhong 管仲 / (-645 BC), famous politician of Qi 齊國|齐国 / of Spring and Autumn period / Guanzi, classical book containing writings of Guan Zhong and his school
Lucifer (Satan's name before his fall in Jewish and Christian mythology)
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
贾宝玉
Jiǎ Bǎo yù
Jia Baoyu, male character in The Dream of Red Mansions, in love with his cousin Lin Daiyu 林黛玉 / but obliged to marry Xue Baochai 薛寶釵|薛宝钗
佛爷
Fó ye
Buddha (term of respect for Sakyamuni 釋迦牟尼|释迦牟尼[Shi4 jia1 mou2 ni2]) / His Holiness (refers to a Buddhist grandee) / Buddha / God / emperor / in late Qing court, refers exclusively to Empress Dowager Cixi 慈禧太后[Ci2 xi3 tai4 hou4]
包公
Bāo gōng
Lord Bao or Judge Bao, fictional nickname of Bao Zheng 包拯[Bao1 Zheng3] (999-1062), Northern Song official renowned for his honesty
进贡
jìn gòng
to offer tribute / to pay tribute that a vassal owes to his suzerain
貂蝉
Diāo Chán
Diaochan (-192), one of the four legendary beauties 四大美女[si4 da4 mei3 nu:3], in fiction a famous beauty at the break-up of Han dynasty, given as concubine to usurping warlord Dong Zhuo 董卓[Dong3 Zhuo2] to ensure his overthrow by fighting hero Lü / Bu 呂布|吕布[Lu:3 Bu4]
多尔衮
Duō ěr gǔn
Dorgon (1612-1651), fourteenth son of Nurhaci 努爾哈赤|努尔哈赤[Nu3 er3 ha1 chi4], successful general, instrumental in Manchu conquest of China, ruled China as regent 1644-1650 for his nephew Emperor Shunzhi 順治帝|顺治帝[Shun4 zhi4 di4]
包青天
bāo qīng tiān
Bao Qingtian, fictional nickname of Bao Zheng 包拯[Bao1 Zheng3] (999-1062), Northern Song official renowned for his honesty
察言观色
chá yán guān sè
to weigh up sb's words and observe their facial expression (idiom) / to discern what sb thinks from his body language
阿难
E1 nán
Prince Ananda, cousin of the Buddha and his closest disciple
to see, hear and obey (idiom) / to take advice / to take sb at his word
留用
liú yòng
to keep for use / to retain sth / to keep sb in his job
扁鹊
biǎn què
秦越人[Qin2 Yue4 ren2] (407-310 BC), Warring States physician known for his medical skills, nicknamed Bian Que after the earliest known Chinese physician allegedly from the 黃帝|黄帝[Huang2 di4] era
跃马
yuè mǎ
to gallop / to spur on a horse / to let one's steed have his head
包拯
Bāo Zhěng
Bao Zheng (999-1062), Northern Song official renowned for his honesty / modern day metaphor for an honest politician
毛遂自荐
Máo Suì zì jiàn
Mao Sui recommends himself (idiom) / to offer one's services (in the style of Mao Sui offering his services to king of Chu 楚 / of the Warring states)
出殡
chū bìn
to accompany a deceased person to his last resting place / to hold a funeral
明哲保身
míng zhé bǎo shēn
a wise man looks after his own hide (idiom) / to put one's own safety before matters of principle
鸿门宴
Hóng mén Yàn
Hongmen feast / (fig.) banquet set up with the aim of murdering a guest / refers to a famous episode in 206 BC when future Han emperor Liu Bang 劉邦|刘邦[Liu2 Bang1] escaped attempted murder by his rival Xiang Yu 項羽|项羽[Xiang4 Yu3]
助纣为虐
zhù Zhòu wéi nu:è
lit. helping tyrant Zhou 商紂王|商纣王[Shang1 Zhou4 wang2] in his oppression (idiom) / fig. to take the side of the evildoer / giving succor to the enemy
作茧自缚
zuò jiǎn zì fù
to spin a cocoon around oneself (idiom) / enmeshed in a trap of one's own devising / hoist by his own petard
黑旋风
Hēi Xuàn fēng
Black Whirlwind, nickname of 李逵[Li3 Kui2], known for his fearsome behavior in combat and his dark complexion
各执一词
gè zhí yī cí
each sticks to his own version (idiom) / a dialogue of the deaf
潘岳
Pān Yuè
Pan Yue (247-300), later known as 潘安[Pan1 An1], prominent Western Jin poet, also famous for his good looks, such that his name became a byword for "extremely handsome man"
冒名顶替
mào míng dǐng tì
to assume sb's name and take his place (idiom) / to impersonate / to pose under a false name
三顾茅庐
sān gù máo lú
lit. three humble visits to a thatched cottage / cf famous episode in the fictional Romance of Three Kingdoms 三國演義|三国演义 / in which Liu Bei 劉備|刘备 / recruits Zhuge Liang 諸葛亮|诸葛亮 / (the Hidden Dragon 臥龍|卧龙) to his cause by visiting him three times
阿来
A1 lái
Alai (1959-), ethnic Tibetan Chinese writer, awarded Mao Dun Literature Prize in 2000 for his novel 塵埃落定|尘埃落定[Chen2 ai1 luo4 ding4] "Red Poppies"
fortune-teller who uses the subject's face for his prognostication
聪明反被聪明误
cōng míng fǎn bèi cōng míng wù
a clever person may become the victim of his own ingenuity (idiom) / cleverness may overreach itself / too smart for one's own good
各行其是
gè xíng qí shì
each one does what he thinks is right (idiom) / each goes his own way
各奔前程
gè bèn qián chéng
each goes his own way (idiom) / each person has his own life to lead
兄嫂
xiōng sǎo
elder brother and his wife
各尽所能
gè jìn suǒ néng
each does his utmost (idiom) / from each according to his means
赵紫阳
Zhào Zǐ yáng
Zhao Ziyang (1919-2005), PRC reforming politician, general secretary of Chinese Communist Party 1987-1989, held under house arrest from 1989 to his death, and non-person since then
钉子户
dīng zi hù
householder who refuses to vacate his home despite pressure from property developers
避实就虚
bì shí jiù xū
(idiom) stay clear of the enemy's main force and strike at his weak points
吴晗
Wú Hán
Wu Han (1909-1969), historian, author of biography of Zhu Yuanzhang 朱元璋, hounded to his death together with several members of his family during the cultural revolution
lit. the birds are over, the bow is put away (idiom) / fig. to get rid of sb once he has served his purpose
朴正熙
Piáo Zhèng xī
Park Chung-Hee (1917-1979), South Korean military man and dictator, president 1963-1979, influential in developing Korean industry, murdered by his bodyguard
官复原职
guān fù yuán zhí
restored to one's official post / to send sb back to his former post
兔死狗烹
tù sǐ gǒu pēng
lit. to boil the hound once it caught the rabbit (idiom) / fig. to get rid of sb once he has served his purpose
翎子
líng zi
peacock feathers on an official's hat displaying his rank (traditional) / pheasant tail feathers on warriors' helmets (opera)
生拉硬拽
shēng lā yìng zhuài
to drag sb along against his will / to draw a forced analogy
陆羽
Lù Yǔ
Lu Yu (733-804), Chinese writer from Tang dynasty, known for his obsession with tea
high ranking official (old) / term of endearment between spouses (old) / (from the Tang Dynasty onwards) term used by the emperor for his subjects (old) / honorific (old)
江郎才尽
Jiāng láng cái jìn
Jiang Yan has exhausted his talent (idiom) / fig. to have used up one's creative powers / to have writer's block
英雄无用武之地
yīng xióng wú yòng wǔ zhī dì
a hero with no chance of using his might / to have no opportunity to display one's talents
空城计
kōng chéng jì
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
生不逢时
shēng bù féng shí
born at the wrong time (idiom) / unlucky (esp. to complain about one's fate) / born under an unlucky star / ahead of his time
鸡犬升天
jī quǎn shēng tiān
lit. poultry and dogs rise to Heaven (idiom) / fig. to ride on sb else's success / Once one man gets a government position, all his cronies get in too / Once sb has cracked the problem, every Tom, Dick and Harry can do it
风华绝代
fēng huá jué dài
magnificent style unmatched in his generation (idiom) / peerless talent
断袖之癖
duàn xiù zhī pǐ
lit. cut sleeve (idiom) / fig. euphemism for homosexuality, originating from History of Western Han 漢書|汉书: emperor Han Aidi (real name Liu Xin) was in bed with his lover Dong Xian, and had to attend a court audience that morning. Not wishing to awaken Dong Xian, who was sleeping with his head resting on the emperor's long robe sleeve, Aidi used a knife to cut off the lower half of his sleeve.
一个萝卜一个坑
yī gè luó bo yī gè kēng
lit. every turnip to its hole (idiom) / fig. each person has his own position / each to his own / horses for courses / every kettle has its lid
三马同槽
sān mǎ tóng cáo
three horses at the same trough (idiom, alluding to Sima Yi 司馬懿|司马懿[Si1 ma3 Yi4] and his two sons) / conspirators under the same roof
以眼还眼
yǐ yǎn huán yǎn
an eye for an eye (idiom) / fig. to use the enemy's methods against him / to give sb a taste of his own medicine
各执己见
gè zhí jǐ jiàn
each sticks to his own view (idiom) / a dialogue of the deaf
名师出高徒
míng shī chū gāo tú
A famous teacher trains a fine student (idiom). A cultured man will have a deep influence on his successors.
吐丝自缚
tǔ sī zì fù
to spin a cocoon around oneself (idiom) / enmeshed in a trap of one's own devising / hoist with his own petard
咬人狗儿不露齿
yǎo rén gǒu r bù lù chǐ
lit. the dog that bites does not show its fangs (idiom) / fig. You can't tell the really dangerous enemy from his external appearance.
因人成事
yīn rén chéng shì
to get things done relying on others (idiom) / with a little help from his friends
塞翁失马
sài wēng shī mǎ
lit. the old man lost his horse, but it all turned out for the best (idiom) / fig. a blessing in disguise / it's an ill wind that blows nobody any good
塞翁失马安知非福
sài wēng shī mǎ ān zhī fēi fú
the old man lost his mare, but it all turned out for the best (idiom) / fig. a blessing in disguise / it's an ill wind that blows nobody any good / also written 塞翁失馬焉知非福|塞翁失马焉知非福
大智如愚
dà zhì rú yú
the wise may appear stupid (idiom) / a genius not appreciated in his own time
如是我闻
rú shì wǒ wén
so I have heard (idiom) / the beginning clause of Buddha's quotations as recorded by his disciple, Ananda (Buddhism)
尊师贵道
zūn shī guì dào
to revere the master and his teaching
心有灵犀一点通
xīn yǒu líng xī yī diǎn tōng
hearts linked as one, just as the proverbial rhinoceros communicates emotion telepathically through his single horn (idiom) / fig. two hearts beat as one
拔毛连茹
bá máo lián rú
lit. pull up a plant and the roots follow (idiom) / fig. also involving others / inextricably tangled together / Invite one and he'll tell all his friends.
挟天子以令诸侯
xié tiān zǐ yǐ lìng zhū hóu
(expr.) hold the feudal overlord and you control his vassals
数黄道黑
shǔ huáng dào hēi
to enumerate what is black and yellow (idiom) / to criticize sb behind his back to incite quarrels / also written 數黑論黃|数黑论黄[shu3 hei1 lun4 huang2]
数黑论白
shǔ hēi lùn bái
to enumerate what is black and yellow (idiom) / to criticize sb behind his back to incite quarrels / also written 數黑論黃|数黑论黄[shu3 hei1 lun4 huang2]
数黑论黄
shǔ hēi lùn huáng
to enumerate what is black and yellow (idiom) / to criticize sb behind his back to incite quarrels
本性难移
běn xìng nán yí
It is hard to change one's essential nature (idiom). You can't change who you are. / Can the leopard change his spots? (Jeremiah 13:23)
qí
